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[1] Now the Aetolians and the Acarnanians border on one another, having between them the Acheloüs River, which flows from the north and from Pindus on the south through the country of the Agraeans, an Aetolian tribe, and through that of the Amphilochians, the Acarnanians holding the western side of the river as far as that part of the Ambracian Gulf which is near Amphilochi and the temple of the Actian Apollo, but the Aetolians the eastern side as far as the Ozalian Locrians and Parnassus and the Oetaeans. Above the Acarnanians, in the interior and the parts towards the north, are situated the Amphilochians, and above these the Dolopians and Pindus, and above the Aetolians are the Perrhaebians and Athamanians and a part of the Aenianians who hold Oeta. The southern side, of Acarnania and Aetolia alike, is washed by the sea which forms the Corinthian Gulf, into which empties the Acheloüs River, which forms the boundary between the coast of the Aetolians and that of Acarnania. In earlier times the Acheloüs was called Thoas. The river which flows past Dyme bears the same name as this, as I have already said,¹ and also the river near Lamia.² I have already stated, also, that the Corinthian Gulf is said to begin at the mouth of this river.³

[2] As for cities, those of the Acarnanians are Anactorium, which is situated on a peninsula near Actium and is a trading center of the Nicopolis of today, which was founded in our times;⁴ Stratus, where one may sail up the Acheloüs River more than two hundred stadia; and Oeneiadae, which is also on the river—the old city, which is equidistant from the sea and from Stratus, being uninhabited, whereas that of today lies at a distance of about seventy stadia above the outlet of the river. There are also other cities, Palaerus, Alyzia, Leucas,⁵ Argos Amphilochicum, and Ambracia, most of which, or rather all, have become dependencies of Nicopolis. Stratus is situated about midway of the road between Alyzia and Anactorium.⁶

[3] The cities of the Aetolians are Calydon and Pleuron, which are now indeed reduced, though in early times these settlements were an ornament to Greece. Further, Aetolia has come to be divided into two parts, one part being called Old Aetolia and the other Aetolia Epictetus.⁷ The Old Aetolia was the seacoast extending from the Acheloüs to Calydon, reaching for a considerable distance into the interior, which is fertile and level; here in the interior lie Stratus and Trichonium, the latter having excellent soil. Aetolia Epictetus is the part which borders on the country of the Locrians in the direction of Naupactus and Eupalium, being a rather rugged and sterile country, and extends to the Oetaean country and to that of the Athamanians and to the mountains and tribes which are situated next beyond these towards the north.

[4] Aetolia also has a very large mountain, Corax, which borders on Oeta; and it has among the rest of its mountains, and more in the middle of the country than Corax, Aracynthus, near which New Pleuron was founded by the inhabitants of the Old, who abandoned their city, which had been situated near Calydon in a district both fertile and level, at the time when Demetrius, surnamed Aetolicus,⁸ laid waste the country; above Molycreia are Taphiassus and Chalcis, rather high mountains, on which were situated the small cities Macynia and Chalcis, the latter bearing the same name as the mountain, though it is also called Hypochalcis. Near Old Pleuron is the mountain Curium, after which, as some have supposed, the Pleuronian Curetes were named.

[5] The Evenus River begins in the territory of those Bomians who live in the country of the Ophians, the Ophians being an Aetolian tribe (like the Eurytanians and Agraeans and Curetes and others), and flows at first, not through the Curetan country, which is the same as the Pleuronian, but through the more easterly country, past Chalcis and Calydon; and then, bending back towards the plains of Old Pleuron and changing its course to the west, it turns towards its outlets and the south. In earlier times it was called Lycormas. And there Nessus, it is said, who had been appointed ferryman, was killed by Heracles because he tried to violate Deïaneira when he was ferrying her across the river.

[6] The poet also names Olenus and Pylene as Aetolian cities.⁹ Of these, the former, which bears the same name as the Achaean city, was razed to the ground by the Aeolians; it was near New Pleuron, but the Acarnanians claimed possession of the territory. The other, Pylene, the Aeolians moved to higher ground, and also changed its name, calling it Proschium. Hellanicus does not know the history of these cities either, but mentions them as though they too were still in their early status; and among the early cities he names Macynia and Molycreia, which were founded even later than the return of the Heracleidae, almost everywhere in his writings displaying a most convenient carelessness.

[7] Upon the whole, then, this is what I have to say concerning the country of the Acarnanians and the Aetolians, but the following is also to be added concerning the seacoast and the islands which lie off it: Beginning at the mouth of the Ambracian Gulf the first place which belongs to the Acarnanians is Actium. The temple of the Actian Apollo bears the same name, as also the cape which forms the mouth of the Gulf and has a harbor on the outer side. Anactorium, which is situated on the gulf, is forty stadia distant from the temple, whereas Leucas is two hundred and forty.

[8] In early times Leucas was a peninsula of Acarnania, but the poet calls it “shore of the mainland,”¹⁰ using the term “mainland” for the country which is situated across from Ithaca and Cephallenia; and this country is Acarnania. And therefore, when he says, “shore of the mainland,” one should take it to mean “shore of Acarnania.” And to Leucas also belonged, not only Nericus, which Laertes says he took

(verily I took Nericus, well-built citadel, shore of the mainland, when I was lord over the Cephallenians),

¹¹but also the cities which Homer names in the Catalogue

(and dwell in Crocyleia and rugged Aegilips).

¹²But the Corinthians sent by Cypselus¹³ and Gorgus took possession of this shore and also advanced as far as the Ambracian Gulf; and both Ambracia and Anactorium were colonized at this time; and the Corinthians dug a canal through the isthmus of the peninsula and made Leucas an island; and they transferred Nericus to the place which, though once an isthmus, is now a strait spanned by a bridge, and they changed its name to Leucas, which was named, as I think, after Leucatas; for Leucatas is a rock of white ¹⁴ color jutting out from Leucas into the sea and towards Cephallenia and therefore it took its name from its color.

[9] It contains the temple of Apollo Leucatas, and also the “Leap,” which was believed to put an end to the longings of love.

Where Sappho is said to have been the first,

as Menander says,

when through frantic longing she was chasing the haughty Phaon, to fling herself with a leap from the far-seen rock, calling upon thee in prayer, O lord and master.

Now although Menander says that Sappho was the first to take the leap, yet those who are better versed than he in antiquities say that it was Cephalus, who was in love with Pterelas the son of Deïoneus. It was an ancestral custom among the Leucadians, every year at the sacrifice performed in honor of Apollo, for some criminal to be flung from this rocky look-out for the sake of averting evil, wings and birds of all kinds being fastened to him, since by their fluttering they could lighten the leap, and also for a number of men, stationed all round below the rock in small fishing-boats, to take the victim in, and, when he had been taken on board,¹⁵ to do all in their power to get him safely outside their borders. The author of the Alcmaeonis¹⁶ says that Icarius, the father of Penelope, had two sons, Alyzeus and Leucadius, and that these two reigned over Acarnania with their father; accordingly, Ephorus thinks that the cities were named after these.

[10] But though at the present time only the people of the island Cephallenia are called Cephallenians, Homer so calls all who were subject to Odysseus, among whom are also the Acarnanians. For after saying,

but Odysseus led the Cephallenians, who held Ithaca and Neritum with quivering foliage

¹⁷(Neritum being the famous mountain on this island, as also when he says,

and those from Dulichium and the sacred Echinades,

¹⁸Dulichium itself being one of the Echinades; and

those who dwelt in Buprasium and Elis,

¹⁹Buprasium being in Elis; and

those who held Euboea and Chalcis and Eiretria,

²⁰meaning that these cities were in Euboea; and

Trojans and Lycians and Dardanians,

²¹meaning that the Lycians and Dardanians were Trojans)—however, after mentioning “Neritum, he says,

and dwelt in Crocyleia and rugged Aegilips, and those who held Zacynthos and those who dwelt about Samos, and those who held the mainland and dwelt in the parts over against the islands.

²²By “mainland,”²³ therefore, he means the parts over against the islands, wishing to include, along with Leucas, the rest of Acarnania as well,²⁴ concerning which he also speaks in this way,

twelve herd on the mainland, and as many flocks of sheep,

²⁵perhaps because Epeirotis extended thus far in early times and was called by the general name “mainland.” But by “Samos” he means the Cephallenia of today, as, when he says,

in the strait between Ithaca and rugged Samos;

²⁶for by the epithet he differentiates between the objects bearing the same name, thus making the name apply, not to the city, but to the island. For the island was a Tetrapolis,²⁷ and one of its four cities was the city called indifferently either Samos or Same, bearing the same name as the island. And when the poet says,

for all the nobles who hold sway over the islands, Dulichium and Same and woody Zacynthos,

²⁸he is evidently making an enumeration of the islands and calling “Same” that island which he had formerly²⁹ called Samos. But Apollodorus,³⁰ when he says in one passage that ambiguity is removed by the epithet when the poet says

and rugged Samos,

³¹showing that he meant the island, and then, in another passage, says that one should copy the reading,

Dulichium and Samos,

³²instead of “Same,” plainly takes the position that the city was called “Same” or “Samos” indiscriminately, but the island “Samos” only; for that the city was called Same is clear, according to Apollodorus, from the fact that, in enumerating the wooers from the several cities, the poet³³ said,

from Same came four and twenty men,

³⁴and also from the statement concerning Ktimene,

they then sent her to Same to wed.

³⁵But this is open to argument, for the poet does not express himself distinctly concerning either Cephallenia or Ithaca and the other places near by; and consequently both the commentators and the historians are at variance with one another.

[11] For instance, when Homer says in regard to Ithaca,

those who held Ithaca and Neritum with quivering foliage,

³⁶he clearly indicates by the epithet that he means the mountain Neritum; and in other passages he expressly calls it a mountain;

but I dwell in sunny Ithaca, wherein is a mountain, Neritum, with quivering leaves and conspicuous from afar.

³⁷But whether by Ithaca he means the city or the island, is not clear, at least in the following verse,

those who held Ithaca and Neritum;

³⁸for if one takes the word in its proper sense, one would interpret it as meaning the city, just as though one should say “Athens and Lycabettus,” or “Rhodes and Atabyris,” or “Lacedaemon and Taÿgetus”; but if he takes it in a poetical sense the opposite is true. However, in the words,

but I dwell in sunny Ithaca, wherein is a mountain, Neritum,

³⁹his meaning is clear, for the mountain is in the island, not in the city. But when he says as follows,

we have come from Ithaca below Neïum,

⁴⁰it is not clear whether he means that Neïum is the same as Neritum or different, or whether it is a mountain or place. However, the critic who writes Nericum⁴¹ instead of Neritum, or the reverse, is utterly mistaken; for the poet refers to the latter as “quivering with foliage,”⁴² but to the former as “well-built citadel,”⁴³ and to the latter as “in Ithaca,”⁴⁴ but to the former as “shore of the mainland.”⁴⁵

[12] The following verse also is thought to disclose a sort of contradiction:

Now Ithaca itself lies chthamale, panypertate on the sea;

⁴⁶ for chthamale means “low,” or “on the ground,” whereas panypertate means “high up,” as Homer indicates in several places when he calls Ithaca “rugged.”⁴⁷ And so when he refers to the road that leads from the harbor as

rugged path up through the wooded place,

⁴⁸and when he says

for not one of the islands which lean upon the sea is eudeielos⁴⁹ or rich in meadows, and Ithaca surpasses them all.

⁵⁰ Now although Homer’s phraseology presents incongruities of this kind, yet they are not poorly explained; for, in the first place, writers do not interpret chthamale as meaning “low-lying” here, but “lying near the mainland,” since it is very close to it, and, secondly, they do not interpret panypertate as meaning “highest,” but “highest towards the darkness,” that is, farthest removed towards the north beyond all the others; for this is what he means by “towards the darkness,” but the opposite by “towards the south,” as in

but the other islands lie aneuthe towards the dawn and the sun,

⁵¹for the word aneuthe is “at a distance,” or “apart,” implying that the other islands lie towards the south and farther away from the mainland, whereas Ithaca lies near the mainland and towards the north. That Homer refers in this way to the southerly region is clear also from these words,

whether they go to the right, towards the dawn and the sun, or yet to the left towards the misty darkness,

⁵²and still more clear from these words,

my friends, lo, now we know not where is the place of darkness, nor of dawn, nor where the sun, that gives light to men, goes beneath the earth; nor where he rises.

⁵³For it is indeed possible to interpret this as meaning the four “climata,”⁵⁴ if we interpret “the dawn” as meaning the southerly region (and this has some plausibility), but it is better to conceive of the region which is along the path of the sun as set opposite to the northerly region, for the poetic words are intended to signify a considerable change in the celestial phenomena,⁵⁵ not merely a temporary concealment of the “climata,” for necessarily concealment ensues every time the sky is clouded, whether by day or by night; but the celestial phenomena change to a greater extent as we travel farther and farther towards the south or in the opposite direction. Yet this travel causes a hiding, not of the western or eastern sky, but only of the southern or northern, and in fact this hiding takes place when the sky is clear; for the pole is the most northerly point of the sky, but since the pole moves and is sometimes at our zenith and sometimes below the earth, the arctic circles also change with it and in the course of such travels sometimes vanish with it,⁵⁶ so that you cannot know where the northern “clima” is, or even where it begins.⁵⁷ And if this is true, neither can you know the opposite “clima.” The circuit of Ithaca is about eighty stadia.⁵⁸ So much for Ithaca.

[13] As for Cephallenia, which is a Tetrapolis, the poet mentions by its present name neither it nor any of its cities except one, Same or Samos, which now no longer exists, though traces of it are to be seen midway of the passage to Ithaca; and its people are called Samaeans. The other three, however, survive even to this day in the little cities Paleis, Pronesus, and Cranii. And in our time Gaius Antonius, the uncle of Marcus Antonius, founded still another city, when, after his consulship, which he held with Cicero the orator, he went into exile,⁵⁹ sojourned in Cephallenia, and held the whole island in subjection as though it were his private estate. However, before he could complete the settlement he obtained permission to return home,⁶⁰ and ended his days amid other affairs of greater importance.

[14] Some, however, have not hesitated to identify Cephallenia with Dulichium, and others with Taphos, calling the Cephallenians Taphians, and likewise Teleboans, and to say that Amphitryon made an expedition thither with Cephalus, the son of Deïoneus, whom, an exile from Athens, he had taken along with him, and that when Amphitryon seized the island he gave it over to Cephalus, and that the island was named after Cephalus and the cities after his children. But this is not in accordance with Homer; for the Cephallenians were subject to Odysseus and Laertes, whereas Taphos was subject to Mentes:

I declare that I am Mentes the son of wise Anchialus, and I am lord over the oar loving Taphians.

⁶¹Taphos is now called Taphius. Neither is Hellanicus⁶² in accord with Homer when he identifies Cephallenia with Dulichium, for Homer⁶³ makes Dulichium and the remainder of the Echinades subject to Meges; and their inhabitants were Epeians, who had come there from Elis; and it is on this account that he calls Otus the Cyllenian

comrade of Phyleides⁶⁴ and ruler of the high-hearted Epeians;

⁶⁵

but Odysseus led the high-hearted Cephallenians.

⁶⁶According to Homer, therefore, neither is Cephallenia Dulichium nor is Dulichium a part of Cephallenia, as Andron⁶⁷ says; for the Epeians held possession of Dulichium, whereas the Cephallenians held possession of the whole of Cephallenia and were subject to Odysseus, whereas the Epeians were subject to Meges. Neither is Paleis called Dulichium by the poet, as Pherecydes writes. But that writer is most in opposition to Homer who identifies Cephallenia with Dulichium, if it be true that “fifty-two” of the suitors were “from Dulichium” and “twenty-four from Same”;⁶⁸ for in that case would not Homer say that fifty-two came from the island as a whole and a half of that number less two from a single one of its four cities? However, if one grants this, I shall ask what Homer can mean by “Same” in the passage,

Dulichium and Same and woody Zacynthos.

⁶⁹

[15] Cephallenia lies opposite Acarnania, at a distance of about fifty stadia from Leucatas (some say forty), and about one hundred and eighty from Chelonatas. It has a perimeter of about three hundred⁷⁰ stadia, is long, extending towards Eurus, ⁷¹ and is mountainous. The largest mountain upon it is Aenus, whereon is the temple of Zeus Aenesius; and where the island is narrowest it forms an isthmus so low-lying that it is often submerged from sea to sea. Both Paleis and Crannii are on the gulf near the narrows.

[16] Between Ithaca and Cephallenia is the small island Asteria (the poet calls it Asteris), which the Scepsian⁷² says no longer remains such as the poet describes it,

but in it are harbors safe for anchorage with entrances on either side;

⁷³Apollodorus, however, says that it still remains so to this day, and mentions a town Alalcomenae upon it, situated on the isthmus itself.

[17] The poet also uses the name “Samos” for that Thrace which we now call Samothrace. And it is reasonable to suppose that he knows the Ionian Samos, for he also appears to know of the Ionian migration; otherwise he would not have differentiated between the places of the same name when referring to Samothrace, which he designates at one time by the epithet,

high on the topmost summit of woody Samos, the Thracian,

⁷⁴and at another time by connecting it with the islands near it,

unto Samos and Imbros and inhospitable⁷⁵ Lemnos.

⁷⁶And again,

between Samos and rugged Imbros.

⁷⁷He therefore knew the Ionian island, although he did not name it; in fact it was not called by the same name in earlier times, but Melampylus, then Anthemis, then Parthenia, from the River Parthenius, the name of which was changed to Imbrasus. Since, then, both Cephallenia and Samothrace were called Samos at the time of the Trojan War (for otherwise Hecabe would not be introduced as saying that he⁷⁸ was for selling her children whom he might take captive “unto Samos and unto Imbros”), ⁷⁹ and since the Ionian Samos had not yet been colonized, it plainly got its name from one of the islands which earlier bore the same name. Whence that other fact is also clear, that those writers contradict ancient history who say that colonists came from Samos after the Ionian migration and the arrival of Tembrion⁸⁰ and named Samothrace Samos, since this story was fabricated by the Samians to enhance the glory of their island. Those writers are more plausible who say that the island came upon this name from the fact that lofty places are called “samoi,”⁸¹

for thence all Ida was plain to see, and plain to see were the city of Priam and the ships of the Achaeans

⁸² But some say that the island was called Samos after the Saïi, the Thracians who inhabited it in earlier times, who also held the adjacent mainland, whether these Saïi were the same people as the Sapaeï or Sinti (the poet calls them Sinties) or a different tribe. The Saïi are mentioned by Archilochus:

One of the Saïi robbed me of my shield, which, a blameless weapon, I left behind me beside a bush, against my will.

⁸³

[18] Of the islands classified as subject to Odysseus, Zacynthos remains to be described. It leans slightly more to the west of the Peloponnesus than Cephallenia and lies closer to the latter. The circuit of Zacynthos is one hundred and sixty stadia.⁸⁴ It is about sixty stadia distant from Cephallenia. It is indeed a woody island, but it is fertile; and its city, which bears the same name, is worthy of note. The distance thence to the Libyan Hesperides is three thousand three hundred stadia.

[19] To the east of Zacynthos and Cephallenia are situated the Echinades Islands, among which is Dulichium, now called Dolicha, and also what are called the Oxeiae, which the poet called Thoae.⁸⁵ Dolicha lies opposite Oeneiadae and the outlet of the Acheloüs, at a distance of one hundred stadia from Araxus, the promontory of the Eleians; the rest of the Echinades (they are several in number, all poor soiled and rugged) lie off the outlet of the Acheloüs, the farthermost being fifteen stadia distant and the nearest five. In earlier times they lay out in the high sea, but the silt brought down by the Acheloüs has already joined some of them to the mainland and will do the same to others. It was this silt which in early times caused the country called Paracheloïtis,⁸⁶ which the river overflows, to be a subject of dispute, since it was always confusing the designated boundaries between the Acarnanians and the Aetolians; for they would decide the dispute by arms, since they had no arbitrators, and the more powerful of the two would win the victory; and this is the cause of the fabrication of a certain myth, telling how Heracles defeated Acheloüs and, as the prize of his victory, won the hand of Deïaneira, the daughter of Oeneus, whom Sophocles represents as speaking as follows:

For my suitor was a river-god, I mean Acheloüs, who would demand me of my father in three shapes, coming now as a bull in bodily form, now as a gleaming serpent in coils, now with trunk of man and front of ox.

⁸⁷⁸⁸ Some writers add to the myth, saying that this was the horn of Amaltheia,⁸⁹ which Heracles broke off from Acheloüs and gave to Oeneus as a wedding gift. Others, conjecturing the truth from the myths, say that the Acheloüs, like the other rivers, was called “like a bull” from the roaring of its waters, and also from the the bendings of its streams, which were called Horns, and “like a serpent” because of its length and windings, and “with front of ox”⁹⁰ for the same reason that he was called “bull-faced”; and that Heracles, who in general was inclined to deeds of kindness, but especially for Oeneus, since he was to ally himself with him by marriage, regulated the irregular flow of the river by means of embankments and channels, and thus rendered a considerable part of Paracheloïtis dry, all to please Oeneus; and that this was the horn of Amaltheia.⁹¹ Now, as for the Echinades, or the Oxeiae, Homer says that they were ruled over in the time of the Trojan War by Meges,

who was begotten by the knightly Phyleus, dear to Zeus, who once changed his abode to Dulichium because he was wroth with his father.

⁹²His father was Augeas, the ruler of the Eleian country and the Epeians; and therefore the Epeians who set out for Dulichium with Phyleus held these islands.

[20] The islands of the Taphians, or, in earlier times, of the Teleboans, among which was Taphos,. now called Taphius, were distinct from the Echinades; not in the matter of distances (for they lie near them), but in that they are classified as under different commanders, Taphians and Teleboans.⁹³ Now in earlier times Amphitryon made an expedition against them with Cephalus the son of Deïoneus, an exile from Athens, and gave over their government to him, but the poet says that they were marshalled under Mentes,⁹⁴ calling them pirates,⁹⁵ as indeed all the Teleboans are said to be pirates. So much, then, for the islands lying off Acarnania.

[21] Between Leucas and the Ambracian Gulf is a salt lake, called Myrtuntium. Next after Leucas one comes to Palaerus and Alyzia, cities of Acarnania; of these, Alyzia is fifteen stadia distant from the sea, where is a harbor sacred to Heracles and a sacred precinct. It is from this precinct that one of the commanders carried to Rome the “Labours of Heracles,” works of Lysippus, which were lying out of place where they were, because it was a deserted region. Then one comes to Cape Crithote, and the Echinades, and the city Astacus, which bears the same name as the city near Nicomedeia and Gulf Astacenus,⁹⁶ the name being used in the feminine gender. Crithote also bears the same name as one of the little cities in the Thracian Chersonesus.⁹⁷ All parts of the coast between these places have good harbors. Then one comes to Oeniadae and the Acheloüs; then to a lake of the Oeniadae, called Melite, which is thirty stadia in length and twenty in breadth; and to another lake, Cynia, which is twice the size of Melite, both in length and in breadth; and to a third, Uria, which is much smaller than those. Now Cynia empties into the sea, but the others lie about half a stadium above it. Then one comes to the Evenus, to which the distance from Actium is six hundred and seventy stadia. After the Evenus one comes to the mountain Chalcis, which Artemidorus has called Chalcia; then to Pleuron; then to the village Halicyrna, above which thirty stadia in the interior, lies Calydon; and near Calydon is the temple of the Laphrian Apollo. Then one comes to the mountain Taphiassus; then to the city Macynia; then to Molycreia and, near by, to Antirrhium, the boundary between Aetolia and Locris, to which the distance from the Evenus is about one hundred and twenty stadia. Artemidorus, indeed, does not give this account of the mountain, whether we call it Chalcis or Chalcia, since he places it between the Acheloüs and Pleuron, but Apollodorus, as I have said before,⁹⁸ places both Chalcis and Taphiassus above Molycreia, and he also says that Calydon is situated between Pleuron and Chalcis. Perhaps, however, we should postulate two mountains, one near Pleuron called Chalcis, and the other near Molycreia called Chalcis. Near Calydon, also, is a lake, which is large and well supplied with fish; it is held by the Romans who live in Patrae.

[22] Apollodorus says that in the interior of Acarnania there is a people called Erysichaeans, who are mentioned by Alcman:

nor yet an Erysichaean nor shepherd, but from the heights of Sardeis.

⁹⁹ But Olenus, which Homer mentions in the Aetolian catalogue, was in Aetolia, though only traces of it are left, near Pleuron at the foot of Aracynthus. Near it, also, was Lysimachia; this, too, has disappeared; it was situated by the lake now called Lysimachia, in earlier times Hydra, between Pleuron and the city Arsinoe. In earlier times Arsinoe was only a village, and was called Conopa, but it was first founded as a city by Arsinoe, who was both wife and sister of Ptolemy the Second;¹⁰⁰ it was rather happily situated at the ford across the Acheloüs. Pylene¹⁰¹ has also suffered a fate similar to that of Olenus. When the poet calls Calydon both “steep”¹⁰² and “rocky,”¹⁰³ one should interpret him as referring to the country; for, as I have said,¹⁰⁴ they divided the country into two parts and assigned the mountainous part, or Epictetus,¹⁰⁵ to Calydon and the level country to Pleuron.

[23] At the present time both the Acarnanians and the Aetolians, like many of the other tribes, have been exhausted and reduced to impotence by their continual wars. However, for a very long time the Aetolians, together with the Acarnanians, stood firm, not only against the Macedonians and the other Greeks, but also finally against the Romans, when fighting for autonomy. But since they are often mentioned by Homer, as also both by the other poets and by historians, sometimes in words that are easy to interpret and about which there is no disagreement, and sometimes in words that are less intelligible (this has been shown in what I have already said about them), I should also add some of those older accounts which afford us a basis of fact to begin with, or are matters of doubt.

[24] For instance, in the case of Acarnania, Laertes and the Cephallenians acquired possession of it, as I have said;¹⁰⁶ but as to what people held it before that time, many writers have indeed given an opinion, but since they do not agree in their statements, which have, however, a wide currency, there is left for me a word of arbitration concerning them. They say that the people who were called both Taphians and Teleboans lived in Acarnania in earlier times, and that their leader Cephalus, who had been set up by Amphitryon as master over the islands about Taphos, gained the mastery over this country too. And from this fact they go on to add the myth that Cephalus was the first to take the leap from Leucatas which became the custom, as I have said before.¹⁰⁷ But the poet does not say that the Taphians were ruling the Acarnanians before the Cephallenians and Laertes came over, but only that they were friends to the Ithacans, and therefore, according to the poet, they either had not ruled over the region at all, or had yielded Acarnania to the Ithacans voluntarily, or had become joint occupants with them. It appears that also a colony from Lacedaemon settled in Acarnania, I mean Icarius, father of Penelope, and his followers; for in the Odyssey the poet represents both Icarius and the brothers of Penelope as living:

who¹⁰⁸ shrink from going to the house of her father, Icarius, that he himself may exact the bride-gifts for his daughter,

¹⁰⁹and, concerning her brothers,

for already her father and her brothers bid her marry Eurymachus;

¹¹⁰for, in the first place, it is improbable that they were living in Lacedaemon, since in that case Telemachus would not have lodged at the home of Menelaüs when he went to Lacedaemon, and, secondly, we have no tradition of their having lived elsewhere. But they say that Tyndareus and his brother Icarius, after being banished by Hippocoön from their homeland, went to Thestius, the ruler of the Pleuronians, and helped him to acquire possession of much of the country on the far side of the Acheloüs on condition that they should receive a share of it; that Tyndareus, however, went back home, having married Leda, the daughter of Thestius, whereas Icarius stayed on, keeping a portion of Acarnania, and by Polycaste, the daughter of Lygaeus, begot both Penelope and her brothers. Now I have already set forth that the Acarnanians were enumerated in the Catalogue of Ships,¹¹¹ that they took part in the expedition to Ilium, and that among these were named “those who lived on the ’shore,’”¹¹² and also

those who held the mainland and dwelt in parts opposite.

¹¹³ But as yet neither had the mainland been named “Acarnania” nor the shore “Leucas.”

[25] Ephorus denies that they joined the Trojan expedition, for he says that Alcmaeon, the son of Amphiaraüs, made an expedition with Diomedes and the other Epigoni, and had brought to a successful issue the war against the Thebans, and then joined Diomedes and with him took vengeance upon the enemies of Oeneus, after which he himself, first giving over Aetolia to them,¹¹⁴ passed into Acarnania and subdued it; and meanwhile Agamemnon attacked the Argives and easily prevailed over them, since the most of them had accompanied the army of Diomedes; but a little later, when the expedition against Troy confronted him, he conceived the fear that, when he was absent on the expedition, Diomedes and his army might come back home (and in fact it was reported that a great army had gathered round him) and seize the empire to which they had the best right, for one¹¹⁵ was the heir of Adrastus and the other¹¹⁶ of his father;¹¹⁷ and accordingly, after thinking this all over, Agamemnon invited them both to resume possession of Argos and to take part in the war; and although Diomedes was persuaded to take part in the expedition, Alcmaeon was vexed and refused to heed the invitation; and for this reason the Acarnanians alone refused to share in the expedition with the Greeks. And it was probably by following this account that the Acarnanians tricked the Romans, as they are said to have done, and obtained from them their autonomy, urging that they alone had had no part in the expedition against the ancestors of the Romans, for they were named neither in the Aetolian catalogue¹¹⁸ nor separately, and in fact their name was not mentioned in the Epic poems at all.

[26] Ephorus, then, makes Acarnania subject to Alcmaeon even before the Trojan War; and he not only declares that the Amphilochian Argos was founded by him, but also says that Acarnania was named after Alcmaeon’s son Acarnan, and the Amphilochians after Alcmaeon’s brother Amphilochus; therefore his account is to be cast out amongst those contrary to Homeric history. But Thucydides¹¹⁹ and others say that Amphilochus, on his return from the Trojan expedition, was displeased with the state of affairs at Argos, and took up his abode in this country, some saying that he came by right of succession to the domain of his brother, others giving a different account. So much may be said of the Acarnanians specifically; I shall now speak of their history in a general way, in so far as their history is interwoven with that of the Aetolians, in so far as I have thought best to add to my previous narrative.

Geography. Strabo. Horace Leonard Jones (Translator). London. 1924-1929.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by The Annenberg CPB/Project.

Current edition Perseus

Geography (Books 6-14) (English) (Strabo. The Geography of Strabo, Vols. 3-6. Jones, Horace Leonard, translator. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann, Ltd., 1924-1929 (printing).)

Editions (1)

Γεωγραφικά Perseus (Strabo. Strabonis Geographica, Vols. 1-3. Meineke, August, editor. Leipzig: Teubner. 1877.) — 10.2 focus

[1] Αἰτωλοὶ μὲν τοίνυν καὶ Ἀκαρνᾶνες ὁμοροῦσιν ἀλλήλοις, μέσον ἔχοντες τὸν Ἀχελῶον ποταμὸν ῥέοντα ἀπὸ τῶν ἄρκτων καὶ τῆς Πίνδου πρὸς νότον διά τε Ἀγραίων Αἰτωλικοῦ ἔθνους καὶ Ἀμφιλόχων, Ἀκαρνᾶνες μὲν τὸ πρὸς ἑσπέραν μέρος ἔχοντες τοῦ ποταμοῦ μέχρι τοῦ Ἀμβρακικοῦ κόλπου τοῦ κατὰ Ἀμφιλόχους καὶ τὸ ἱερὸν τοῦ Ἀκτίου Ἀπόλλωνος, Αἰτωλοὶ δὲ τὸ πρὸς ἕω μέχρι τῶν Ὀζολῶν Λοκρῶν καὶ τοῦ Παρνασσοῦ καὶ τῶν Οἰταίων. ὑπέρκεινται δʼ ἐν τῇ μεσογαίᾳ καὶ τοῖς προσβορείοις μέρεσι τῶν μὲν Ἀκαρνάνων Ἀμφίλοχοι, τούτων δὲ Δόλοπες καὶ ἡ Πίνδος, τῶν δʼ Αἰτωλῶν Περραιβοί τε καὶ Ἀθαμᾶνες καὶ Αἰνιάνων τι μέρος τῶν τὴν Οἴτην ἐχόντων· τὸ δὲ νότιον πλευρόν, τό τε Ἀκαρνανικὸν ὁμοίως καὶ τὸ Αἰτωλικόν, κλύζεται τῇ ποιούσῃ θαλάττῃ τὸν Κορινθιακὸν κόλπον, εἰς ὃν καὶ ὁ Ἀχελῶος ποταμὸς ἐξίησιν, ὁρίζων τὴν τῶν Αἰτωλῶν παραλίαν καὶ τὴν Ἀκαρνανικήν· ἐκαλεῖτο δὲ Θόας ὁ Ἀχελῶος πρότερον. ἔστι δὲ καὶ ὁ παρὰ Δύμην ὁμώνυμος τούτῳ, καθάπερ εἴρηται, καὶ ὁ περὶ Λάμιαν. εἴρηται δὲ καὶ ὅτι ἀρχὴν τοῦ Κορινθιακοῦ κόλπου τὸ στόμα τοῦδε τοῦ ποταμοῦ φασι.

[2] πόλεις δʼ εἰσὶν ἐν μὲν τοῖς Ἀκαρνᾶσιν Ἀνακτόριόν τε ἐπὶ χερρονήσου ἱδρυμένον Ἀκτίου πλησίον, ἐμπόριον τῆς νῦν ἐκτισμένης ἐφʼ ἡμῶν Νικοπόλεως, καὶ Στράτος, ἀνάπλουν ἔχουσα τῷ Ἀχελώῳ πλειόνων ἢ διακοσίων σταδίων, καὶ Οἰνειάδαι, καὶ αὐτὴ ἐπὶ τῷ ποταμῷ, ἡ μὲν παλαιὰ οὐ κατοικουμένη, ἴσον ἀπέχουσα τῆς τε θαλάττης καὶ τοῦ Στράτου, ἡ δὲ νῦν ὅσον ἑβδομήκοντα σταδίους ὑπὲρ τῆς ἐκβολῆς διέχουσα· καὶ ἄλλαι δʼ εἰσί, Πάλαιρός τε καὶ Ἀλυζία καὶ Λευκὰς καὶ Ἄργος τὸ Ἀμφιλοχικὸν καὶ Ἀμβρακία, ὧν αἱ πλεῖσται περιοικίδες γεγόνασιν ἢ καὶ πᾶσαι τῆς Νικοπόλεως· κεῖται δʼ ὁ Στράτος κατὰ μέσην τὴν ἐξ Ἀλυζίας ὁδὸν εἰς Ἀνακτόριον.

[3] Αἰτωλῶν δʼ εἰσὶ Καλυδών τε καὶ Πλευρών, νῦν μὲν τεταπεινωμέναι, τὸ δὲ παλαιὸν πρόσχημα τῆς Ἑλλάδος ἦν ταῦτα τὰ κτίσματα. καὶ δὴ καὶ διῃρῆσθαι συνέβαινε δίχα τὴν Αἰτωλίαν, καὶ τὴν μὲν ἀρχαίαν λέγεσθαι τὴν δʼ ἐπίκτητον· ἀρχαίαν μὲν τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἀχελώου μέχρι Καλυδῶνος παραλίαν ἐπὶ πολὺ καὶ τῆς μεσογαίας ἀνήκουσαν εὐκάρπου τε καὶ πεδιάδος, ᾗ ἐστὶ καὶ Στράτος καὶ τὸ Τριχώνιον ἀρίστην ἔχον γῆν· ἐπίκτητον δὲ τὴν τοῖς Λοκροῖς συνάπτουσαν ὡς ἐπὶ Ναύπακτόν τε καὶ Εὐπάλιον, τραχυτέραν τε οὖσαν καὶ λυπροτέραν, μέχρι τῆς Οἰταίας καὶ τῆς Ἀθαμάνων καὶ τῶν ἐφεξῆς ἐπὶ τὴν ἄρκτον ἤδη περιισταμένων ὀρῶν τε καὶ ἐθνῶν.

[4] ἔχει δὲ καὶ ἡ Αἰτωλία ὄρος μέγιστον μὲν τὸν Κόρακα, συνάπτοντα τῇ Οἴτῃ, τῶν δʼ ἄλλων ἐν μέσῳ μὲν μᾶλλον τὸν Ἀράκυνθον, περὶ ὃν τὴν νεωτέραν Πλευρῶνα συνῴκισαν ἀφέντες τὴν παλαιὰν ἐγγὺς κειμένην Καλυδῶνος οἱ οἰκήτορες, εὔκαρπον οὖσαν καὶ πεδιάδα, πορθοῦντος τὴν χώραν Δημητρίου τοῦ ἐπικληθέντος Αἰτωλικοῦ· ὑπὲρ δὲ τῆς Μολυκρείας Ταφιασσὸν καὶ Χαλκίδα, ὄρη ἱκανῶς ὑψηλά, ἐφʼ οἷς πολίχνια ἵδρυτο Μακυνία τε καὶ Χαλκίς, ὁμώνυμος τῷ ὄρει, ἣν καὶ Ὑποχαλκίδα καλοῦσι· Κούριον δὲ πλησίον τῆς παλαιᾶς Πλευρῶνος, ἀφʼ οὗ τοὺς Πλευρωνίους Κουρῆτας ὀνομασθῆναί τινες ὑπέλαβον.

[5] ὁ δʼ Εὔηνος ποταμὸς ἄρχεται μὲν ἐκ Βωμιέων τῶν ἐν Ὀφιεῦσιν Αἰτωλικῷ ἔθνει (καθάπερ καὶ οἱ Εὐρυτᾶνες καὶ Ἀγραῖοι καὶ Κουρῆτες καὶ ἄλλοι), ῥεῖ δʼ οὐ διὰ τῆς Κουρητικῆς κατʼ ἀρχάς, ἥτις ἐστὶν ἡ αὐτὴ τῇ Πλευρωνίᾳ, ἀλλὰ διὰ τῆς προσεῴας μᾶλλον παρὰ τὴν Χαλκίδα καὶ Καλυδῶνα· εἶτʼ ἀνακάμψας ἐπὶ τὰ τῆς Πλευρῶνος πεδία τῆς παλαιᾶς καὶ παραλλάξας εἰς δύσιν ἐπιστρέφει πρὸς τὰς ἐκβολὰς καὶ τὴν μεσημβρίαν· ἐκαλεῖτο δὲ Λυκόρμας πρότερον· καὶ ὁ Νέσσος ἐνταῦθα λέγεται πορθμεὺς ἀποδεδειγμένος ὑφʼ Ἡρακλέους ἀποθανεῖν, ἐπειδὴ πορθμεύων τὴν Δηιάνειραν ἐπεχείρει βιάσασθαι.

[6] καὶ Ὤλενον δὲ καὶ Πυλήνην ὀνομάζει πόλεις ὁ ποιητὴς Αἰτωλικάς, ὧν τὴν μὲν Ὤλενον ὁμωνύμως τῇ Ἀχαϊκῇ λεγομένην Αἰολεῖς κατέσκαψαν, πλησίον οὖσαν τῆς νεωτέρας Πλευρῶνος, τῆς δὲ χώρας ἠμφισβήτουν Ἀκαρνᾶνες· τὴν δὲ Πυλήνην μετενέγκαντες εἰς τοὺς ἀνώτερον τόπους ἤλλαξαν αὐτῆς καὶ τοὔνομα Πρόσχιον καλέσαντες. Ἑλλάνικος δʼ οὐδὲ τὴν περὶ ταύτας ἱστορίαν οἶδεν, ἀλλʼ ὡς ἔτι καὶ αὐτῶν οὐσῶν ἐν τῇ ἀρχαίᾳ καταστάσει μέμνηται, τὰς δʼ ὕστερον καὶ τῆς τῶν Ἡρακλειδῶν καθόδου κτισθείσας Μακυνίαν καὶ Μολύκρειαν ἐν ταῖς ἀρχαίαις καταλέγει, πλείστην εὐχέρειαν ἐπιδεικνύμενος ἐν πάσῃ σχεδόν τι τῇ γραφῇ.

[7] καθόλου μὲν οὖν ταῦτα περὶ τῆς χώρας ἐστὶ τῆς τῶν Ἀκαρνάνων καὶ τῶν Αἰτωλῶν, περὶ δὲ τῆς παραλίας καὶ τῶν προκειμένων νήσων ἔτι καὶ ταῦτα προσληπτέον· ἀπὸ γὰρ τοῦ στόματος ἀρξαμένοις τοῦ Ἀμβρακικοῦ κόλπου πρῶτόν ἐστιν Ἀκαρνάνων χωρίον τὸ Ἄκτιον. ὁμωνύμως δὲ λέγεται τό τε ἱερὸν τοῦ Ἀκτίου Ἀπόλλωνος καὶ ἡ ἄκρα ἡ ποιοῦσα τὸ στόμα τοῦ κόλπου, ἔχουσα καὶ λιμένα ἐκτός. τοῦ δʼ ἱεροῦ τετταράκοντα μὲν σταδίους ἀπέχει τὸ Ἀνακτόριον ἐν τῷ κόλπῳ ἱδρυμένον, διακοσίους δὲ καὶ τετταράκοντα ἡ Λευκάς.

[8] αὕτη δʼ ἦν τὸ παλαιὸν μὲν χερρόνησος τῆς Ἀκαρνάνων γῆς, καλεῖ δʼ ὁ ποιητὴς αὐτὴν ἀκτὴν ἠπείροιο, τὴν περαίαν τῆς Ἰθάκης καὶ τῆς Κεφαλληνίας ἤπειρον καλῶν· αὕτη δʼ ἐστὶν ἡ Ἀκαρνανία· ὥστε, ὅταν φῇ ἀκτὴν ἠπείροιο, τῆς Ἀκαρνανίας ἀκτὴν δέχεσθαι δεῖ. τῆς δὲ Λευκάδος ἥ τε Νήριτος, ἥν φησιν ἑλεῖν ὁ Λαέρτης

ἦ μὲν Νήριτον εἷλον ἐϋκτίμενον πτολίεθρον,

ἀκτὴν ἠπείροιο, Κεφαλλήνεσσιν ἀνάσσων,

¹καὶ ἃς ἐν καταλόγῳ φησί

καὶ Κροκύλειʼ ἐνέμοντο καὶ Αἰγίλιπα τρηχεῖαν.

²Κορίνθιοι δὲ πεμφθέντες ὑπὸ Κυψέλου καὶ Γόργου ταύτην τε κατέσχον τὴν ἀκτὴν καὶ μέχρι τοῦ Ἀμβρακικοῦ κόλπου προῆλθον, καὶ ἥ τε Ἀμβρακία συνῳκίσθη καὶ Ἀνακτόριον, καὶ τῆς χερρονήσου διορύξαντες τὸν ἰσθμὸν ἐποίησαν νῆσον τὴν Λευκάδα, καὶ μετενέγκαντες τὴν Νήριτον ἐπὶ τὸν τόπον, ὃς ἦν ποτὲ μὲν ἰσθμὸς νῦν δὲ πορθμὸς γεφύρᾳ ζευκτός, μετωνόμασαν Λευκάδα, ἐπώνυμον δοκῶ μοι τοῦ Λευκάτα· πέτρα γάρ ἐστι λευκὴ τὴν χρόαν, προκειμένη τῆς Λευκάδος εἰς τὸ πέλαγος καὶ τὴν Κεφαλληνίαν, ὡς ἐντεῦθεν τοὔνομα λαβεῖν.

[9] ἔχει δὲ τὸ τοῦ Λευκάτα Ἀπόλλωνος ἱερὸν καὶ τὸ ἅλμα τὸ τοὺς ἔρωτας παύειν πεπιστευμένον·

οὗ δὴ λέγεται πρώτη Σαπφώ

ὥς φησιν ὁ Μένανδρος

τὸν ὑπέρκομπον θηρῶσα Φάωνʼ

οἰστρῶντι πόθῳ ῥῖψαι πέτρας

ἀπὸ τηλεφανοῦς ἅλμα κατʼ εὐχὴν

σήν, δέσποτʼ ἄναξ.

ὁ μὲν οὖν Μένανδρος πρώτην ἁλέσθαι λέγει τὴν Σαπφώ, οἱ δʼ ἔτι ἀρχαιολογικώτεροι Κέφαλόν φασιν ἐρασθέντα Πτερέλα τὸν Δηιονέως. ἦν δὲ καὶ πάτριον τοῖς Λευκαδίοις κατʼ ἐνιαυτὸν ἐν τῇ θυσίᾳ τοῦ Ἀπόλλωνος ἀπὸ τῆς σκοπῆς ῥιπτεῖσθαί τινα τῶν ἐν αἰτίαις ὄντων ἀποτροπῆς χάριν, ἐξαπτομένων ἐξ αὐτοῦ παντοδαπῶν πτερῶν καὶ ὀρνέων ἀνακουφίζειν δυναμένων τῇ πτήσει τὸ ἅλμα, ὑποδέχεσθαι δὲ κάτω μικραῖς ἁλιάσι κύκλῳ περιεστῶτας πολλοὺς καὶ περισώζειν εἰς δύναμιν τῶν ὅρων ἔξω τὸν ἀναληφθέντα. ὁ δὲ τὴν Ἀλκμαιονίδα γράψας, Ἰκαρίου τοῦ Πηνελόπης πατρὸς υἱεῖς γενέσθαι δύο, Ἀλυζέα καὶ Λευκάδιον, δυναστεῦσαι δʼ ἐν τῇ Ἀκαρνανίᾳ τούτους μετὰ τοῦ πατρός· τούτων οὖν ἐπωνύμους τὰς πόλεις Ἔφορος λέγεσθαι δοκεῖ.

[10] Κεφαλλῆνας δὲ νῦν μὲν τοὺς ἐκ τῆς νήσου τῆς Κεφαλληνίας λέγουσιν, Ὅμηρος δὲ πάντας τοὺς ὑπὸ τῷ Ὀδυσσεῖ, ὧν εἰσι καὶ οἱ Ἀκαρνᾶνες· εἰπὼν γάρ

αὐτὰρ Ὀδυσσεὺς ἦγε Κεφαλλῆνας,

οἵ ῥʼ Ἰθάκην εἶχον καὶ Νήριτον εἰνοσίφυλλον

³(τὸ ἐν ταύτῃ ὄρος ἐπιφανές, ὡς καί

οἳ δʼ ἐκ Δουλιχίοιο Ἐχινάων θʼ ἱεράων

⁴ καὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ Δουλιχίου τῶν Ἐχινάδων ὄντος· καί

οἳ δʼ ἄρα Βουπράσιόν τε καὶ Ἤλιδα

⁵καὶ τοῦ Βουπρασίου ἐν Ἤλιδι ὄντος· καί

οἳ δʼ Εὔβοιαν ἔχον καὶ Χαλκίδα τʼ Εἰρέτριάν τε

⁶καὶ τούτων ἐν Εὐβοίᾳ οὐσῶν· καί

Τρῶες καὶ Λύκιοι καὶ Δάρδανοι

⁷ὡς καὶ ἐκείνων Τρώων ὄντων)· πλὴν μετά γε Νήριτον φησί

καὶ Κροκύλειʼ ἐνέμοντο καὶ Αἰγίλιπα τρηχεῖαν,

οἵ τε Ζάκυνθον ἔχον ἠδʼ οἳ Σάμον ἀμφενέμοντο,

οἵ τʼ ἤπειρον ἔχον ἠδʼ ἀντιπέραιʼ ἐνέμοντο.

⁸ἤπειρον μὲν οὖν τὰ ἀντιπέρα τῶν νήσων βούλεται λέγειν, ἅμα τῇ Λευκάδι καὶ τὴν ἄλλην Ἀκαρνανίαν συμπεριλαβεῖν βουλόμενος, περὶ ἧς καὶ οὕτω λέγει

δώδεκʼ ἐν ἠπείρῳ ἀγέλαι, τόσα πώεα μήλων,

⁹τάχα τῆς Ἠπειρώτιδος τὸ παλαιὸν μέχρι δεῦρο διατεινούσης καὶ ὀνόματι κοινῷ ἠπείρου λεγομένης· Σάμον δὲ τὴν νῦν Κεφαλληνίαν, ὡς καὶ ὅταν φῇ

ἐν πορθμῷ Ἰθάκης τε Σάμοιό τε παιπαλοέσσης.

¹⁰τῷ γὰρ ἐπιθέτῳ τὴν ὁμωνυμίαν διέσταλται, ὡς οὐκ ἐπὶ τῆς πόλεως ἀλλʼ ἐπὶ τῆς νήσου τιθεὶς τοὔνομα. τετραπόλεως γὰρ οὔσης τῆς νήσου μία τῶν τεττάρων ἐστὶν ἡ καὶ Σάμος καὶ Σάμη καλουμένη καθʼ ἑκάτερον τοὔνομα, ὁμωνυμοῦσα τῇ νήσῳ. ὅταν δʼ εἴπῃ

ὅσσοι γὰρ νήσοισιν ἐπικρατέουσιν ἄριστοι

Δουλιχίῳ τε Σάμῃ τε καὶ ὑλήεντι Ζακύνθῳ,

¹¹τῶν νήσων ἀριθμὸν ποιῶν δῆλός ἐστι καὶ Σάμην καλῶν τὴν νῆσον, ἣν πρότερον Σάμον ἐκάλεσεν. Ἀπολλόδωρος δὲ τοτὲ μὲν τῷ ἐπιθέτῳ λέγων διεστάλθαι τὴν ἀμφιβολίαν εἰπόντα

Σάμοιό τε παιπαλοέσσης,

¹²ὡς τὴν νῆσον λέγοντα, τοτὲ δὲ γράφεσθαι δεῖν

Δουλιχίῳ τε Σάμῳ τε

¹³ἀλλὰ μή Σάμῃ τε δῆλός ἐστι τὴν μὲν πόλιν Σάμην καὶ Σάμον συνωνύμως ὑπολαμβάνων ἐκφέρεσθαι, τὴν δὲ νῆσον Σάμον μόνον· ὅτι γὰρ Σάμη λέγεται ἡ πόλις δῆλον εἶναι ἔκ τε τοῦ διαριθμούμενον τοὺς ἐξ ἑκάστης πόλεως μνηστῆρας φάναι

ἐκ δὲ Σάμης πίσυρές τε καὶ εἴκοσι φῶτες ἔασι,

¹⁴καὶ ἐκ τοῦ περὶ τῆς Κτιμένης λόγου

τὴν μὲν ἔπειτα Σάμηνδʼ ἔδοσαν.

¹⁵ἔχει δὲ ταῦτα λόγον. οὐ γὰρ εὐκρινῶς ἀποδίδωσιν ὁ ποιητὴς οὔτε περὶ τῆς Κεφαλληνίας οὔτε περὶ τῆς Ἰθάκης καὶ τῶν ἄλλων πλησίον τόπων, ὥστε καὶ οἱ ἐξηγούμενοι διαφέρονται καὶ οἱ ἱστοροῦντες.

[11] αὐτίκα γὰρ ἐπὶ τῆς Ἰθάκης ὅταν φῇ

οἵ ῥʼ Ἰθάκην εἶχον καὶ Νήριτον εἰνοσίφυλλον,

¹⁶ὅτι μὲν τὸ Νήριτον ὄρος λέγει τῷ ἐπιθέτῳ δηλοῖ. ἐν ἄλλοις δὲ καὶ ῥητῶς ὄρος

ναιετάω δʼ Ἰθάκην εὐδείελον· ἐν δʼ ὄρος αὐτῇ,

Νήριτον εἰνοσίφυλλον ἀριπρεπές.

¹⁷Ἰθάκην δʼ εἴτε τὴν πόλιν εἴτε τὴν νῆσον λέγει, οὐ δῆλον ἐν τούτῳ γε τῷ ἔπει

οἵ ῥʼ Ἰθάκην εἶχον καὶ Νήριτον.

¹⁸ κυρίως μὲν γὰρ ἀκούων τις τὴν πόλιν δέξαιτʼ ἄν, ὡς καὶ Ἀθήνας καὶ Λυκαβηττὸν εἴ τις λέγοι, καὶ Ῥόδον καὶ Ἀτάβυριν, καὶ ἔτι Λακεδαίμονα καὶ Ταΰγετον· ποιητικῶς δὲ τοὐναντίον. ἐν μέντοι τῷ

ναιετάω δʼ Ἰθάκην εὐδείελον· ἐν δʼ ὄρος αὐτῇ

Νήριτον

¹⁹ δῆλον· ἐν γὰρ τῇ νήσῳ οὐκ ἐν τῇ πόλει τὸ ὄρος. ὅταν δὲ οὕτω φῇ

ἡμεῖς ἐξ Ἰθάκης ὑπὸ Νηίου εἰλήλουθμεν,

²⁰ἄδηλον, εἴτε τὸ αὐτὸ τῷ Νηρίτῳ λέγει τὸ Νήιον εἴτε ἕτερον ἢ ὄρος ἢ χωρίον²¹.

[12] καὶ τοῦτο δὲ δοκεῖ ὑπεναντιότητά τινα δηλοῦν

αὐτὴ δὲ χθαμαλὴ πανυπερτάτη εἰν ἁλὶ κεῖται.

²²χθαμαλὴ μὲν γὰρ ἡ ταπεινὴ καὶ χαμηλή, πανυπερτάτη δὲ ἡ ὑψηλή, οἵαν διὰ πλειόνων σημαίνει, Κραναὴν καλῶν· καὶ τὴν ὁδὸν τὴν ἐκ τοῦ λιμένος

τρηχεῖαν ἀταρπὸν

χῶρον ἀνʼ ὑλήεντα

²³καί

οὐ γάρ τις νήσων εὐδείελος, οὐδʼ εὐλείμων,

αἵ θʼ ἁλὶ κεκλίαται· Ἰθάκη δέ τε καὶ περὶ πασέων.

²⁴ἔχει μὲν οὖν ἀπεμφάσεις τοιαύτας ἡ φράσις, ἐξηγοῦνται δὲ οὐ κακῶς· οὔτε γὰρ χθαμαλὴν δέχονται ταπεινὴν ἐνταῦθα, ἀλλὰ πρόσχωρον τῇ ἠπείρῳ ἐγγυτάτω οὖσαν αὐτῆς· οὔτε πανυπερτάτην ὑψηλοτάτην ἀλλὰ πανυπερτάτην πρὸς ζόφον, οἷον ὑπὲρ πάσας ἐσχάτην τετραμμένην πρὸς ἄρκτον· τοῦτο γὰρ βούλεται λέγειν τὸ πρὸς ζόφον, τὸ δʼ ἐναντίον πρὸς νότον

αἱ δέ τʼ ἄνευθε πρὸς ἠῶ τʼ ἠέλιόν τε.

²⁵ τὸ γὰρ ἄνευθε πόρρω καὶ χωρὶς ἔστιν, ὡς τῶν μὲν ἄλλων πρὸς νότον κεκλιμένων καὶ ἀπωτέρω τῆς ἠπείρου, τῆς δʼ Ἰθάκης ἐγγύθεν καὶ πρὸς ἄρκτον. ὅτι δʼ οὕτω λέγει τὸ νότιον μέρος καὶ ἐν τοῖσδε φανερόν

εἴτʼ ἐπὶ δεξίʼ ἴωσι, πρὸς ἠῶ τʼ ἠέλιόν τε,

εἴτʼ ἐπʼ ἀριστερὰ τοί γε, ποτὶ ζόφον ἠερόεντα

²⁶καὶ ἔτι μᾶλλον ἐν τοῖσδε

ὦ φίλοι, οὐ γάρ τʼ ἴδμεν, ὅπη ζόφος, οὐδʼ ὅπη ἠώς,

οὐδʼ ὅπη ἠέλιος φαεσίμβροτος εἶσʼ ὑπὸ γαῖαν,

οὐδʼ ὅπη ἀννεῖται.

²⁷ἔστι μὲν γὰρ δέξασθαι τὰ τέτταρα κλίματα τὴν ἠῶ δεχομένους τὸ νότιον μέρος, ἔχει τέ τινα τοῦτʼ ἔμφασιν· ἀλλὰ βέλτιον τὸ κατὰ τὴν πάροδον τοῦ ἡλίου νοεῖν ἀντιτιθέμενον τῷ ἀρκτικῷ μέρει· ἐξάλλαξιν γάρ τινα τῶν οὐρανίων πολλὴν βούλεται σημαίνειν ὁ λόγος, οὐχὶ ψιλὴν ἐπίκρυψιν τῶν κλιμάτων. δεῖ γὰρ κατὰ πάντα συννεφῆ καιρόν, ἄν θʼ ἡμέρας ἄν τε νύκτωρ συμβῇ, παρακολουθεῖν· τὰ δʼ οὐράνια ἐξαλλάττει ἐπὶ πλέον τῷ πρὸς μεσημβρίαν μᾶλλον ἢ ἧττον παραχωρεῖν ἡμᾶς ἢ εἰς τοὐναντίον. τοῦτο δὲ οὐ δύσεως καὶ ἀνατολῆς ἐγκαλύψεις ποιεῖ (καὶ γὰρ αἰθρίας οὔσης συμβαίνει), ἀλλὰ μεσημβρίας καὶ ἄρκτου. μάλιστα γὰρ ἀρκτικός ἐστιν ὁ πόλος· τούτου δὲ κινουμένου, καὶ ποτὲ μὲν κατὰ κορυφὴν ἡμῖν γινομένου ποτὲ δὲ ὑπὸ γῆς ὄντος, καὶ οἱ ἀρκτικοὶ συμμεταβάλλουσι, ποτὲ δὲ συνεκλείπουσι κατὰ τὰς τοιαύτας παραχωρήσεις, ὥστε οὐκ ἂν εἰδείης ὅπου ἐστὶ τὸ ἀρκτικὸν κλίμα, οὐδʼ εἰ ἀρχὴν ἐστίν· εἰ δὲ τοῦτο, οὐδὲ τοὐναντίον ἂν γνοίης. κύκλος δὲ τῆς Ἰθάκης ἐστὶν ὡς ὀγδοήκοντα σταδίων. περὶ μὲν Ἰθάκης ταῦτα.

[13] τὴν δὲ Κεφαλληνίαν τετράπολιν οὖσαν οὔτʼ αὐτὴν εἴρηκε τῷ νῦν ὀνόματι οὔτε τῶν πόλεων οὐδεμίαν, πλὴν μιᾶς εἴτε Σάμης εἴτε Σάμου, ἣ νῦν μὲν οὐκέτʼ ἐστίν, ἴχνη δʼ αὐτῆς δείκνυται κατὰ μέσον τὸν πρὸς Ἰθάκῃ πορθμόν· οἱ δʼ ἀπʼ αὐτῆς Σαμαῖοι καλοῦνται· αἱ δʼ ἄλλαι καὶ νῦν εἰσὶν ἔτι μικραὶ πόλεις τινές, Παλεῖς Πρώνησος καὶ Κράνιοι. ἐφʼ ἡμῶν δὲ καὶ ἄλλην προσέκτισε Γάιος Ἀντώνιος, ὁ θεῖος Μάρκου Ἀντωνίου, ἡνίκα φυγὰς γενόμενος μετὰ τὴν ὑπατείαν, ἣν συνῆρξε Κικέρωνι τῷ ῥήτορι, ἐν τῇ Κεφαλληνίᾳ διέτριψε καὶ τὴν ὅλην νῆσον ὑπήκοον ἔσχεν ὡς ἴδιον κτῆμα· οὐκ ἔφθη μέντοι συνοικίσας, ἀλλὰ καθόδου τυχὼν πρὸς ἄλλοις μείζοσιν ὢν κατέλυσε τὸν βίον.

[14] οὐκ ὤκνησαν δέ τινες τὴν Κεφαλληνίαν τὴν αὐτὴν τῷ Δουλιχίῳ φάναι, οἱ δὲ τῇ Τάφῳ, καὶ Ταφίους τοὺς Κεφαλληνίους, τοὺς δʼ αὐτοὺς καὶ Τηλεβόας, καὶ τὸν Ἀμφιτρύωνα δεῦρο στρατεῦσαι μετὰ Κεφάλου τοῦ Δηιονέως ἐξ Ἀθηνῶν φυγάδος παραληφθέντος, κατασχόντα δὲ τὴν νῆσον παραδοῦναι τῷ Κεφάλῳ, καὶ ταύτην μὲν ἐπώνυμον ἐκείνου γενέσθαι τὰς δὲ πόλεις τῶν παίδων αὐτοῦ. ταῦτα δʼ οὐχ ὁμηρικά· οἱ μὲν γὰρ Κεφαλλῆνες ὑπὸ Ὀδυσσεῖ καὶ Λαέρτῃ, ἡ δὲ Τάφος ὑπὸ τῷ Μέντῃ

Μέντης Ἀγχιάλοιο δαΐφρονος εὔχομαι εἶναι υἱός, ἀτὰρ Ταφίοισι φιληρέτμοισιν ἀνάσσω.

²⁸ καλεῖται δὲ νῦν Ταφιὰς ἡ Τάφος. οὐδʼ Ἑλλάνικος ὁμηρικὸς Δουλίχιον τὴν Κεφαλληνίαν λέγων. τὸ μὲν γὰρ ὑπὸ Μέγητι εἴρηται καὶ αἱ λοιπαὶ Ἐχινάδες, οἵ τε ἐνοικοῦντες Ἐπειοὶ ἐξ Ἤλιδος ἀφιγμένοι· διόπερ καὶ τὸν Ὦτον τὸν Κυλλήνιον

Φυλείδεω ἕταρον μεγαθύμων ἀρχὸν Ἐπειῶν

²⁹καλεῖ.

αὐτὰρ Ὀδυσσεὺς ἦγε Κεφαλλῆνας μεγαθύμους.

³⁰οὔτʼ οὖν Δουλίχιον ἡ Κεφαλληνία καθʼ Ὅμηρον οὔτε τῆς Κεφαλληνίας τὸ Δουλίχιον, ὡς Ἄνδρων φησί· τὸ μὲν γὰρ Ἐπειοὶ κατεῖχον, τὴν δὲ Κεφαλληνίαν ὅλην Κεφαλλῆνες³¹ ὑπὸ Ὀδυσσεῖ, οἱ δʼ ὑπὸ Μέγητι. οὐδὲ Παλεῖς Δουλίχιον ὑφʼ Ὁμήρου λέγονται, ὡς γράφει Φερεκύδης. μάλιστα δʼ ἐναντιοῦται Ὁμήρῳ ὁ τὴν Κεφαλληνίαν τὴν αὐτὴν τῷ Δουλιχίῳ λέγων, εἴπερ τῶν μνηστήρων ἐκ μὲν Δουλιχίοιο δύω καὶ πεντήκοντα ἦσαν, ἐκ δὲ Σάμης πίσυρές τε καὶ εἴκοσιν. οὐ γὰρ τοῦτʼ ἂν εἴη λέγων, ἐξ ὅλης μὲν τόσους ἐκ δὲ μιᾶς τῶν τεττάρων παρὰ δύο τοὺς ἡμίσεις. εἰ δʼ ἄρα τοῦτο δώσει τις, ἐρησόμεθα τίς ἂν εἴη ἡ Σάμη, ὅταν οὕτω φῇ

Δουλίχιόν τε Σάμην τʼ ἠδʼ ὑλήεντα Ζάκυνθον.

³²

[15] κεῖται δʼ ἡ Κεφαλληνία κατὰ Ἀκαρνανίαν, διέχουσα τοῦ Λευκάτα περὶ πεντήκοντα (οἱ δὲ τετταράκοντά φασι) σταδίους, τοῦ δὲ Χελωνάτα περὶ ὀγδοήκοντα. αὐτὴ δʼ ἐστὶν ὡς τριακοσίων τὴν περίμετρον, μακρὰ δʼ ἀνήκουσα πρὸς εὖρον, ὀρεινή· μέγιστον δʼ ὄρος ἐν αὐτῇ ἐν ᾧ τὸ Διὸς Αἰνησίου ἱερόν· καθʼ ὃ δὲ στενωτάτη ἐστὶν ἡ νῆσος, ταπεινὸν ἰσθμὸν ποιεῖ ὥσθʼ ὑπερκλύζεσθαι πολλάκις ἐκ θαλάττης εἰς θάλατταν· πλησίον δʼ εἰσὶ τῶν στενῶν ἐν κόλπῳ Κράνιοί τε καὶ Παλεῖς.

[16] μεταξὺ δὲ τῆς Ἰθάκης καὶ τῆς Κεφαλληνίας ἡ Ἀστερία νησίον (Ἀστερὶς δʼ ὑπὸ τοῦ ποιητοῦ λέγεται) ἣν ὁ μὲν Σκήψιος μὴ μένειν τοιαύτην οἵαν φησὶν ὁ ποιητής

λιμένες δʼ ἔνι ναύλοχοι αὐτῇ

ἀμφίδυμοι.

³³ὁ δὲ Ἀπολλόδωρος μένειν καὶ νῦν, καὶ πολίχνιον λέγει ἐν αὐτῇ Ἀλαλκομενὰς τὸ ἐπʼ αὐτῷ τῷ ἰσθμῷ κείμενον.

[17] καλεῖ δʼ ὁ ποιητὴς Σάμον καὶ τὴν Θρᾳκίαν, ἣν νῦν Σαμοθρᾴκην καλοῦμεν. τὴν δʼ Ἰωνικὴν οἶδε μέν, ὡς εἰκός· καὶ γὰρ τὴν Ἰωνικὴν ἀποικίαν εἰδέναι φαίνεται· οὐκ ἂν ἀντιδιέστειλε δὲ τὴν ὁμωνυμίαν, περὶ τῆς Σαμοθρᾴκης λέγων, τοτὲ μὲν τῷ ἐπιθέτῳ

ὑψοῦ ἐπʼ ἀκροτάτης κορυφῆς Σάμου ὑληέσσης,

Θρηικίης

³⁴ τοτὲ δὲ τῇ συζυγίᾳ τῶν πλησίον νήσων

ἐς Σάμον ἔς τʼ Ἴμβρον καὶ Λῆμνον ἀμιχθαλόεσσαν

³⁵καὶ πάλιν

μεσσηγύς τε Σάμοιο καὶ Ἴμβρου παιπαλοέσσης.

³⁶ᾔδει μὲν οὖν, οὐκ ὠνόμακε δʼ αὐτήν· οὐδʼ ἐκαλεῖτο τῷ αὐτῷ ὀνόματι πρότερον, ἀλλὰ Μελάμφυλλος, εἶτʼ Ἀνθεμίς, εἶτα Παρθενία ἀπὸ τοῦ ποταμοῦ τοῦ Παρθενίου, ὃς Ἴμβρασος μετωνομάσθη. ἐπεὶ οὖν κατὰ τὰ Τρωικὰ Σάμος μὲν καὶ ἡ Κεφαλληνία ἐκαλεῖτο καὶ ἡ Σαμοθρᾴκη (οὐ γὰρ ἂν Ἑκάβη εἰσήγετο λέγουσα ὅτι τοὺς παῖδας αὐτῆς πέρνασχʼ ὅν κε λάβοι ἐς Σάμον ἔς τʼ Ἴμβρον), Ἰωνικὴ δʼ οὐκ ἀπῴκιστό πω, δῆλον ὅτι ἀπὸ τῶν προτέρων τινὸς τὴν ὁμωνυμίαν ἔσχεν· ἐξ ὧν κἀκεῖνο δῆλον, ὅτι παρὰ τὴν ἀρχαίαν ἱστορίαν ὃ λέγουσιν οἱ φήσαντες, μετὰ τὴν Ἰωνικὴν ἀποικίαν καὶ τὴν Τεμβρίωνος παρουσίαν ἀποίκους ἐλθεῖν ἐκ Σάμου καὶ ὀνομάσαι Σάμον τὴν Σαμοθρᾴκην, ὡς οἱ Σάμιοι τοῦτʼ ἐπλάσαντο δόξης χάριν. πιθανώτεροι δʼ εἰσὶν οἱ ἀπὸ τοῦ Σάμους καλεῖσθαι τὰ ὕψη φήσαντες εὑρῆσθαι τοῦτο τοὔνομα τὴν νῆσον· ἐντεῦθεν γάρ

ἐφαίνετο πᾶσα μὲν Ἴδη, φαίνετο δὲ Πριάμοιο πόλις καὶ νῆες Ἀχαιῶν.

³⁷τινὲς δὲ Σάμον καλεῖσθαί φασιν ἀπὸ Σαΐων, τῶν οἰκούντων Θρᾳκῶν πρότερον, οἳ καὶ τὴν ἤπειρον ἔσχον τὴν προσεχῆ, εἴτε οἱ αὐτοὶ τοῖς Σαπαίοις ὄντες ἢ τοῖς Σιντοῖς, οὓς Σίντιας καλεῖ ὁ ποιητής, εἴθʼ ἕτεροι. μέμνηται δὲ τῶν Σαΐων Ἀρχίλοχος

ἀσπίδα μὲν Σαΐων τὶς ἀνείλετο, τὴν παρὰ θάμνῳ

ἔντος ἀμώμητον κάλλιπον οὐκ ἐθέλων.

³⁸

[18] λοιπὴ δʼ ἐστὶ τῶν ὑπὸ τῷ Ὀδυσσεῖ τεταγμένων νήσων ἡ Ζάκυνθος, μικρῷ πρὸς ἑσπέραν μᾶλλον τῆς Κεφαλληνίας κεκλιμένη³⁹ τῆς Πελοποννήσου, συνάπτουσα δʼ αὐτῇ πλέον. ἔστι δʼ ὁ κύκλος τῆς Ζακύνθου σταδίων ἑκατὸν ἑξήκοντα· διέχει δὲ καὶ τῆς Κεφαλληνίας ὅσον ἑξήκοντα σταδίους, ὑλώδης μὲν εὔκαρπος δέ· καὶ ἡ πόλις ἀξιόλογος, ὁμώνυμος. ἐντεῦθεν εἰς Ἑσπερίδας τῆς Λιβύης στάδιοι τρισχίλιοι ἑξακόσιοι.

[19] καὶ ταύτης δὲ καὶ τῆς Κεφαλληνίας πρὸς ἕω τὰς Ἐχινάδας ἱδρῦσθαι νήσους συμβέβηκεν, ὧν τό τε Δουλίχιόν ἐστι (καλοῦσι δὲ νῦν Δολίχαν) καὶ αἱ Ὀξεῖαι καλούμεναι, ἃς Θοὰς ὁ ποιητὴς εἶπε· καὶ ἡ μὲν Δολίχα κεῖται κατὰ Οἰνιάδας καὶ τὴν ἐκβολὴν τοῦ Ἀχελώου, διέχουσα Ἀράξου τῆς τῶν Ἠλείων ἄκρας ἑκατόν,⁴⁰ αἱ λοιπαὶ δʼ Ἐχινάδες (πλείους δʼ εἰσί, πᾶσαι λυπραὶ καὶ τραχεῖαι)⁴¹ πρὸ τῆς ἐκβολῆς τοῦ Ἀχελώου, πεντεκαίδεκα σταδίους ἀφεστῶσα ἡ ἀπωτάτω, ἡ δʼ ἐγγυτάτω πέντε, πελαγίζουσαι πρότερον, ἀλλʼ ἡ χοῦς τὰς μὲν ἐξηπείρωκεν αὐτῶν ἤδη, τὰς δὲ μέλλει πολλὴ καταφερομένη· ἥπερ καὶ τὴν Παραχελωῖτιν καλουμένην χώραν, ἣν ὁ ποταμὸς ἐπικλύζει, περιμάχητον ἐποίει τὸ παλαιὸν τοὺς ὅρους συγχέουσα ἀεὶ τοὺς ἀποδεικνυμένους τοῖς Ἀκαρνᾶσι καὶ τοῖς Αἰτωλοῖς· ἐκρίνοντο γὰρ τοῖς ὅπλοις οὐκ ἔχοντες διαιτητάς, ἐνίκων δʼ οἱ πλέον δυνάμενοι· ἀφʼ ἧς αἰτίας καὶ μῦθος ἐπλάσθη τις; ὡς Ἡρακλέους καταπολεμήσαντος τὸν Ἀχελῶον καὶ ἐνεγκαμένου τῆς νίκης ἆθλον τὸν Δηιανείρας γάμον τῆς Οἰνέως θυγατρός, ἣν πεποίηκε Σοφοκλῆς τοιαῦτα λέγουσαν

μνηστὴρ γὰρ ἦν μοι ποταμός, Ἀχελῶον λέγω,

ὅς μʼ ἐν τρισὶν μορφαῖσιν ἐξῄτει πατρός,

φοιτῶν ἐναργὴς ταῦρος, ἄλλοτʼ αἰόλος

δράκων ἑλικτός, ἄλλοτʼ ἀνδρείῳ κύτει

βούπρῳρος.

⁴²προστιθέασι δʼ ἔνιοι καὶ τὸ τῆς Ἀμαλθείας τοῦτʼ εἶναι λέγοντες κέρας, ὃ ἀπέκλασεν ὁ Ἡρακλῆς τοῦ Ἀχελώου καὶ ἔδωκεν Οἰνεῖ τῶν γάμων ἕδνον· οἱ δʼ εἰκάζοντες ἐξ αὐτῶν τἀληθὲς ταύρῳ μὲν ἐοικότα λέγεσθαι τὸν Ἀχελῶόν φασι, καθάπερ καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους ποταμούς, ἀπό τε τῶν ἤχων καὶ τῶν κατὰ τὰ ῥεῖθρα καμπῶν, ἃς καλοῦσι κέρατα, δράκοντι δὲ διὰ τὸ μῆκος καὶ τὴν σκολιότητα, βούπρῳρον δὲ διὰ τὴν αὐτὴν αἰτίαν διʼ ἣν καὶ ταυρωπόν· τὸν Ἡρακλέα δὲ καὶ ἄλλως εὐεργετικὸν ὄντα καὶ τῷ Οἰνεῖ κηδεύσοντα παραχώμασί τε καὶ διοχετείαις βιάσασθαι τὸν ποταμὸν πλημμελῶς ῥέοντα καὶ πολλὴν τῆς Παραχελωίτιδος ἀναψύξαι χαριζόμενον τῷ Οἰνεῖ· καὶ τοῦτʼ εἶναι τὸ τῆς Ἀμαλθείας κέρας. τῶν μὲν οὖν Ἐχινάδων καὶ τῶν Ὀξειῶν κατὰ τὰ Τρωικὰ Μέγητα ἄρχειν φησὶν Ὅμηρος

ὃν τίκτε Διὶ φίλος ἱππότα Φυλεύς,

ὅς ποτε Δουλίχιόνδʼ ἀπενάσσατο, πατρὶ χολωθείς.

⁴³πατὴρ δʼ ἦν Αὐγέας ὁ τῆς Ἠλείας καὶ τῶν Ἐπειῶν ἄρχων· ὥστʼ Ἐπειοὶ τὰς νήσους ταύτας εἶχον οἱ συνεξάραντες εἰς τὸ Δουλίχιον τῷ Φυλεῖ.

[20] αἱ δὲ τῶν Ταφίων νῆσοι, πρότερον δὲ Τηλεβοῶν, ὧν ἦν καὶ ἡ Τάφος νῦν δὲ Ταφιὰς καλουμένη, χωρὶς ἦσαν τούτων οὐ τοῖς διαστήμασιν (ἐγγὺς γὰρ κεῖνται) ἀλλὰ ὑφʼ ἑτέροις ἡγεμόσι ταττόμεναι, Ταφίοις καὶ Τηλεβόαις· πρότερον μὲν οὖν Ἀμφιτρύων ἐπιστρατεύσας αὐτοῖς μετὰ Κεφάλου τοῦ Δηιονέως ἐξ Ἀθηνῶν φυγάδος, ἐκείνῳ τὴν ἀρχὴν παρέδωκεν αὐτῶν· ὁ δὲ ποιητὴς ὑπὸ Μέντῃ τετάχθαι φησὶ λῃστὰς καλῶν αὐτούς, καθάπερ καὶ τοὺς Τηλεβόας ἅπαντάς φασι. τὰ μὲν περὶ τὰς νήσους τὰς πρὸ τῆς Ἀκαρνανίας ταῦτα.

[21] μεταξὺ δὲ Λευκάδος καὶ τοῦ Ἀμβρακικοῦ κόλπου λιμνοθάλαττά ἐστι Μυρτούντιον λεγομένη. ἀπὸ δὲ Λευκάδος ἑξῆς Πάλαιρος καὶ Ἀλυζία τῆς Ἀκαρνανίας εἰσὶ πόλεις, ὧν ἡ Ἀλυζία πεντεκαίδεκα ἀπὸ θαλάττης διέχει σταδίους, καθʼ ἥν ἐστι λιμὴν Ἡρακλέους ἱερὸς καὶ τέμενος, ἐξ οὗ τοὺς Ἡρακλέους ἄθλους, ἔργα Λυσίππου, μετήνεγκεν εἰς Ῥώμην τῶν ἡγεμόνων τις, παρὰ τόπον κειμένους διὰ τὴν ἐρημίαν. εἶτα ἄκρα Κριθώτη καὶ αἱ Ἐχινάδες καὶ πόλις Ἀστακός, ὁμώνυμος τῇ περὶ Νικομήδειαν καὶ τὸν Ἀστακηνὸν κόλπον⁴⁴ (καὶ ἡ Κριθώτη δʼ ὁμώνυμος πολίχνη τῶν ἐν τῇ Θρᾳκίᾳ Χερρονήσῳ)· πάντα δʼ εὐλίμενα τὰ μεταξύ· εἶτʼ Οἰνιάδαι καὶ ὁ Ἀχελῶος· εἶτα λίμνη τῶν Οἰνιαδῶν Μελίτη καλουμένη, μῆκος μὲν ἔχουσα τριάκοντα σταδίων πλάτος δὲ εἴκοσι, καὶ ἄλλη Κυνία διπλασία ταύτης καὶ μῆκος καὶ πλάτος, τρίτη δʼ Οὐρία πολλῷ τούτων μικροτέρα· ἡ μὲν οὖν Κυνία καὶ ἐκδίδωσιν εἰς τὴν θάλατταν, αἱ λοιπαὶ δʼ ὑπέρκεινται ὅσον ἡμιστάδιον· εἶθʼ ὁ Εὔηνος, εἰς ὃν ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἀκτίου στάδιοι ἑξακόσιοι ἑβδομήκοντα· μετὰ δὲ τὸν Εὔηνον τὸ ὄρος ἡ Χαλκίς, ἣν Χαλκίαν εἴρηκεν Ἀρτεμίδωρος· εἶθʼ ἡ Πλευρών, εἶθʼ ἡ Ἁλίκυρνα κώμη, ἧς ὑπέρκειται Καλυδὼν ἐν τῇ μεσογαίᾳ σταδίοις τριάκοντα· περὶ δὲ τὴν Καλυδῶνά ἐστι τὸ τοῦ Λαφρίου Ἀπόλλωνος ἱερόν· εἶθʼ ὁ Ταφιασσὸς τὸ ὄρος, εἶτα Μακυνία πόλις, εἶτα Μολύκρεια καὶ πλησίον τὸ Ἀντίρριον τὸ τῆς Αἰτωλίας ὅριον καὶ τῆς Λοκρίδος, εἰς ὃ ἀπὸ τοῦ Εὐήνου στάδιοι περὶ ἑκατὸν εἴκοσιν. Ἀρτεμίδωρος μὲν οὐχ οὕτω περὶ τῆς εἴτε Χαλκίδος εἴτε Χαλκίας τοῦ ὄρους, μεταξὺ τοῦ Ἀχελώου καὶ τῆς Πλευρῶνος ἱδρύων αὐτήν, Ἀπολλόδωρος δέ, ὡς πρότερον εἶπον, ὑπὲρ τῆς Μολυκρείας καὶ τὴν Χαλκίδα καὶ τὸν Ταφιασσόν· καὶ τὴν δὲ Καλυδῶνα μεταξὺ ἱδρῦσθαί φησι τῆς τε Πλευρῶνος καὶ τῆς Χαλκίδος· εἰ μὴ ἄρα ἕτερον θετέον τὸ πρὸς Πλευρῶνι ὄρος Χαλκίαν καλούμενον, ἕτερον δὲ τὴν Χαλκίδα τὴν πρὸς Μολυκρείᾳ. ἔστι δέ τις καὶ πρὸς τῇ Καλυδῶνι λίμνη μεγάλη καὶ εὔοψος, ἣν ἔχουσιν οἱ ἐν Πάτραις Ῥωμαῖοι.

[22] τῆς δὲ μεσογαίας κατὰ μὲν τὴν Ἀκαρνανίαν Ἐρυσιχαίους τινάς φησιν Ἀπολλόδωρος λέγεσθαι, ὧν Ἀλκμὰν μέμνηται

οὐδʼ Ἐρυσιχαῖος⁴⁵, οὐδὲ ποιμήν,

ἀλλὰ Σαρδίων ἀπʼ ἀκρᾶν.

⁴⁶ κατὰ δὲ τὴν Αἰτωλίαν ἦν Ὤλενος, ἧς ἐν τῷ Αἰτωλικῷ καταλόγῳ μέμνηται Ὅμηρος, ἴχνη δʼ αὐτῆς λείπεται μόνον ἐγγὺς τῆς Πλευρῶνος ὑπὸ τῷ Ἀρακύνθῳ· ἦν δὲ καὶ Λυσιμάχεια πλησίον, ἠφανισμένη καὶ αὐτή, κειμένη πρὸς τῇ λίμνῃ τῇ νῦν μὲν Λυσιμαχείᾳ πρότερον δʼ Ὕδρᾳ, μεταξὺ Πλευρῶνος καὶ Ἀρσινόης πόλεως, ἣ κώμη μὲν ἦν πρότερον καλουμένη Κωνώπα, κτίσμα δʼ ὑπῆρξεν Ἀρσινόης τῆς Πτολεμαίου τοῦ δευτέρου γυναικὸς ἅμα καὶ ἀδελφῆς, εὐφυῶς ἐπικειμένη πως τῇ τοῦ Ἀχελώου διαβάσει· παραπλήσιον δέ τι καὶ ἡ Πυλήνη τῷ Ὠλένῳ πέπονθεν. ὅταν δὲ φῇ τὴν Καλυδῶνα αἰπεῖάν τε καὶ πετρήεσσαν, ἀπὸ τῆς χώρας δεκτέον· εἴρηται γὰρ ὅτι τὴν χώραν δίχα διελόντες τὴν μὲν ὀρεινὴν καὶ ἐπίκτητον τῇ Καλυδῶνι προσένειμαν, τὴν πεδιάδα δὲ τῇ Πλευρῶνι.

[23] νυνὶ μὲν οὖν ἐκπεπόνηται καὶ ἀπηγόρευκεν ὑπὸ τῶν συνεχῶν πολέμων ἥ τʼ Ἀκαρνανία καὶ Αἰτωλοί, καθάπερ καὶ πολλὰ τῶν ἄλλων ἐθνῶν· πλεῖστον μέντοι χρόνον συνέμειναν Αἰτωλοὶ μετὰ τῶν Ἀκαρνάνων πρός τε τοὺς Μακεδόνας καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους Ἕλληνας, ὕστατα δὲ καὶ πρὸς Ῥωμαίους περὶ τῆς αὐτονομίας ἀγωνιζόμενοι. ἐπεὶ δὲ καὶ Ὅμηρος αὐτῶν ἐπὶ πολὺ μέμνηται καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι ποιηταί τε καὶ συγγραφεῖς, τὰ μὲν εὐσήμως τε καὶ ὁμολογουμένως, τὰ δʼ ἧττον γνωρίμως (καθάπερ τοῦτο καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἤδη λεχθεῖσι περὶ αὐτῶν ἀποδέδεικται), προσληπτέον καὶ τῶν παλαιοτέρων τινὰ τῶν ἀρχῆς ἐχόντων τάξιν ἢ διαπορουμένων.

[24] εὐθὺς ἐπὶ τῆς Ἀκαρνανίας ὅτι μὲν αὐτὴν ὁ Λαέρτης καὶ οἱ Κεφαλλῆνες κατεκτήσαντο εἴρηται ἡμῖν, τίνων δὲ κατεχόντων πρότερον πολλοὶ μὲν εἰρήκασιν· οὐχ ὁμολογούμενα δὲ εἰπόντων ἐπιφανῆ δέ, ἀπολείπεταί τις λόγος ἡμῖν διαιτητικὸς περὶ αὐτῶν. φασὶ γὰρ τοὺς Ταφίους τε καὶ Τηλεβόας λεγομένους οἰκεῖν τὴν Ἀκαρνανίαν πρότερον, καὶ τὸν ἡγεμόνα αὐτῶν Κέφαλον τὸν κατασταθέντα ὑπὸ Ἀμφιτρύωνος κύριον τῶν περὶ τὴν Τάφον νήσων κυριεῦσαι καὶ ταύτης τῆς χώρας· ἐντεῦθεν δὲ καὶ τὸ ἀπὸ τοῦ Λευκάτα νομιζόμενον ἅλμα τούτῳ πρώτῳ προσμυθεύουσιν, ὡς προείρηται. ὁ δὲ ποιητὴς ὅτι μὲν ἦρχον οἱ Τάφιοι τῶν Ἀκαρνάνων πρὶν ἢ τοὺς Κεφαλλῆνας καὶ τὸν Λαέρτην ἐπελθεῖν οὐ λέγει, διότι δʼ ἦσαν φίλοι τοῖς Ἰθακησίοις λέγει, ὥστʼ ἢ οὐδʼ ὅλως ἐπῆρξαν τῶν τόπων κατʼ αὐτόν, ἢ ἑκόντες παρεχώρησαν ἢ καὶ σύνοικοι ἐγένοντο. φαίνονται δὲ καὶ ἐκ Λακεδαίμονός τινες ἐποικῆσαι τὴν Ἀκαρνανίαν, οἱ μετʼ Ἰκαρίου τοῦ Πηνελόπης πατρός· καὶ γὰρ τοῦτον καὶ τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς αὐτῆς ζῶντας παραδίδωσιν ὁ ποιητὴς κατὰ τὴν Ὀδύσσειαν

οἳ πατρὸς μὲν ἐς οἶκον ἀπερρίγασι νέεσθαι Ἰκαρίου, ὥς κʼ αὐτὸς ἐεδνώσαιτο θύγατρα.

⁴⁷καὶ περὶ τῶν ἀδελφῶν

ἤδη γάρ ῥα πατήρ τε κασίγνητοί τε κέλονται Εὐρυμάχῳ γήμασθαι

⁴⁸οὔτε γὰρ ἐν Λακεδαίμονι πιθανὸν αὐτοὺς οἰκεῖν (οὐ γὰρ ἂν ὁ Τηλέμαχος παρὰ Μενελάῳ κατήγετο ἀφιγμένος ἐκεῖσε), οὔτʼ ἄλλην οἴκησιν παρειλήφαμεν αὐτῶν. φασὶ δὲ Τυνδάρεων καὶ τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ τὸν Ἰκάριον ἐκπεσόντας ὑπὸ Ἱπποκόωντος τῆς οἰκείας ἐλθεῖν παρὰ Θέστιον τὸν τῶν Πλευρωνίων ἄρχοντα, καὶ συγκατακτήσασθαι τὴν πέραν τοῦ Ἀχελώου πολλὴν ἐπὶ μέρει· τὸν μὲν οὖν Τυνδάρεων ἐπανελθεῖν οἴκαδε γήμαντα Λήδαν τὴν τοῦ Θεστίου θυγατέρα, τὸν δʼ Ἰκάριον ὑπομεῖναι τῆς Ἀκαρνανίας ἔχοντα μέρος, καὶ τεκνοποιήσασθαι τήν τε Πηνελόπην ἐκ Πολυκάστης τῆς Λυγαίου θυγατρὸς καὶ τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς αὐτῆς. ἡμεῖς μὲν οὖν ἀπεδείξαμεν ἐν τῷ καταλόγῳ τῶν νεῶν καὶ τοὺς Ἀκαρνᾶνας καταριθμουμένους καὶ μετασχόντας τῆς ἐπὶ Ἴλιον στρατείας, ἐν οἷς κατωνομάζοντο οἵ τε τὴν ἀκτὴν οἰκοῦντες καὶ ἔτι

οἵ τʼ ἤπειρον ἔχον ἠδʼ ἀντιπέραιʼ ἐνέμοντο.

οὔτε δʼ ἡ ἤπειρος Ἀκαρνανία ὠνομάζετό πω οὔθʼ ἡ ἀκτὴ Λευκάς.

[25] Ἔφορος δʼ οὔ φησι συστρατεῦσαι· Ἀλκμέωνα γὰρ τὸν Ἀμφιάρεω στρατεύσαντα μετὰ Διομήδους καὶ τῶν ἄλλων Ἐπιγόνων καὶ κατορθώσαντα τὸν πρὸς Θηβαίους πόλεμον συνελθεῖν Διομήδει καὶ τιμωρήσασθαι μετʼ αὐτοῦ τοὺς Οἰνέως ἐχθρούς, παραδόντα δʼ ἐκείνοις τὴν Αἰτωλίαν αὐτὸν εἰς τὴν Ἀκαρνανίαν παρελθεῖν καὶ ταύτην καταστρέφεσθαι. Ἀγαμέμνονα δʼ ἐν τούτῳ τοῖς Ἀργείοις ἐπιθέμενον κρατῆσαι ῥᾳδίως, τῶν πλείστων τοῖς περὶ Διομήδη συνακολουθησάντων. μικρὸν δʼ ὕστερον ἐπιπεσούσης τῆς ἐπʼ Ἴλιον ἐξόδου, δείσαντα μὴ ἀπόντος αὐτοῦ κατὰ τὴν στρατείαν ἐπανελθόντες οἴκαδε οἱ περὶ τὸν Διομήδη (καὶ γὰρ ἀκούεσθαι μεγάλην περὶ αὐτὸν συνεστραμμένην δύναμιν) κατάσχοιεν τὴν μάλιστα προσήκουσαν αὐτοῖς ἀρχήν (τὸν μὲν γὰρ Ἀδράστου τὸν δὲ τοῦ πατρὸς εἶναι κληρονόμον), ταῦτα δὴ διανοηθέντα καλεῖν αὐτοὺς ἐπί τε τὴν τοῦ Ἄργους ἀπόληψιν καὶ τὴν κοινωνίαν τοῦ πολέμου· τὸν μὲν οὖν Διομήδη πεισθέντα μετασχεῖν τῆς στρατείας, τὸν δὲ Ἀλκμέωνα ἀγανακτοῦντα μὴ φροντίσαι· διὰ δὲ τοῦτο μηδὲ κοινωνῆσαι τῆς στρατείας μόνους τοὺς Ἀκαρνᾶνας τοῖς Ἕλλησι· τούτοις δʼ, ὡς εἰκός, τοῖς λόγοις ἐπακολουθήσαντες οἱ Ἀκαρνᾶνες σοφίσασθαι λέγονται Ῥωμαίους καὶ τὴν αὐτονομίαν παρʼ αὐτῶν ἐξανύσασθαι, λέγοντες ὡς οὐ μετάσχοιεν μόνοι τῆς ἐπὶ τοὺς προγόνους τοὺς ἐκείνων στρατείας· οὔτε γὰρ ἐν τῷ Αἰτωλικῷ καταλόγῳ φράζοιντο οὔτε ἰδίᾳ· οὐδὲ γὰρ ὅλως τοὔνομα τοῦτʼ ἐμφέροιτο ἐν τοῖς ἔπεσιν.

[26] ὁ μὲν οὖν Ἔφορος πρὸ τῶν Τρωικῶν ἤδη τὴν Ἀκαρνανίαν ὑπὸ τῷ Ἀλκμέωνι ποιήσας, τό τε Ἄργος τὸ Ἀμφιλοχικὸν ἐκείνου κτίσμα ἀποφαίνει, καὶ τὴν Ἀκαρνανίαν ὠνομάσθαι φησὶν ἀπὸ τοῦ παιδὸς αὐτοῦ Ἀκαρνᾶνος, Ἀμφιλόχους δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ Ἀμφιλόχου· ὥστε ἐκπίπτει εἰς τὰ παρὰ τὴν ὁμηρικὴν ἱστορίαν λεγόμενα. Θουκυδίδης δὲ καὶ ἄλλοι τὸν Ἀμφίλοχον ἀπὸ τῆς στρατείας τῆς Τρωικῆς ἐπανιόντα, οὐκ ἀρεσκόμενον τοῖς ἐν Ἄργει, ταύτην οἰκῆσαί φασι τὴν χώραν, οἱ μὲν κατὰ διαδοχὴν ἥκοντα τῆς τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ δυναστείας, οἱ δʼ ἄλλως. καὶ ἰδίᾳ μὲν περὶ Ἀκαρνάνων ταῦτα λέγοιτʼ ἄν, κοινῇ δʼ ὅσα καὶ τοῖς Αἰτωλικοῖς ἐπιπλέκεται νῦν ἐροῦμεν, τὰ Αἰτωλικὰ λέγοντες ἐφεξῆς ὅσα προσλαβεῖν τοῖς εἰρημένοις ἔγνωμεν.

Translations (1)

Geography Perseus (Strabo. The Geography of Strabo, Vols. 1-3. Hamilton, Hans Claude, translator; Falconer, William, translator. London: Henry G. Bohn, 1854-1857.) — 10.2 focus

CHAPTER II.

[1] AETOLIANS and Acarnanians border on one another, having between them the river Achelous,¹ which flows from the north, and from Pindus towards the south, through the country of the Agraei, an Aetolian tribe, and of the Amphilochians.

Acarnanians occupy the western side of the river as far as the Ambracian Gulf,² opposite to the Amphilochians, and the temple of Apollo Actius. Aetolians occupy the part towards the east as far as the Locri Ozolae, Parnassus, and the Oetaeans.

Amphilochians are situated above the Acarnanians in the interior towards the north; above the Amphilochians are situated Dolopes, and Mount Pindus; above the Aetolians are Perrhaebi, Athamanes, and a body of the Aenianes who occupy Oeta.

The southern side, as well the Acarnanian as the Aetolian, is washed by the sea, forming the Corinthian Gulf, into which the Achelous empties itself. This river (at its mouth) is the boundary of the Aetolian and the Acarnanian coast. The Achelous was formerly called Thoas. There is a river of this name near Dyme,³ as we have said, and another near Lamia.⁴ We have also said,⁵ that the mouth of this river is considered by some writers as the commencement of the Corinthian Gulf.

[2] The cities of the Acarnanians are, Anactorium, situated upon a peninsula⁶ near Actium, and a mart of Nicopolis, which has been built in our time; Stratus,⁷ to which vessels sail up the Achelous, a distance of more than 200 stadia; and $Oeniadae⁸ is also on the banks of the river. The ancient city is not inhabited, and lies at an equal distance from the sea and from Stratus. The present city is at the distance of 70 stadia above the mouth of the river.

There are also other cities, Palaerus,⁹ Alyzia,¹⁰ Leucas,¹¹ the Amphilochian Argos,¹² and Ambracia:¹³ most of these, if not all, are dependent upon Nicopolis.

Stratus lies half-way between Alyzia and Anactorium.¹⁴

[3] To the Aetolians belong both Calydon¹⁵ and Pleuron, which at present are in a reduced condition, but, anciently, these settlements were an ornament to Greece.

Aetolia was divided into two portions, one called the Old, the other the Epictetus (the Acquired). The Old comprised the sea-coast from the Achelous as far as Calydon, extending far into the inland parts, which are fertile, and consist of plains. Here are situated Stratus and Trichonium, which has an excellent soil. The Epictetus, that reaches close to the Locri in the direction of Naupactus¹⁶ and Eupalium,¹⁷ is a rugged and sterile tract, extending as far as Oetaea, to the territory of the Athamanes, and the mountains and nations following next in order, and which lie around towards the north.

[4] There is in Aetolia a very large mountain, the Corax,¹⁸ which is contiguous to Oeta. Among the other mountains, more in the middle of the country, is the Aracynthus,¹⁹ near which the founders built the modern Pleuron, having abandoned the ancient city situated near Calydon, which was in a fertile plain country, when Demetrius, surnamed Aetolicus, laid waste the district.

Above Molycreia²⁰ are Taphiassus²¹ and Chalcis,²² mountains of considerable height, on which are situated the small cities, Macynia and Chalcis, (having the same name as the mountain,) or, as it is also called, Hypochalcis. Mount Curium is near the ancient Pleuron, from which some supposed the Pleuronii had the appellation of Curetes.

[5] The river Evenus rises in the country of the Bomianses, a nation situated among the Ophienses, and an Aetolian tribe like the Eurytanes, Agraei, Curetes, and others. It does not flow, at its commencement, through the territory of the Curetes, which is the same as Pleuronia, but through the country more towards the east along Chalcis and Calydon; it then makes a bend backwards to the plains of the ancient Pleuron, and having changed its course to the west, turns again to the south, where it empties itself. It was formerly called Lycormas. There Nessus, who had the post of ferryman, is said to have been killed by Hercules for having attempted to force Deianeira while he was conveying her across the river.

[6] The poet calls Olenus and Pylene Aetolian cities, the former of which, of the same name as the Achaean city, was razed by the Aeolians. It is near the new city Pleuron. The Acarnanians disputed the possession of the territory. They transferred Pylene to a higher situation, and changed its name to Proschium. Hellanicus was not at all acquainted with the history of these cities, but speaks of them as still existing in their ancient condition, but Macynia and Molycria, which were built subsequent to the return of the Heracleidae, he enumerates among ancient cities, and shows the greatest carelessness in almost every part of his work.

[7] This, then, is the general account of the country of the Acarnanians and Aetolians. We must annex to this some description of the sea-coast and of the islands lying in front of it.

If we begin from the entrance of the Ambracian Gulf, the first place we meet with in Acarnania is Actium. The temple of Apollo Actius has the same name as the promontory, which forms the entrance of the Gulf, and has a harbour on the outside.

At the distance of 40 stadia from the temple is Anactorium, situated on the Gulf; and at the distance of 240 stadia is Leucas.²³

[8] This was, anciently, a peninsula belonging to the territory of the Acarnanians. The poet calls it the coast of Epirus, meaning by Epirus the country on the other side of Ithaca,²⁴ and Cephallenia,²⁵ which country is Acarnania; so that by the words of the poet,

the coast of Epirus,

we must understand the coast of Acarnania.

To Leucas also belonged Neritus, which Laertes said he took—

as when I was chief of the Cephallenians, and took Nericus, a well built city, on the coast of Epirus,²⁶

and the cities which he mentions in the Catalogue,

and they who inhabited Crocyleia, and the rugged Aegilips.²⁷

Il. ii. 633. But the Corinthians who were despatched by Cypselus and Gorgus, obtained possession of this coast, and advanced as far as the Ambracian Gulf. Ambracia and Anactorium were both founded. They cut through the isthmus of the peninsula, converted Leucas into an island, transferred Neritus to the spot, which was once an isthmus, but is now a channel connected with the land by a bridge, and changed the name to Leucas from Leucatas, as I suppose, which is a white rock, projecting from Leucas into the sea towards Cephallenia, so that it might take its name from this circumstance.

[9] It has upon it the temple of Apollo Leucatas, and the Leap, which, it was thought, was a termination of love.

Here Sappho first ’tis said, (according to Menander,) in pursuit of the haughty Phaon, and urged on by maddening desire, threw herself²⁸ from the aerial rock, imploring Thee, Lord, and King.

Menander then says that Sappho was the first who took the leap, but persons better acquainted with ancient accounts assert that it was Cephalus, who was in love with Pterelas, the son of Deioneus.²⁹ It was also a custom of the country among the Leucadians at the annual sacrifice performed in honour of Apollo, to precipitate from the rock one of the condemned criminals, with a view to avert evil. Various kinds of wings were attached to him, and even birds were suspended from his body, to lighten by their fluttering the fall of the leap. Below many persons were stationed around in small fishing boats to receive, and to preserve his life, if possible, and to carry him beyond the boundaries of the country. The author of the Alcmaeonis says that Icarius, the father of Penelope, had two sons, Alyzeus, and Leucadius, who reigned after their father in Acarnania, whence Ephorus thinks that the cities were called after their names.

[10] At present those are called Cephallenians who inhabit Cepliallenia. But Homer calls all those under the command of Ulysses by this name, among whom are the Acarnanians; for when he says,

Ulysses led the Cephallenians, those who possessed Ithaca, and Neritum, waving with woods,³⁰

(the remarkable mountain in this island; so also,

they who came from Dulichium, and the sacred Echinades,³¹

Il. ii. 625. for Dulichium itself was one of the Echinades; and again,

Buprasium and Elis,³²

Il. ii. 615. when Buprasium is situated in Elis; and so,

they who inhabited Euboea, Chalcis, and Eretria,³³

Il. ii. 536. when the latter places are in Euboea; so again,

Trojans, Lycians, and Dardanians,³⁴

Il. viii. 173. and these also were Trojans): but after mentioning Neritum, he says,

and they who inhabited Crocyleia and rocky Aegilips, Zacynthus, Samos, Epirus, and the country opposite to these islands;³⁵

he means by Epirus the country opposite to the islands, intending to include together with Leucas the rest of Acarnania, of which he says,

twelve herds, and as many flocks of sheep in Epirus,³⁶

Od. xiv. 100. because the district of Epirus (the Epirotis) extended anciently perhaps as far as this place, and was designated by the common name Epirus.

The present Cephallenia he calls Samos, as when he says,

in the strait between Ithaca and the hilly Samos,³⁷

Od. iv. 671 he makes a distinction between places of the same name by an epithet, assigning the name not to the city, but to the island. For the island contains four cities, one of which, called Samos, or Same, for it had either appellation, bore the same name as the island. But when the poet says,

all the chiefs of the islands, Dulichium, Same, and the woody Zacynthus,³⁸

Od. i. 246. he is evidently enumerating the islands, and calls that Same which he had before called Samos.

But Apollodorus at one time says that the ambiguity is removed by the epithet, which the poet uses, when he says,

and hilly Samos,

meaning the island; and at another time he pretends that we ought to write

Dulichium, and Samos,

and not

Same,

and evidently supposes that the city is called by either name, Samos or Samé, but the island by that of Samos only. That the city is called Same is evident from the enumeration of the suitors from each city, where the poet says,

there are four and twenty from Samé,³⁹

Od. xvi. 249. and from what is said about Ctimene,

they afterwards gave her in marriage at Samé.⁴⁰

Od. xv. 366.

There is reason in this. For the poet does not express himself distinctly either about Cephallenia, or Ithaca, or the other neighbouring places, so that both historians and commentators differ from one another.

[11] For instance, with respect to Ithaca, when the poet says,

and they who possessed Ithaca, and Neritum with its waving woods,⁴¹

Il. ii. 632. he denotes by the epithet, that he means Neritum the mountain. In other passages he expressly mentions the mountain;

I dwell at Ithaca, turned to the western sun; where is a mountain, Neritum, seen from afar with its waving woods;⁴²

but whether he means the city, or the island, is not clear, at least from this verse;

they who possessed Ithaca, and Neritum.

Any one would understand these words in their proper sense to mean the city, as we speak of Athens, Lycabettus, Rhodes, Atabyris, Lacedaemon, and Taygetus, but in a poetical sense the contrary is implied.

In the verses,

I dwell at Ithaca, turned to the western sun, in which is a mountain Neritum,

the meaning is plain, because the mountain is on the island and not in the city; and when he says,

we came from Ithaca situated under Neium,⁴³

Od. iii. 81. it is uncertain whether he means that Neium was the same as Neritum, or whether it is another, either mountain or place. [He, who writes Nericum for Neritum, or the reverse, is quite mistaken. For the poet describes the former as waving with woods; the other as a well-built city; one in Ithaca, the other on the sea-beach of Epirus.]⁴⁴

[12] But this line seems to imply some contradiction;

it lies in the sea both low, and very high,⁴⁵

Od. ix. 25. for χθαμαλὴ is low, and depressed, but πανυπεοͅτάτη expresses great height, as he describes it in other passages, calling it Cranae, (or rugged,) and the road leading from the harbour, as,

a rocky way through a woody spot,⁴⁶

Od. xiv. l. and again,

for there is not any island in the sea exposed to the western sun,⁴⁷ and with good pastures, least of all Ithaca.⁴⁸

The expression does imply contradictions, which admit however of some explanation. They do not understand χθαμαλὴ to signify in that place low, but its contiguity to the continent, to which it approaches very close; nor by πανυπεοͅτάτη great elevation, but the farthest advance towards darkness, ( ποͅὸς ζόφον,) that is, placed towards the north more than all the other islands, for this is what the poet means by towards darkness, the contrary to which is towards the south, ( ποͅὸς νότον,)

the rest far off ( ἄνευφε) towards the morning, and the sun.⁴⁹

Od. ix. 26. For the word ἄνευθε denotes at a distance, and apart, as if the other islands lay to the south, and more distant from the continent, but Ithaca near the continent and towards the north. That the poet designates the southern part (of the heavens) in this manner appears from these words,

whether they go to the right hand, towards the morning and the sun, or to the left, towards cloudy darkness;⁵⁰

and still more evidently in these lines,

my friends, we know not where darkness nor where morning lie, nor where sets nor where rises the sun which brings light to man.⁵¹

We may here understand the four climates,⁵² and suppose the morning to denote the southern part (of the heavens), and this has some probability; but it is better to consider what is near to the path of the sun to be opposite to the northern part (of the heavens). For the speech in Homer is intended to indicate some great change in the celestial appearances, not a mere obscuration of the climates. For this must happen during every cloudy season either by day or by night. Now the celestial appearances alter very much as we advance more or less towards the south, or the contrary; but this alteration does not prevent our observing the setting and rising of the sun, for in fine weather these phenomena are always visible whether in the south or the north. For the pole is the most northerly point: when this moves, and is sometimes over our heads and sometimes below the earth, the arctic circles change their position with it. Sometimes they disappear during these movements, so that you cannot discern the position of the northern climate, nor where it commences;⁵³ and if this is so, neither can you distinguish the contrary climate.

The circuit of Ithaca is about 80⁵⁴ stadia. So much then concerning Ithaca.

[13] The poet does not mention Cephallenia, which contains four cities, by its present name, nor any of the cities except one, either Samé or Samos, which no longer exists, but traces of it are shown in the middle of the Strait near Ithaca. The inhabitants have the name of Samae. The rest still exist at present, they are small cities, Paleis, Pronesus, and Cranii. In our time Caius Antonius, the uncle of Marcus Antonius, founded an additional city, when (being an exile after his consulship in which he was the colleague of Cicero the orator) he lived at Cephallenia, and was master of the whole island, as if it had been his own property. He returned from exile before he completed the foundation of the settlement, and died when engaged in more important affairs.

[14] Some writers do not hesitate to affirm, that Cephallenia and Dulichium are the same; others identify it with Taphos, and the Cephallenians with Taphians, and these again with Teleboae. They assert that Amphitryon, with the aid of Cephalus, the son of Deioneus, an exile from Athens, undertook an expedition against the island, and having got possession of it, delivered it up to Cephalus; hence this city bore his name, and the rest those of his children. But this is not in accordance with Homer, for the Cephallenians were subject to Ulysses and Laertes, and Taphos to Mentes;

I boast that I am Mentes, son of the valiant Anchialus,

And king of the Taphians, skilful rowers.⁵⁵

Od. i. 181. Taphos is now called Taphius.⁵⁶ Nor does Hellanicus follow Homer when he calls Cephallenia, Dulichium, for Dulichium, and the other Echinades, are said to be under the command of Meges, and the inhabitants, Epeii, who came from Elis; wherefore he calls Otus the Cyllenian,

companion of Phyleides, chief of the magnanimous Epeii;⁵⁷ but Ulysses led the magnanimous Cephallenes.⁵⁸ Neither, as Andro asserts, is Cephallenia, according to Homer, Dulichium, nor does Dulichium belong to Cephallenia, for Epeii possessed Dulichium, and Cephallenians the whole of Cephallenia, the former of whom were under the command of Ulysses, the latter of Meges. Paleis is not called Dulichium by Homer, as Pherecydes says. But he who asserts that Cephallenia and Dulichium are the same contradicts most strongly the account of Homer; for as fifty-two of the suitors came from Dulichium, and twenty-four from Samé, would he not say, that from the whole island came such a number of suitors, and from a single city of the four came half the number within two? If any one should admit this, we shall inquire what the Samé could be, which is mentioned in this line,

Dulichium and Samé, and the woody Zacynthus.⁵⁹

Od. i. 246.

[15] Cephallenia is situated opposite to Acarnania, at the distance from Leucatas of about 50, or according to others, of 40 stadia, and from Chelonatas⁶⁰ of about 80 stadia. It is about 300 stadia ( 1300?) in circumference. It extends in length towards the south-east (Eurus). It is mountainous; the largest mountain in it is the Aenus,⁶¹ on which is the temple of Jupiter Aenesius. Here is the narrowest part of the island, which forms a low isthmus, that is frequently overflowed from sea to sea.⁶² Cranii⁶³ and Paleis⁶⁴ are situated near the straits in the Gulf.

[16] Between Ithaca and Cephallenia is the small island Asteria,⁶⁵ or Asteris, as t is called by the poet, which, according to Demetrius, the Scepsian, does not remain in the state described by the poet,

there are harbours in it, open on both sides, for the reception of vessels.⁶⁶

Od. iv. 846. But Apollodorus says that it exists even at present, and mentions a small city in it, Alalcomenae, situated quite upon the isthmus.

[17] The poet also gives the name of Samos to Thracia, which we now call Samothracé. He was probably acquainted with the Ionian island, for he seems to have been acquainted with the Ionian migration. He would not, otherwise, have made a distinction between islands of the same names, for in speaking of Samothrace, he makes the distinction sometimes by the epithet,

on high, upon the loftiest summit of the woody Samos, the Thracian,⁶⁷

Il. xiii. 12. sometimes by uniting it with the neighbouring islands,

to Samos, and Imbros, and inaccessible Lemnos;⁶⁸

Il. xxiv. 753. and again,

between Samos and rocky Imbros.⁶⁹

Il. xxiv. 78. He was therefore acquainted with the Ionian island, although he has not mentioned its name. Nor had it formerly always the same name, but was called Melamphylus, then Anthemis, then Parthenia, from the river Parthenius, the name of which was changed to Imbrasus. Since then both Cephallenia and Samothracé were called Samos⁷⁰ at the time of the Trojan war, (for if it had not been so Hecuba would not have been introduced saying, that Achilles would sell any of her children that he could seize at Samos and Imbros,⁷¹) Ionian Samos was not yet colonized (by Ionians), which is evident from its having the same name from one of the islands earlier (called Samos), that had it before; whence this also is clear, that those persons contradict ancient history, who assert, that colonists came from Samos after the Ionian migration, and the arrival of Tembrion, and gave the name of Samos to Samothracé. The Samians invented this story out of vanity. Those are more entitled to credit, who say, that heights are called Sami,⁷² and that the island obtained its name from this circumstance, for from thence

was seen all Ida, the city of Priam, and the ships of the Greeks.⁷³

Il. xiii. 13. But according to some writers, Samos had its name from the Saii, a Thracian tribe, who formerly inhabited it, and who occupied also the adjoining continent, whether they were the same people as the Sapae, or the Sinti, whom the poet calls Sinties, or a different nation. Archilochus mentions the Sail;

one of the Saii is exulting in the possession of an honourable shield, which I left against my will near a thicket.

[18] Of the islands subject to Ulysses there remains to be described Zacynthus.⁷⁴ It verges a little more than Cephallenia to the west of Peloponnesus, but approaches closer to it. It is 160 stadia in circumference, and distant from Cephallenia about 60 stadia. It is woody, but fertile, and has a considerable city of the same name. Thence to the Hesperides belonging to Africa are 3300⁷⁵ stadia.

[19] To the east of this island, and of Cephallenia, are situated the Echinades⁷⁶ islands; among which is Dulichium, at present called Dolicha, and the islands called Oxeiae, to which the poet gives the name of Thoae.⁷⁷

Dolicha is situated opposite to the Oeniadae, and the mouth of the Achelous: it is distant from Araxus,⁷⁸ the promontory of Elis, 100 stadia. The rest of the Echinades are numerous, they are all barren and rocky, and lie in front of the mouth of the Achelous, the most remote of them at the distance of 15, the nearest at the distance of 5 stadia; they formerly were farther out at sea, but the accumulation of earth, which is brought down in great quantity by the Achelous, has already joined some, and will join others, to the continent. This accumulation of soil anciently formed the tract Paracheloitis, which the river overflows, a subject of contention, as it was continually confounding boundaries, which had been determined by the Acarnanians and the Aetolians. For want of arbitrators they decided their dispute by arms. The most powerful gained the victory. This gave occasion to a fable, how Hercules overcame the Achelous in fight, and received in marriage as the prize of his victory, Deianeira, daughter of Oeneus. Sophocles introduces her, saying,

My suitor was a river, I mean the Achelous, who demanded me of my father under three forms; one while coming as a bull of perfect form, another time as a spotted writhing serpent, at another with the body of a man and the forehead of a bull.⁷⁹

Some writers add, that this was the horn of Amaltheia, which Hercules broke off from the Achelous, and presented to Oeneus as a bridal gift. Others, conjecturing the truth included in this story, say, that Achelous is reported to have resembled a bull, like other rivers, in the roar of their waters, and the bendings of their streams, which they term horns; and a serpent from its length and oblique course; and bull-fronted because it was compared to a bull’s head; and that Hercules, who, on other occasions, was disposed to perform acts of kindness for the public benefit, so particularly, when he was desirous of contracting an alliance with Oeneus, performed for him these services; he prevented the river from overflowing its banks, by constructing mounds and by diverting its streams by canals, and by draining a large tract of the Paracheloitis, which had been injured by the river; and this is the horn of Amaltheia.

Homer says, that in the time of the Trojan war the Echinades, and the Oxeiae were subject to Meges,

son of the hero Phyleus, beloved of Jupiter, who formerly repaired to Dulichium on account of a quarrel with his father.⁸⁰

The father of Phyleus was Augeas, king of Elis, and of the Epeii. The Epeii then, who possessed these islands, were those who had migrated to Dulichium with Phyleus.

[20] The islands of the Taphii, and formerly of the Teleboae, among which was Taphus, now called Taphius, were distinct from the Echinades, not separated by distance, (for they lie near one another,) but because they were ranged under different chiefs, Taphii and Teleboae. In earlier times Amphitryon, in conjunction with Cephalus, the son of Deioneus, an exile from Athens, attacked, and then delivered them up to the government of Cephalus. But the poet says that Mentes was their chief, and calls them robbers, which was the character of all the Teleboae.

So much then concerning the islands off Acarnania.

[21] Between Leucas and the Ambracian gulf is a sea-lake, called Myrtuntium.⁸¹ Next to Leucas followed Palerus, and Alyzia, cities of Acarnania, of which Alyzia is distant from the sea 15 stadia. Opposite to it is a harbour sacred to Hercules, and a grove from whence a Roman governor transported to Rome the labours of Hercules, the workmanship of Lysippus, which was lying in an unsuitable place, being a deserted spot.⁸²

Next are Crithote,⁸³ a promontory, and the Echinades, and Astacus, used in the singular number, a city of the same name as that near Nicomedia, and the Gulf of Astacus, Crithote, a city of the same name as that in the Thracian Chersonesus. All the coast between these places has good harbours. Then follows $Oeniadae, and the Achelous; then a lake belonging to the $Oeniadae, called Melite, 30 stadia in length, and in breadth 20; then another Cynia, of double the breadth and length of Melite; a third Uria,⁸⁴ much less than either of the former. Cynia even empties itself into the sea; the others are situated above it at the distance of about half a stadium.

Next is the river Evenus, which is distant from Actium 670 stadia.

Then follows the mountain Chalcis, which Artemidorus calls Chalcia; [next Pleuron, then Licyrna, a village, above which in the interior is situated Calydon at the distance of 30 stadia. Near Calydon is the temple of Apollo Laphrius;]⁸⁵ then the mountain Taphiassus; then Macynia, a city; then Molycria, and near it Antirrhium, the boundary of Aetolia and of Locris. To Antirrhium from the Evenus are about 120 stadia.

Artemidorus does not place the mountain, whether Chalcis or Chalcia, between the Achelous and Pleuron, but Apollodorus, as I have said before, places Chalcis and Taphiassus above Molycria; and Calydon between Pleuron and Chalcis. Are we then to place one mountain of the name of Chalcia near Pleuron, and another of the name of Chalcis near Molycria?

Near Calydon is a large lake, abounding with fish. It belongs to the Romans of Patrae.

[22] Apollodorus says, that there is in the inland parts of Acarnania, a tribe of Erysichaei, mentioned by Aleman,

not an Erysichaean, nor a shepherd; but I came from the extremities of Sardis.

Olenus belonged to Aetolia; Homer mentions it in the Aetolian Catalogue,⁸⁶ but traces alone remain of it near Pleuron below Aracynthus.⁸⁷

Lysimachia also was near Olenus. This place has disappeared. It was situated upon the lake, the present Lysimachia, formerly Hydra, between Pleuron and the city Arsinoë,⁸⁸ formerly a village of the name of Conopa. It was founded by Arsinoë, wife and also sister of the second Ptolemy. It is conveniently situated above the passage across the Achelous.

Pylene has experienced nearly the same fate as Olenus.

When the poet describes Calydon⁸⁹ as lofty, and rocky, we must understand these epithets as relating to the character of the country. For we have said before, that when they divided the country into two parts, they assigned the mountainous portion and the Epictetus⁹⁰ to Calydon, and the tract of plains to Pleuron.

[23] The Acarnanians, and the Aetolians, like many other nations, are at present worn out, and exhausted by continual wars. The Aetolians however, in conjunction with the Acarnanians, during a long period withstood the Macedonians and the other Greeks, and lastly the Romans, in their contest for independence.

But since Homer, and others, both poets and historians, frequently mention them, sometimes in clear and undisputed terms, and sometimes less explicitly, as appears from what we have already said of these people, we must avail ourselves of some of the more ancient accounts, which will supply us with a beginning, or with an occasion of inquiring into what is controverted.

[24] First then with respect to Acarnania. We have already said, that it was occupied by Laertes and the Cephallenians; but as many writers have advanced statements respecting the first occupants in terms sufficiently clear, indeed, but contradictory, the inquiry and discussion are left open to us.

They say, that the Taphii and Teleboae, as they are called, were the first inhabitants of Acarnania, and that their chief, Cephalus, who was appointed by Amphitryon sovereign of the islands about Taphus, was master also of this country. Hence is related of him the fable, that he was the first person who took the reputed leap from Leucatas. But the poet does not say, that the Taphii inhabited Acarnania before the arrival of the Cephallenians and Laertes, but that they were friends of the Ithacenses; consequently, in his time, either they had not the entire command of these places, or had voluntarily retired, or had even become joint settlers.

A colony of certain from Lacedaemon seems to have settled in Acarnania, who were followers of Icarius, father of Penelope, for the poet in the Odyssey represents him and the brothers of Penelope as then living;

who did not dare to go to the palace of Icarius with a view of his disposing of his daughter in marriage.⁹¹

And with respect to the brothers;

for now a long time both her father and her brothers were urging her to marry Eurymachus.⁹²

Nor is it probable that they were living at Lacedaemon, for Telemachus would not, in that case, have been the guest of Menelaus upon his arrival, nor is there a tradition, that they had any other habitation. But they say that Tyndareus and his brother Icarius, after being banished from their own country by Hippocoon, repaired to Thestius, the king of the Pleuronii, and assisted in obtaining possession of a large tract of country on the other side of the Achelous on condition of receiving a portion of it; that Tyndareus, having espoused Leda the daughter of Thestius, returned home; that Icarius continued there in possession of a portion of Acarnania, and had Penelope and her brothers by his wife Polycasta, daughter of Lygaeus. We lave shown by the Catalogue of the Ships in Homer, that the Acarnanians were enumerated among the people who took part in the war of Troy; and among these are reckoned the inhabitants of the Acté, and besides these,

they who occupied Epirus, and cultivated the land opposite.

But Epirus was never called Acarnania, nor Acté, Leucas.

[25] Ephorus does not say that they took part in the expedition against Troy; but he says that Alcmaeon, the son of Amphiaraus, who was the companion of Diomede, and the other Epigoni in their expedition, having brought the war against the Thebans to a successful issue, went with Diomede to assist in punishing the enemies of Oeneus, and having delivered up Aetolia to Diomede, he himself passed over into Acarnania, which country also he subdued. In the mean time Agamemnon attacked the Argives, and easily overcame them, the greatest part having attached themselves to the followers of Diomede. But a short time afterwards, when the expedition took place against Troy, he was afraid, lest, in his absence with the army, Diomede and his troops should return home, (for there was a rumour that he had collected a large force,) and should regain possession of a territory to which they had the best right, one being the heir of Adrastus, the other of his father. Reflecting then on these circumstances, he invited them to unite in the recovery of Argos, and to take part in the war. Diomede consented to take part in the expedition, but Alcmaeon was indignant and refused; whence the Acarnanians were the only people who did not participate in the expedition with the Greeks. The Acarnanians, probably by following this account, are said to have imposed upon the Romans, and to have obtained from them the privilege of an independent state, because they alone had not taken part in the expedition against the ancestors of the Romans, for their names are neither in the Aetolian Catalogue, nor are they mentioned by themselves, nor is their name mentioned anywhere in the poem.

[26] Ephorus then having represented Acarnania as subject to Alcmeon before the Trojan war, ascribes to him the foundation of Amphilochian Argos, and says that Acarnania had its name from his son Acarnan, and the Amphilochians from his brother Amphilochus; thus he turns aside to reports contrary to the history in Homer. But Thucydides and other writers say, that Amphilochus, on his return from the Trojan expedition, being displeased with the state of affairs at Argos, dwelt in this country; according to some writers, he obtained it by succeeding to the dominions of his brother; others represent it differently. So much then respecting the Acarnanians considered by themselves. We shall now speak of their affairs where they are intermixed in common with those of the Aetolians, and we shall then relate as much of the history of the Aetolians as we proposed to add to our former account of this people.

Notes on the current edition

Geography

1. 8. 3. 11.

2. 9. 5. 10.

3. 8. 2. 3.

4. This Nicopolis (“Victory City”) was founded by Augustus Caesar in commemoration of his victory over Antony and Cleopatra at Actium in 31 B.C. See 7. 7. 5.

5. Amaxiki, now in ruins.

6. An error either of Strabo or of the MSS. “Stratus” and “Alyzia” should exchange places in the sentence.

7. i.e., the Acquired.

8. Son of Antigonus Gonatas; reigned over Macedonia 239-229 B.C.

9. Hom. Il. 2.639

10. Homer specifically mentions Leucas only once, as the “rock Leucas” ( Hom. Od. 24.11 ). On the Ithaca-Leucas problem, see Appendix in this volume.

11. Hom. Od. 24.377

12. Hom. Il. 2.633

13. See Dictionary in Vol. IV.

14. “leuca.”

15. Or perhaps “resuscitated.”

16. The author of this epic poem on the deeds of Alcmaeon is unknown.

17. Hom. Il. 2.631

18. Hom. Il. 2.625

19. Hom. Il. 2.615

20. Hom. Il. 2.536

21. Hom. Il. 8.173

22. Hom. Il. 2.633

23. “epeirus” (cp. “Epeirus”).

24. On Homer’s use of this “poetic figure,” in which he specifies the part with the whole, cp. 8. 3. 8 and 1. 2. 23.

25. Hom. Od. 14.100

26. Hom. Od. 4.671

27. i.e., politically it was composed of four cities.

28. Hom. Od. 1.245

29. Hom. Il. 2.634

30. See Dictionary in Vol. I.

31. Hom. Od. 4.671

32. Hom. Od. 1.246

33. In the words of Telemachus.

34. Hom. Od. 16.249

35. Hom. Od. 15.367

36. Hom. Il. 2.632

37. Hom. Od. 9.21

38. Hom. Il. 2.632

39. Hom. Od. 9.21

40. Hom. Od. 3.81

41. Accusative of “Nericus.”

42. Hom. Il. 2.632

43. Hom. Od. 24.377 .

44. Hom. Od. 9.21 .

45. Hom. Od. 24.378 .

46. Hom. Od. 9.25 (see 1. 2. 20 and footnote).

47. Hom. Il. 3.201 ; Hom. Od. 1.247; 9.27; 10.417; 15.510; 16.124; 21.346 .

48. Hom. Od. 14.1

49. On eudeielos, see 9. 2. 41. and footnote.

50. Hom. Od. 4.607 ; but in this particular passage the Homeric text has hippelatos (“fit for driving horses”) instead of eudeielos, although in Hom. Od. 9.21 , and elsewhere, Homer does apply the latter epithet to Ithaca.

51. Hom. Od. 9.26

52. Hom. Il. 12.239

53. Hom. Od. 10.190

54. But in this passage “climata” is used in a different sense from that in 1. 1. 10 (see also footnote 2 ad loc., Vol. I, p. 22). It means here the (four) quarters of the sky, (l) where the sun sets, (2) where it rises, (3) the region of the celestial north pole, and (4) the region opposite thereto south of the equator.

55. Odysseus was at the isle of Circe when he uttered the words in question, and hence, relatively, the celestial phenomena had changed (see 1. l. 21).

56. i.e., the infinite number of possible northern arctic circles vanish when the traveller (going south) crosses the equator, and, in the same way, the corresponding quarter of the southern sky vanishes when the traveller, going north, crosses the equator (see Vol. I, p. 364, note 2).

57. See critical note.

58. See critical note.

59. 59 B.C.

60. Probably from Caesar. He was back in Rome in 44 B.C.

61. Hom. Od. 1.180

62. See Dictionary in Vol. I.

63. Hom. Il. 2.625 .

64. Son of Phyleus (Meges).

65. Hom. Il. 15.519

66. Hom. Il. 2.631

67. See footnote on Andron, 10. 4. 6.

68. Hom. Od. 16.247, 249 .

69. Hom. Od. 1.246

70. See critical note.

71. i.e., towards the direction of winter sunrise (rather southeast) as explained by Poseidonius (see discussion in 1. 2. 21.

72. Demetrius of Scepsis.

73. Hom. Od. 4.846

74. Hom. Il. 13.12

75. Or “smoky”; the meaning of the Greek word is doubtful.

76. Hom. Il. 24.753

77. Hom. Il. 24.78

78. Achilles.

79. Hom. Il. 24.752 .

80. See 14. 1. 3.

81. See 8. 3. 19.

82. Hom. Il. 13.13

83. Archil. Fr. 6 (51) (Bergk) Two more lines are preserved: “but I myself escaped the doom of death. Farewell to that shield! I shall get another one as good.”

84. See critical note.

85. In Greek “Oxeiai” and “Thoai,” both words meaning “sharp” or “pointed” (see 8. 3. 26 and footnote, and Hom. Od. 15.299 .

86. i.e., “Along the Acheloüs.

87. Soph. Trach. 7-11

88. One vase-painting shows Acheloüs fighting with Achilles as a serpent with the head and arms of a man, and with ox horns, and another as a human figure, except that he had the forehead, horns, and ears of an ox (Jebb, note ad loc.).

89. Cf. 3. 2. 14 and footnote.

90. Literally, “ox-prowed” (see Jebb, loc. cit.).

91. Cp. 3. 2. 14.

92. Hom. Il. 2.628

93. The latter name is not found in the Iliad or Odyssey.

94. Hom. Od. 1.180 .

95. Hom. Od. 15.427 .

96. Gulf of Ismid.(see 12. 4. 2.).

97. See Book 7 Fr. 55.

98. 10. 2. 4.

99. Alcman Fr. 24 (Bergk)

100. She married him in 279 B.C.

101. Cf. 10. 2. 6.

102. Hom. Il. 13.217

103. Hom. Il. 2.640 .

104. 10. 2. 3.

105. i.e., Aetolia the “Acquired” (10. 2. 3).

106. 10. 2. 8, 10.

107. Cf. 10. 2. 9.

108. The suitors.

109. Hom. Od. 2.52

110. Hom. Od. 15.16

111. 10. 2. 25; but Homer nowhere specifically mentions the “Acarnanians.”

112. “Shore of the mainland,” Hom. Od. 24.378 .

113. See 10. 2. 8.

114. Diomedes and Oeneus.

115. Diomedes.

116. Alcmaeon.

117. Amphiaraüs.

118. Hom. Il. 2.638 ff .

119. Thuc. 2.68.

Strabo Geography 10.2

Horace Leonard Jones (Translator)

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