Taurus mountain range, properly the mostly well-wooded heights (average 2,100 m./7,000 ft.) beginning in SW Asia Minor, and continuing along the coast of *Lycia and through *Pisidia and *Isauria to the borders of *Cilicia and *Lycaonia. It then divides into: (1) Antitaurus, apparently the heights going north-east through *Cappadocia (mons Argaeus) and *Armenia (mons Capotes) towards the *Caucasus; (2) Abus or Macis (Massis), through Armenia towards the *Caspian Sea, keeping the name Taurus and sending southwards Mt. *Amanus and (beyond the *Euphrates) Mt. Masius. There were subsidiary ranges south of the Euphrates, and Mt. Zagrus separating *Media from *Assyria and *Babylonia. The name Taurus was extended to include not only the heights of north Iran, but also the Paropamisus (Hindu Kush) and Emodus or Imaus (Himalayas); and was continued by hearsay to the eastern Ocean at ‘Tamus Headland’. The whole range was regarded as the backbone of *Asia.
