Search the Perseus Catalog for:

View: By Section

← Previous Next →

[1] Thessaly comprises, first, on the sea, the coast which extends from Thermopylae to the outlet of the Peneius River¹ and the extremities of Pelion, and faces the east and the northern extremities of Euboea. The parts that are near Euboea and Thermopylae are held by the Malians and the Achaean Phthiotae, and the parts near Pelion by the Magnetans. Let this side of Thessaly, then, be called the eastern or coastal side. As for the two sides² of Thessaly: on one side, beginning at Pelion and the Peneius,³ Macedonia stretches towards the interior as far as Paeonia and the Epeirote tribes, and on the other side, beginning at Thermopylae, the Oetaean and Aetolian mountains lie parallel to Macedonia, bordering on the country of the Dorians and on Parnassus.⁴ Let the former side, which borders on Macedonia, be called the northern side, and the latter the southern side. There remains the western side, which is surrounded by the Aetolians and Acarnanians and Amphilochians, and, of the Epeirotes, the Athamanians and Molossians and what was once called the land of the Aethices, or, in a word, the land about Pindus.⁵ The land of Thessaly, as a whole, is a plain, except Pelion and Ossa. These mountains rise to a considerable height; they do not, however, enclose much territory in their circuits, but end in the plains.

[2] These plains are the middle parts of Thessaly, a country most blest, except so much of it as is subject to inundations by rivers. For the Peneius, which flows through the middle of it and receives many rivers, often overflows; and in olden times the plain formed a lake, according to report, being hemmed in by mountains on all sides except in the region of the seacoast; and there too the region was more elevated than the plains. But when a cleft was made by earthquakes at Tempe, as it is now called, and split off Ossa from Olympus, the Peneius poured out through it towards the sea and drained the country in question. But there remains, nevertheless, Lake Nessonis, which is a large lake, and Lake Boebeïs, which is smaller than the former and nearer to the seacoast.

[3] Such being its nature, Thessaly was divided into four parts. One part was called Phthiotis, another Hestiaeotis,⁶ another Thessaliotis, and another Pelasgiotis. Phthiotis occupies the southern parts which extend alongside Oeta from the Maliac, or Pylaïc, Gulf as far as Dolopia and Pindus, and widen out as far as Pharsalus and the Thessalian plains. Hestiaeotis occupies the western parts and the parts between Pindus and Upper Macedonia.⁷ The remaining parts of Thessaly are held, first, by the people who live in the plains below Hestiaeotis (they are called Pelasgiotae and their country borders on Lower Macedonia), and, secondly, by the Thessaliotae next in order, who fill out the districts extending as far as the Magnetan seacoast. Here, too, there will be an enumeration of famous names of cities, and especially because of the poetry of Homer; only a few of the cities preserve their ancient dignity, but Larisa most of all.

[4] The poet, after dividing into ten parts, or dynasties,⁸ the whole of the country which we now call Thessaly, and after adding certain parts both of the Oetaean and the Locrian countries, and likewise certain parts of the country now classed under Macedonia, intimates a fact which is common to, and true of, all countries, that whole regions and their several parts undergo changes in proportion to the power of those who hold sway.

[5] Now the first peoples he names in the Catalogue are those under Achilles, who occupied the southern side and were situated alongside Oeta and the Epicnemidian Locrians,

“all who dwelt in the Pelasgian Argos and those who inhabited Alus and Alope and Trachin, and those who held Phthia and also Hellas the land of fair women, and were called Myrmidons and Hellenes and Achaeans.”

⁹with these he joins also the subjects of Phoenix, and makes the expedition common to both leaders. It is true that the poet nowhere mentions the Dolopian army in connection with the battles round Ilium, for he does not represent their leader Phoenix as going forth into the perils of battle either, any more than he does Nestor; yet others so state, as Pindar, for instance, who mentions Phoenix and then says,

“who held a throng of Dolopians, bold in the use of the sling and bringing aid to the missiles of the Danaans, tamers of horses.”

¹⁰This, in fact, is the interpretation which we must give to the Homeric passage according to the principle of silence, as the grammarians are wont to call it, for it would be ridiculous if the king Phoenix shared in the expedition

(”I dwelt in the farthermost part of Phthia, being lord over the Dolopians”)

¹¹¹² without his subjects being present; for if they were not present, he would not have been regarded as sharing in the expedition with Achilles, but only as following him in the capacity of a chief over a few men and as a speaker, perhaps as a counsellor. Homer’s verses¹³ on this subject mean also to make this clear, for such is the import of the words,

“to be a speaker of words and a doer of deeds.”

¹⁴Clearly, therefore, he means, as I have already said, that the forces under Achilles and Phoenix are the same. But the aforesaid statements concerning the places subject to Achilles are themselves under controversy. Some take the Pelasgian Argos as a Thessalian city once situated in the neighborhood of Larisa but now no longer existent; but others take it, not as a city, but as the plain of the Thessalians, which is referred to by this name because Abas, who brought a colony there from Argos, so named it.

[6] As for Phthia, some say that it is the same as Hellas and Achaea, and that these constitute the other, the southern, of the two parts into which Thessaly as a whole was divided; but others distinguish between Hellas and Achaea. The poet seems to make Phthia and Hellas two different things when he says,

“and those who held Phthia and Hellas,”

¹⁵as though there were two, and when he says,

“And then (I fled) far away through spacious Hellas, and I came to Phthia,”

¹⁶and,

“There are many Achaean women throughout Hellas and Phthia.”

¹⁷So the poet makes them two, but he does not make it plain whether they are cities or countries. As for later authorities, some, speaking of Hellas as a country, say that it stretches from Palaepharsalus¹⁸ to Phthiotic Thebes. In this country also is the Thetideium,¹⁹ near both Pharsaluses, both the old and the new; and they infer from the Thetideium that this country too is a part of that which was subject to Achilles. As for those, however, who speak of Hellas as a city, the Pharsalians point out at a distance of sixty stadia from their own city a city in ruins which they believe to be Hellas, and also two springs near it, Messeïs and Hypereia, whereas the Melitaeans say that Hellas was situated about ten stadia distant from themselves on the other side of the Enipeus, at the time when their own city was named Pyrrha, and that it was from Hellas, which was situated in a low-lying district, that the Hellenes migrated to their own city; and they cite as bearing witness to this the tomb of Hellen, son of Deucalion and Pyrrha, situated in their marketplace. For it is related that Deucalion ruled over Phthia, and, in a word, over ThessaIy. The Enipeus, flowing from Othrys past Pharsalus, turns aside into the Apidanus, and the latter into the Peneius. Thus much, then, concerning the Hellenes.

[7] “Phthians” is the name given to those who were subject to Achilles and Protesilaüs and Philoctetes. And the poet is witness to this, for after mentioning in the Catalogue those who were subject to Achilles

“and those who held Phthia,”

²⁰he represents these, in the battle at the ships, as staying behind with Achilles in their ships and as being inactive, but those who were subject to Philoctetes as taking part in the battle, having Medon as “marshal,”²¹ and those who were subject to Protesilaüs as “marshalled by Podarces.”²² Concerning these, speaking in a general way, he says,

“And there the Boeotians and Ionians with trailing tunics, the Locrians and Phthians and illustrious Epeians;”

²³and, in a specific way,

“and in front of the Phthians was Medon, and also Podarces steadfast in war. These in their armour, in front of the great-hearted Phthians, were fighting along with the Boeotians in defence of the ships.”

²⁴Perhaps the men with Eurypylus also were called Phthians, since their country indeed bordered on Phthia. Now, however, historians regard as belonging to Magnesia, not only the region round Ormenium, which belonged to the country that was subject to Eurypylus, but also the whole of the country that was subject to Philoctetes; but they regard the country that was subject to Protesilaüs as a part of Phthia, extending from Dolopia and Pindus as far as the Magnetan Sea; whereas the land subject to Peleus and Achilles, beginning at the Trachinian and Oetaean countries, is defined as extending in breadth as far as Antron, the city subject to Protesilaüs, the name of which is now spelled in the plural number. And the Maliac Gulf has about the same length.

[8] But as regards Halus and Alope, historians are thoroughly in doubt, suspecting that the poet does not mean the places so named which now are classed in the Phthiotic domain, but those among the Locrians, since the dominion of Achilles extended thus far, just as it also extended as far as Trachin and the Oetaean country; for there is both a Halus and a Halius on the seaboard of the Locrians, just as there is also an Alope. Some substitute Halius for Alope and write as follows:

“and those who dwelt in Halus and in Halius and in Trachin.”

²⁵The Phthiotic Halus is situated below the end of Othrys, a mountain situated to the north of Phthiotis, bordering on Mount Typhrestus and the country of the Dolopians, and extending from there to the region of the Maliac Gulf. Halus (either feminine or masculine, for the name is used in both genders) is about sixty stadia distant from Itonus.²⁶ It was Athamas who founded Halus, but in later times, after it had been wiped out, the Pharsalians colonized the place. It is situated above the Crocian Plain; and the Amphrysus River flows close to its walls. Below the Crocian Plain lies Phthiotic Thebes. Halus is called both Phthiotic and Achaean Halus, and it borders on the country of the Malians, as do also the spurs of Othrys Mountain. And just as the Phylace, which was subject to Protesilaüs, is in that part of Phthiotis which lies next to the country of the Malians, so also is Halus; it is about one hundred stadia distant from Thebes, and it is midway between Pharsalus and the Phthiotae. However, Philip took it away from the Phthiotae and assigned it to the Pharsalians. And so it comes to pass, as I have said before,²⁷ that the boundaries and the political organizations of tribes and places are always undergoing changes. So, also, Sophocles speaks of Trachinia as belonging to Phthiotis. And Artemidorus places Halus on the seaboard, as situated outside the Maliac Gulf, indeed, but as belonging to Phthiotis; for proceeding thence in the direction of the Peneius, he places Pteleum after Antron, and then Halus at a distance of one hundred and ten stadia from Pteleum. As for Trachin, I have already described it,²⁸ and the poet mentions it by name.

[9] Since the poet often²⁹ mentions the Spercheius as a river of this country,³⁰ and since it has its sources in Typhrestus, the Dryopian mountain which in earlier times was called . . .,³¹ and empties near Thermopylae and between it and Lamia, he plainly indicates that both the region inside the Gates, I mean in so far as it belonged to the Maliac Gulf, and the region outside the Gates, were subject to Achilles. The Spercheius is about thirty stadia distant from Lamia, which is situated above a certain plain that extends down to the Maliac Gulf. And he plainly indicates that the Spercheius was a river of this country, not only by the assertion of Achilles that he “fostered the growth of his hair as an offering to Spercheius,”³² but also by the fact that Menesthius, one of his commanders, was called the son of Spercheius and the sister of Achilles.³³ And it is reasonable to suppose that all the people, the subjects of Achilles and Patroclus, who had accompanied Peleus in his flight from Aegina, were called Myrmidons. And all the Phthiotae were called Achaeans.

[10] Historians enumerate the settlements in the Phthiotic domain that was subject to Achilles, and they begin with the Malians. They name several, and among them Phthiotic Thebes, Echinus, Lamia (near which the Lamian War arose between the Macedonians, under Antipater, and the Athenians, and in this war Leosthenes, a general of the Athenians, fell, and also Leonnatus, the comrade of king Alexander), and also Narthacium, Erineus, Coroneia (bearing the same name as the Boeotian city), Melitaea, Thaumaci, Proerna, Pharsalus, Eretria (bearing the same name as the Euboean city), and Paracheloïtae (this, too, bearing the same name as the Aetolian city), for here too, near Lamia, is a river Acheloüs, on whose banks live the Paracheloïtae. This country bordered, in its stretch towards the north, on the country of the most westerly of the Asclepiadae, and on the country of Eurypylus, and also on that of Protesilaüs, these countries inclining towards the east; and in its stretch towards the south, on the Oetaean country, which was divided into fourteen demes, and also Heracleia and Dryopis,³⁴ Dryopis having at one time been a tetrapolis, like Doris,³⁵ and regarded as the metropolis of the Dryopians who lived in the Peloponnesus. To the Oetaean country belong also Acyphas,³⁶ Parasopias,³⁷ Oeneiadae, and Anticyra, which bears the same name as the city among the Western Locrians. But I am speaking of these divisions of the country, not as having always remained the same, but as having undergone various changes. However, only the most significant divisions are particularly worthy of mention.

[11] As for the Dolopians, the poet himself says clearly enough that they were situated in the farthermost parts of Phthia, and that both these and the Phthiotae were under the same leader, Peleus; for “I dwelt,” he says, “in the farthermost part of Phthia, being lord over the Dolopians, whom Peleus gave me.”³⁸ The country borders on Pindus, and on the region round Pindus, most of which belongs to the Thessalians. For both on account of the fame and of the predominance of the Thessalians and the Macedonians, the countries of those Epeirotes who were their nearest neighbors were made, some willingly and the others unwillingly, parts of Thessaly or Macedonia; for instance, the Athamanes, the Aethices, and the Talares were made parts of Thessaly, and the Orestae, the Pelagonians, and the Elimiotae of Macedonia.

[12] The Pindus Mountain is large, having the country of the Macedonians on the north, the Perrhaebian immigrants on the west, the Dolopians on the south, and Hestiaeotis³⁹ on the east; and this last is a part of Thessaly. The Talares, a Molossian tribe, a branch of those who lived in the neighborhood of Mount Tomarus, lived on Mount Pindus itself, as did also the Aethices, amongst whom, the poet says, the Centaurs were driven⁴⁰ by Peirithoüs; but history now tells us that they are “extinct.” The term “extinct” is to be taken in one of two meanings; either the people vanished and their country has become utterly deserted, or else merely their ethnic name no longer exists and their political organization no longer remains what it was. When, therefore, any present political organization that survives from an earlier time is utterly insignificant, I hold that it is not worth mentioning, either itself or the new name it has taken; but when it affords a fair pretext for being mentioned, I must needs give an account of the change.

[13] It remains for me to tell the order of the places on the coast that were subject to Achilles, beginning at Thermopylae; for I have already spoken of the Locrian and the Oetaean countries. Thermopylae, then, is separated from Cenaeum by a strait seventy stadia wide; but, to one sailing along the coast beyond Pylae, it is about ten⁴¹ stadia from the Spercheius; and thence to Phalara twenty stadia; and above Phalara, fifty stadia from the sea, is situated the city of the Lamians; and then next, after sailing fifty stadia along the coast, one comes to Echinus, which is situated above the sea; and in the interior from the next stretch of coast, twenty stadia distant from it, is Larisa Cremaste (it is also called Larisa Pelasgia).

[14] Then one comes to Myonnesus, a small island; and then to Antron, which was subject to Protesilaüs. So much, then, for the portion that was subject to Achilles. But since the poet, through naming both the leaders and the cities subject to them, has divided Thessaly into numerous well-known parts and arranged in order the whole circuit of it, I, following him again, as above, shall go on to complete the remainder of my geographical description of the country. Now he enumerates next in order after those who were subject to Achilles those who were subject to Protesilaüs; and these are also the people who come next in order after the stretch of coast which was subject to Achilles as far as Antron. Therefore, the territory that was subject to Protesilaüs is in the boundaries of the country that comes next in order, that is, it lies outside the Maliac Gulf, but still inside Phthiotis, though not inside the part of Phthiotis⁴² that was subject to Achilles. Now Phylace is near Phthiotic Thebes, which itself is subject to Protesilaüs. And Halus, also, and Larisa Cremaste, and Demetrium, are subject to him, all being situated to the east of the Othrys Mountain. Demetrium he speaks of as “sacred precinct of Demeter,”⁴³ and calls it “Pyrasus.” Pyrasus was a city with a good harbor; at a distance of two stadia it had a sacred precinct and a holy temple, and was twenty stadia distant from Thebes. Thebes is situated above Pyrasus, but the Crocian Plain is situated in the interior back of Thebes near the end of Othrys; and it is through this plain that the Amphrysus flows. Above this river are the Itonus, where is the temple of the Itonian,⁴⁴ after which the temple in Boeotia is named, and the Cuarius Rivers. But I have already spoken of this river and of Arne in my description of Boeotia.⁴⁵ These places are in Thessaliotis, one of the four portions of all Thessaly, in which were not only the regions that were subject to Eurypylus, but also Phyllus, where is the temple of Phyllian Apollo, and Ichnae, where the Ichnaean Themis is held in honor. Cierus, also, was tributary to it, and so was the rest of that region as far as Athamania. Near Antron, in the Euboean strait, is a submarine reef called “Ass of Antron”; and then one comes to Pteleum and Halus; and then to the temple of Demeter; and to Pyrasus, which has been razed to the ground; and, above it, to Thebes; and then to Cape Pyrrha, and to two isles near it, one of which is called Pyrrha and the other Deucalion. And it is somewhere here that Phthiotis ends.

[15] Next the poet enumerates the peoples that were subject to Eumelus, that is, the adjacent seacoast, which from this point on belongs to Magnesia and the land of Pelasgiotis. Now Pherae is at the end of the Pelasgian plains on the side towards Magnesia; and these plains extend as far as Pelion, one hundred and sixty stadia. The seaport of Pherae is Pagasae, which is ninety stadia distant from Pherae and twenty from Iolcus. Iolcus has indeed been razed to the ground from early times, but it was from there that Pelias despatched Jason and the Argo. It was from the construction here of the ship⁴⁶ Argo, according to mythology, that the place was called Pagasae, though some believe, more plausibly, that this name was given the place from its fountains,⁴⁷ which are both numerous and of abundant flow. Nearby is Aphetae also, so named as being the “apheterium”⁴⁸ of the Argonauts. Iolcus is situated above the sea seven stadia from Demetrias. Demetrias, which is on the sea between Nelia and Pagasae, was founded by Demetrius Poliorcetes, who named it after himself, settling in it the inhabitants of the nearby towns, Nelia and Pagasae and Ormenium, and also Rhizus, Sepias, Olizon, Boebe, and Iolcus, which are now villages belonging to Demetrias. Furthermore, for a long time this was both a naval station and a royal residence for the kings of the Macedonians; and it held the mastery over both Tempe and the two mountains, Pelion and Ossa, as I have already said.⁴⁹ At present it is reduced in power, but still it surpasses all the cities in Magnesia. Lake Boebeïs is near Pherae, and also borders on the foothills of Pelion and the frontiers of Magnesia; and Boebe is a place situated on the lake. Just as seditions and tyrannies destroyed Iolcus after its power had been greatly increased, so they reduced Pherae also, which had once been raised to greatness by its tyrants and was then destroyed along with them. Near Demetrias flows the Anaurus River; and the adjoining shore is also called Iolcus. Here, too, they used to hold the Pylaic Festal Assembly.⁵⁰ Artemidorus places the Pagasitic Gulf in the region subject to Philoctetes,farther away from Demetrias; and he says that the island Cicynethos and a town bearing the same name are in the gulf.

[16] The poet next enumerates the cities subject to Philoctetes. Now Methone is different from the Thracian Methone, which was razed to the ground by Philip. I have mentioned heretofore the change of the names of these places, and of certain places in the Peloponnesus. ⁵¹ And the other places enumerated by the poet are Thaumacia and Olizon and Meliboea, which are on the next stretch of seacoast. Off the country of the Magnetans lie numerous islands, but the only notable ones are Sciathos, Peparethos, and Icos, and also Halonnesos and Scyros, all having cities of the same name. But Scyros is the most notable, because of the family relation between Lycomedes and Achilles, and of the birth and nurture there of Neoptolemus the son of Achilles. In later times, when Philip had waxed powerful and saw that the Athenians dominated the sea and ruled over the islands, both these and the rest, he caused the islands that were near him to be most famous; for, since he was fighting for the hegemony, he always attacked those places which were close to him, and, just as he added to Macedonia most parts of the Magnetan country and of Thrace and of the rest of the land all round, so he also seized the islands off Magnesia and made those which were previously well-known to nobody objects of contention and hence well-known. Now Scyros is chiefly commended by the place it occupies in the ancient legends, but there are other things which cause it to be widely mentioned, as, for instance, the excellence of the Scyrian goats, and the quarries of the Scyrian variegated marble, which is comparable to the Carystian marble,⁵² and to the Docimaean or Synnadic,⁵³ and to the Hierapolitic.⁵⁴ For at Rome are to be seen monolithic columns and great slabs of the variegated marble; and with this marble the city is being adorned both at public and at private expense; and it has caused the quarries of white marble⁵⁵ to be of little worth.

[17] However, the poet, after proceeding thus far on the Magnetan seacoast, returns to Upper Thessaly; for, beginning at Dolopia and Pindus, he recounts the parts that stretch alongside Phthiotis, as far as Lower Thessaly:

“And those who held Tricce and rocky Ithome.”

⁵⁶These places belong in fact to Histiaeotis,⁵⁷ though in earlier times Histiaeotis was called Doris, as they say; but when the Perrhaebians took possession of it, who had already subdued Histiaeotis in Euboea and had forced its inhabitants to migrate to the mainland, they called the country Histiaeotis after these Histiaeans, because of the large number of these people who settled there. They call Histiaeotis and Dolopia Upper Thessaly, which is in a straight line with Upper Macedonia, as is Lower Thessaly with Lower Macedonia. Now Tricce, where is the earliest and most famous temple of Asclepius, borders on the country of the Dolopians and the regions round Pindus. Ithome, which is called by the same name as the Messenian city, ought not, they say, to be pronounced in this way, but without the first syllable;⁵⁸ for thus, they add, it was called in earlier times, though now its name has been changed to Ithome. It is a stronghold and is in reality a heap of stones;⁵⁹ and it is situated between four strongholds, which lie in a square, as it were: Tricce, Metropolis, Pelinnaeum, and Gomphi. But Ithome belongs to the territory of the Metropolitans. Metropolis in earlier times was a joint settlement composed of three insignificant towns; but later several others were added to it, among which was Ithome. Now Callimachus, in his Iambics, says that, “of all the Aphrodites (for there was not merely one goddess of this name), Aphrodite Castnietis surpasses all in wisdom, since she alone accepts the sacrifice of swine.”⁶⁰ And surely he was very learned, if any other man was, and all his life, as he himself states, wished to recount these things.⁶¹ But the writers of later times have discovered that not merely one Aphrodite, but several, have accepted this rite; and that among these was the Aphrodite at Metropolis, and that one of the cities included in the settlement transmitted to it the Onthurian rite.⁶² Pharcadon, also, is in Histiaeotis; and the Peneius and the Curalius flow through its territory. Of these rivers, the Curalius flows past the temple of the Itonian Athena and empties into the Peneius; but the Peneius itself rises in Pindus, as I have already said,⁶³ and after leaving Tricce and Pelinnaeum and Pharcadon on the left flows past both Atrax and Larisa, and after receiving the rivers in Thessaliotis flows on through Tempe to its outlet. Historians place the Oechalia which is called the “city of Eurytus “⁶⁴ not only in this region, but also in Euboea and in Arcadia; and they give its name in different ways, as I have already said in my description of the Peloponnesus.⁶⁵ They inquire concerning these, and particularly in regard to what Oechalia it was that was captured by Heracles,⁶⁶ and concerning what Oechalia was meant by the poet who wrote The Capture of Oechalia⁶⁷ These places, then, were classed by Homer as subject to the Asclepiadae.

[18] Next he speaks of the country subject to Eurypylus:

“and those who held the fountain Hypereia, and those who held Asterium and the white summits of Titanus.”

⁶⁸Now at the present time Ormenium is called Orminium; it is a village situated at the foot of Pelion near the Pagasitic Gulf, one of the cities included in the settlement of Demetrias, as I have said.⁶⁹ And Lake Boebeïs, also, must be near, since Boebe, as well as Ormenium itself, was one of the dependencies of Demetrias. Now Ormenium is distant by land twenty-seven stadia from Demetrias, whereas the site of Iolcus, which is situated on the road, is distant seven stadia from Demetrias and the remaining twenty stadia from Ormenium. The Scepsian⁷⁰ says that Phoenix was from Ormenium, and that he fled thence from his father Amyntor the son of Ormenus into Phthia to Peleus the king; for this place, he adds, was founded by Ormenus the son of Cercaphus the son of Aeolus; and he says that both Amyntor and Euaemon were sons of Ormenus, and that Phoenix was son of the former and Eurypylus of the latter, but that the succession to the throne, to which both had equal right, was kept for Eurypylus, inasmuch as Phoenix had gone away from his homeland. Furthermore, the Scepsian writes thus,

“as when first I left Ormenium rich in flocks,”

⁷¹ instead of

“I left Hellas, land of fair women.”

⁷²But Crates makes Phoenix a Phocian, judging this from the helmet of Meges, which Odysseus used at the time of his night spying, concerning which the poet says,

“Autolycus filched it from Eleon, from Amyntor the son of Ormenus, having broken into his close-built home.”

⁷³For Eleon, he says, is a town of Parnassus; and Amyntor, son of Ormenus, means no other than the father of Phoenix; and Autolycus, who lived on Parnassus, must have broken into the house of a neighbor (as is the way of any housebreaker), and not into that of people far away. But the Scepsian says that there is no place called Eleon to be seen on Parnassus, though there is a place called Neon, founded in fact after the Trojan War, and also that housebreakings are not confined to neighbors only. And there are other arguments which one might give, but I hesitate to spend further time on this subject. Others write “from Heleon,”⁷⁴ but Heleon is a place in Tanagria, and this reading would increase the absurdity of the statement,

“Then I fled afar off through Hellas and came to Phthia.”

⁷⁵The fountain Hypereia is in the middle of the city of the Pheraeans, which belonged to Eumelus. It is absurd, therefore, to assign the fountain to Eurypylus. Titanus⁷⁶ was named from the fact in the case there; for the region near Arne and Aphetae has white soil. Asterium, also, is not far from these.

[19] Continuous with this portion of Thessaly is the country of those who are called the subjects of Polypoetes:

“And those who held Argissa and dwelt in Gyrtone, Orthe, and Elone and the white city Oloosson.”

⁷⁷In earlier times the Perrhaebians inhabited this country, dwelling in the part near the sea and near the Peneius, extending as far as its outlet and Gyrton, a Perrhaebian city. Then the Lapiths humbled the Perrhaebians and thrust them back into the river country in the interior, and seized their country—I mean the Lapiths Ixion and his son Peirithoüs, the latter of whom also took possession of Pelion, forcing out the Centaurs, a wild folk, who had seized it. Now these

“he thrust from Pelion and made them draw near to the Aethices,”

⁷⁸and he gave over the plains to the Lapiths, though the Perrhaebians kept possession of some of them, those near Olympus, and also in some places lived completely intermingled with the Lapiths. Now Argissa, the present Argura, is situated on the Peneius; and forty stadia above it lies Atrax, which also is close to the river; and the Perrhaebians held the river country between the two places. Some have called Orthe the acropolis of the Phalannaeans; and Phalanna is a Perrhaebian city close to the Peneius near Tempe. Now the Perrhaebians, being overpowered by the Lapiths, for the most part emigrated to the mountainous country about Pindus and to the countries of the Athamaniam and Dolopians, but their country and all Perrhaebians who were left behind there were seized by the Larisaeans, who lived near the Peneius and were their neighbors and dwelt in the most fertile parts of the plains, though not in the very low region near the lake called Nessonis, into which the river, when it overflowed, would carry away a portion of the arable soil belonging to the Larisaeans. Later, however, they corrected this by means of embankments. The Larisaeans, then, kept possession of Perrhaebia and exacted tribute until Philip established himself as lord over the region. Larisa is also the name of a place on Ossa; another is Larisa Cremaste, by some called Pelasgia;⁷⁹ and in Crete is a city Larisa, now joined to Hierapytna, whence the plain that lies below is now called Larisian Plain; and, in the Peloponnesus both Larisa, the citadel of the Argives, and the Larisus River, which is the boundary between the Eleian country and Dyme. Theopompus speaks of another city Larisa situated on the same common boundary; and in Asia is a Larisa Phryconis near Cyme; and also the Larisa near Hamaxitis in the Troad; and there is the Ephesian Larisa, and the Larisa in Syria; and there are Larisaean Rocks fifty stadia from Mitylene on the road to Methymne; and there is a Larisa in Attica; and a village Larisa thirty stadia distant from Tralleis, above the city, on the road which runs through Mesogis towards the Caÿster Plain near the temple of the Isodromian Mother,⁸⁰ which in its topographical position and its goodly attributes is like Larisa Cremaste, for it has an abundance of water and of vineyards; and perhaps the Larisaean Zeus received his epithet from this place; and also on the left of the Pontus is a village called Larisa, between Naulochus and. . .,⁸¹ near the end of Mount Haemus. And Oloosson, called “white” from the fact that its soil is a white clay, and Elone, and Gonnus are Perrhaebian cities. But Elone changed its name to Leimone, and is now in ruins. Both are situated below Olympus, not very far from the Europus River, which the poet calls the Titaresius.⁸²

[20] The poet next mentions both Titaresius and the Perrhaebians, when he says,

“And Guneus led from Cyphus twenty-two ships. And there followed him the Enienians,⁸³ and the Perrhaebians steadfast in war, who had established their homes round wintry Dodona,⁸⁴ and dwelt in the fields about lovely Titaresius.”

⁸⁵Now he speaks of these places as belonging to the Perrhaebians, places which fell into their possession as a part of Hestiaeotis.⁸⁶ And also the cities subject to Polypoetes were in part Perrhaebian. However, he assigned them to the Lapiths because the two peoples lived intermingled with one another,⁸⁷ and also because, although the Lapiths held possession of the plains and the Perrhaebian element there were for the most part subject to the Lapiths, the Perrhaebians held possession of the more mountainous parts near Olympus and Tempe, as, for example, Cyphus, and Dodona, and the region about the Titaresius; this river rises in the Titarius Mountain, which connects with Olympus, and flows into the territory of Perrhaebia which is near Tempe, and somewhere in that neighborhood unites with the Peneius. Now the water of the Peneius is pure, but that of the Titaresius is oily, because of some substance or other, so that it does not mingle with that of the Peneius,

“but runs over it on the top like oil.”

⁸⁸Because of the fact that the two peoples lived intermingled, Simonides uses the terms Perrhaebians and Lapiths of all the Pelasgiotes who occupy the region about Gyrton and the outlets of the Peneius and Mount Ossa and Mount Pelion, and the region about Demetrias, and the region in the plain, I mean Larisa, Crannon, Scotussa, Mopsium, Atrax, and the region about Lake Nessonis and Lake Boebeïs. Of these places the poet mentions only a few, because the rest of them had not yet been settled, or else were only wretched settlements, on account of the inundations which took place at various times. Indeed, he does not mention Lake Nessonis either, but Lake Boebeïs only (though it is much smaller), because the latter alone persisted, whereas the former, in all probability, was at times filled at irregular intervals and at times gave out altogether. Scotussa I have already mentioned in my account of Dodona and of the oracle in Thessaly, saying that originally it was near this place.⁸⁹ In the territory of Scotussa there is a place called Cynoscephalae,⁹⁰ near which Titus Quintius⁹¹ and the Romans, along with the Aetolians, in a great battle⁹² conquered Philip the son of Demetrius, king of the Macedonians.

[21] Magnetis, also, has been treated by Homer in about the same way. For although he has already enumerated many of the places in Magnetis, none of these are called Magnetan by him except those two places, and even these are designated by him in a dim and indistinct way:⁹³

“who dwelt about Peneius and Pelion with its shaking foliage.”

⁹⁴Assuredly, however, about the Peneius and Pelion lived those who held Gyrton, whom he had already named, ⁹⁵ as also those who held Ormenium,⁹⁶ and several other Perrhaebian peoples; and yet farther away from Pelion there were still Magnetans, beginning with those subject to Eumelus, at least according to the writers of later times. These writers, however, on account of the continual migrations, changes of political administrations, and intermixture of tribes, seem to have confused both the names and the tribes, so that they sometimes present difficult questions for the writers of today. For example, this has proved true, in the first place, in the case of Crannon and Gyrton; for in earlier times the Gyrtonians were called “Phlegyae,” from Phlegyas, the brother of Ixion, and the Crannonians “Ephyri,” so that it is a difficult question who can be meant by the poet when he says,

“Verily these twain, going forth from Thrace, arm themselves to pursue the Ephyri, or to pursue the great-hearted Phlegyae.”

⁹⁷⁹⁸

[22] Again, the same thing is true in the case of the Perrhaebians and Aenianians. For Homer⁹⁹ connected the two, as living near one another; and in fact we are told by the writers of later times that for a long time the habitation of the Aenianians was in the Dotian Plain. This plain is near the Perrhaebia just mentioned above, and Ossa and Lake Boebeïs; and while it is situated in the middle of Thessaly, yet it is enclosed all round by hills of its own. Concerning this plain Hesiod has spoken thus:

“Or as the unwedded virgin¹⁰⁰ who, dwelling on the holy Didyman Hills, in the Dotian Plain, in front of Amyrus, bathed her foot in Lake Boebeïs.”

¹⁰¹¹⁰² Now as for the Aenianians, most of them were driven into Oeta by the Lapiths; and there too they became predominant, having taken away certain parts of the country from the Dorians and the Malians as far as Heracleia and Echinus, although some remained in the neighborhood of Cyphus, a Perrhaebian mountain which had a settlement of the same name. As for the Perrhaebians, some of them drew together round the western parts of Olympus and stayed there, being neighbors to the Macedonians, but the greater part of them were driven out of their country into the mountains round Athamania and Pindus. But today little or no trace of them is preserved. At any rate, the Magnetans mentioned last by the poet in the Thessalian Catalogue should be regarded as those inside Tempe, extending from the Peneius and Ossa as far as Pelion, and bordering on the Pieriotae in Macedonia, who held the country on the far side of the Peneius as far as the sea. Now Homolium, or Homole (for it is spelled both ways), should be assigned to the Magnetans; as I have said in my description of Macedonia,¹⁰³ it is close to Ossa, situated where the Peneius begins to discharge its waters through Tempe. And if one were to proceed as far as the seacoast nearest to Homolium, there is reason for assigning to them Rhizus and Erymnae, which were situated on that part of the seacoast which was subject to Philoctetes and on that which was subject to Eumelus. However, let this question remain undecided. And also the order of the places next thereafter as far as the Peneius is not plainly told by the poet; but since these places are without repute, neither should I myself regard the matter as of great importance. Cape Sepias, however, was afterwards celebrated both in tragedies and in hymns on account of the total destruction there of the Persian fleet. Sepias itself is a rocky cape, but between it and Casthanaea, a village situated at the foot of Pelion, is a beach where the fleet of Xerxes was lying in wait when, a violent east wind bursting forth, some of the ships were immediately driven high and dry on the beach and broken to pieces on the spot, and the others were carried along the coast to Ipni, one of the rugged places in the region of Pelion, or to Meliboea, or to Casthanaea, and destroyed. The whole voyage along the coast of Pelion is rough, a distance of about eighty stadia; and that along the coast of Ossa is equally long and rough. Between the two mountains is a gulf more than two hundred stadia in circuit, on which is Meliboea. The whole voyage along the coast from Demetrias to the Peneius, following the sinuosities of the gulfs, is more than one thousand stadia in length, and from the Sperchius eight hundred more, and from the Euripus two thousand three hundred and fifty. Hieronymus¹⁰⁴ declares that the plain country of Thessaly and Magnetis is three thousand stadia in circuit, and that it was inhabited by Pelasgians, and that these were driven out of their country by the Lapiths, and that the present Pelasgian Plain, as it is called, is that in which are situated Larisa, Gyrtone, Pherae, Mopsium, Boebeïs, Ossa, Homole, Pelion, and Magnetis. Mopsium is named, not after Mopsus, the son of Manto the daughter of Teiresias, but after Mopsus the Lapith who sailed with the Argonauts. But Mopsopus, after whom the Attic Mopsopia is named, is a different person.¹⁰⁵

[23] So much, then, for the several parts of Thessaly. But speaking of it as a whole, I may say that in earlier times it was called Pyrrhaea, after Pyrrha the wife of Deucalion, and Haemonia after Haemon, and Thessaly after Thessalus the son of Haemon. But some writers, dividing it into two parts, say that Deucalion obtained the portion towards the south and called it Pandora after his mother, and that the other part fell to Haemon, after whom it was called Haemonia, but that the former name was changed to Hellas, after Hellen the son of Deucalion, and the latter to Thessaly, after the son of Haemon. Some, however, say that descendants of Antiphus and Pheidippus, the sons of Thessalus the son of Heracles, invaded the country from Thesprotian Ephyra and named it after Thessalus, their own ancestor. And it has been said that the country too was once named Nessonis, like the lake, after Nesson the son of Thessalus.

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.) — 9.5 focus

[1] ἔστι δʼ αὐτῆς πρὸς θαλάττῃ μὲν ἡ ἀπὸ Θερμοπυλῶν μέχρι τῆς ἐκβολῆς τοῦ Πηνειοῦ καὶ τῶν ἄκρων τοῦ Πηλίου παραλία βλέπουσα πρὸς ἕω καὶ πρὸς τὰ ἄκρα τῆς Εὐβοίας τὰ βόρεια. ἔχουσι δὲ τὰ μὲν πρὸς Εὐβοίᾳ καὶ Θερμοπύλαις Μαλιεῖς καὶ οἱ Φθιῶται Ἀχαιοί, τὰ δὲ πρὸς τῷ Πηλίῳ Μάγνητες. αὕτη μὲν οὖν ἡ πλευρὰ τῆς Θετταλίας ἑῴα λεγέσθω καὶ παραλία. ἑκατέρωθεν δʼ ἀπὸ μὲν Πηλίου καὶ Πηνειοῦ πρὸς τὴν μεσόγαιαν Μακεδόνες παράκεινται μέχρι Παιονίας καὶ τῶν Ἠπειρωτικῶν ἐθνῶν, ἀπὸ δὲ τῶν Θερμοπυλῶν τὰ παράλληλα τοῖς Μακεδόσιν ὄρη τὰ Οἰταῖα καὶ Αἰτωλικά, τοῖς Δωριεῦσι καὶ τῷ Παρνασσῷ συνάπτοντα. καλείσθω δὲ τὸ μὲν πρὸς τοῖς Μακεδόσι πλευρὸν ἀρκτικόν, τὸ δʼ ἕτερον νότιον. λοιπὸν δʼ ἐστὶ τὸ ἑσπέριον, ὃ περικλείουσιν Αἰτωλοὶ καὶ Ἀκαρνᾶνες καὶ Ἀμφίλοχοι καὶ τῶν Ἠπειρωτῶν Ἀθαμᾶνες καὶ Μολοττοὶ καὶ ἡ τῶν Αἰθίκων ποτὲ λεγομένη γῆ καὶ ἁπλῶς ἡ περὶ Πίνδον πλὴν τοῦ Πηλίου καὶ τῆς Ὄσσης. ταῦτʼ ἐξῆρται μὲν ἱκανῶς, οὐ μήν γε πολλὴν περιλαμβάνει κύκλῳ χώραν, ἀλλʼ εἰς τὰ πεδία τελευτᾷ.

[2] ταῦτα δʼ ἐστὶ τὰ μέσα τῆς Θετταλίας, εὐδαιμονεστάτη χώρα πλὴν ὅση ποταμόκλυστός ἐστιν. ὁ γὰρ Πηνειὸς διὰ μέσης ῥέων καὶ πολλοὺς δεχόμενος ποταμοὺς ὑπερχεῖται πολλάκις· τὸ δὲ παλαιὸν καὶ ἐλιμνάζετο, ὡς λόγος, τὸ πεδίον ἔκ τε τῶν ἄλλων μερῶν ὄρεσι περιειργόμενον καὶ τῆς παραλίας μετεωρότερα τῶν πεδίων ἐχούσης τὰ χωρία ὑπὸ δὲ σεισμῶν ῥήγματος γενομένου κατὰ τὰ νῦν καλούμενα Τέμπη καὶ τὴν Ὄσσαν ἀποσχίσαντος ἀπὸ τοῦ Ὀλύμπου, διεξέπεσε ταύτῃ πρὸς θάλατταν ὁ Πηνειὸς καὶ ἀνέψυξε τὴν χώραν ταύτην. ὑπολείπεται δʼ ὅμως ἥ τε Νεσσωνὶς λίμνη μεγάλη καὶ ἡ Βοιβηὶς ἐλάττων ἐκείνης καὶ πλησιεστέρα τῇ παραλίᾳ.

[3] τοιαύτη δʼ οὖσα εἰς τέτταρα μέρη διῄρητο· ἐκαλεῖτο δὲ τὸ μὲν Φθιῶτις τὸ δὲ Ἑστιαιῶτις τὸ δὲ Θετταλιῶτις τὸ δὲ Πελασγιῶτις. ἔχει δʼ ἡ μὲν Φθιῶτις τὰ νότια τὰ παρὰ τὴν Οἴτην ἀπὸ τοῦ Μαλιακοῦ κόλπου καὶ Πυλαϊκοῦ μέχρι τῆς Δολοπίας καὶ τῆς Πίνδου διατείνοντα, πλατυνόμενα δὲ μέχρι Φαρσάλου καὶ τῶν πεδίων τῶν Θετταλικῶν· ἡ δʼ Ἑστιαιῶτις τὰ ἑσπέρια καὶ τὰ μεταξὺ Πίνδου καὶ τῆς ἄνω Μακεδονίας· τὰ δὲ λοιπὰ οἵ τε ὑπὸ τῇ Ἑστιαιώτιδι νεμόμενοι τὰ πεδία, καλούμενοι δὲ Πελασγιῶται, συνάπτοντες ἤδη τοῖς κάτω Μακεδόσι, καὶ οἱ ἐφεξῆς τὰ μέχρι Μαγνητικῆς παραλίας ἐκπληροῦντες χωρία. κἀνταῦθα δʼ ἐνδόξων ὀνομάτων ἔσται ἀρίθμησις καὶ ἄλλως καὶ διὰ τὴν Ὁμήρου ποίησιν· τῶν δὲ πόλεων ὀλίγαι σώζουσι τὸ πάτριον ἀξίωμα, μάλιστα δὲ Λάρισα.

[4] ὁ δὲ ποιητὴς εἰς δέκα μέρη καὶ δυναστείας διελὼν τὴν σύμπασαν γῆν ἣν νῦν Θετταλίαν προσαγορεύομεν, προσλαβών τινα καὶ τῆς Οἰταίας καὶ τῆς Λοκρικῆς, ὡς δʼ αὕτως καὶ τῆς ὑπὸ Μακεδόσιν νῦν τεταγμένης, ὑπογράφει τι κοινὸν καὶ πάσῃ χώρᾳ συμβαῖνον, τὸ μεταβάλλεσθαι καὶ τὰ ὅλα καὶ τὰ καθʼ ἕκαστα παρὰ τὰς τῶν ἐπικρατούντων δυνάμεις.

[5] πρώτους δὴ καταλέγει τοὺς ὑπʼ Ἀχιλλεῖ¹ τοὺς τὸ νότιον πλευρὸν κατέχοντας καὶ παρακειμένους τῇ τε Οἴτῃ καὶ τοῖς Ἐπικνημιδίοις Λοκροῖς ὅσσοι τὸ Πελασγικὸν Ἄργος ἔναιον, οἵ τʼ Ἄλον οἵ τʼ Ἀλόπην οἵ τε Τρηχῖνʼ ἐνέμοντο, οἵ τʼ εἶχον Φθίην ἠδʼ Ἑλλάδα καλλιγύναικα, Μυρμιδόνες δὲ καλεῦντο καὶ Ἕλληνες καὶ Ἀχαιοί. συζεύγνυσι δὲ τούτοις καὶ τοὺς ὑπὸ τῷ Φοίνικι καὶ κοινὸν ἀμφοῖν ποιεῖ τὸν στόλον. ὁ μὲν οὖν ποιητὴς οὐδαμοῦ μέμνηται Δολοπικῆς στρατιᾶς κατὰ τοὺς περὶ Ἴλιον ἀγῶνας· οὐδὲ γὰρ αὐτῶν τὸν ἡγεμόνα Φοίνικα πεποίηκεν εἰς τοὺς κινδύνους ἐξιόντα, καθάπερ τὸν Νέστορα· ἄλλοι δʼ εἰρήκασι, καθάπερ καὶ Πίνδαρος μνησθεὶς τοῦ Φοίνικος ὃς Δολόπων ἄγαγε θρασὺν ὅμιλον σφενδονᾶσαι, ἱπποδάμων Δαναῶν βέλεσι πρόσφορον. τοῦτο δὴ καὶ παρὰ τῷ ποιητῇ κατὰ τὸ σιωπώμενον, ὡς εἰώθασι λέγειν οἱ γραμματικοί, συνυπακουστέον. γελοῖον γὰρ τὸ τὸν βασιλέα μετέχειν τῆς στρατείας², τοὺς δʼ ὑπηκόους μὴ παρεῖναι αὐτῷ· οὐδὲ γὰρ συστρατεύειν ἂν τῷ Ἀχιλλεῖ δόξειεν, ἀλλὰ μόνον³ ἐπιστάτης καὶ ῥήτωρ ἕπεσθαι, εἰ δʼ ἄρα, σύμβουλος. τὰ δʼ ἔπη βούλεται καὶ τοῦτο δηλοῦν· τοιοῦτον γὰρ τὸ μύθων τε ῥητῆρʼ ἔμεναι πρηκτῆρά τε ἔργων. ταῦτα λέγων.

[6] εἴρηται τό τε ὑπὸ τῷ Ἀχιλλεῖ καὶ τῷ Φοίνικι· αὐτὰ δὲ λεχθέντα περὶ τῶν ὑπʼ Ἀχιλλεῖ ἐν ἀντιλογίᾳ ἐστί. τό τε γὰρ Ἄργος τὸ Πελασγικὸν οἱ μὲν καὶ πόλιν δέχονται Θετταλικὴν περὶ Λάρισαν ἱδρυμένην ποτὲ νῦν δʼ οὐκέτι οὖσαν· οἱ δʼ οὐ πόλιν ἀλλὰ τὸ τῶν Θετταλῶν πεδίον οὕτως ὀνοματικῶς λεγόμενον, θεμένου τοὔνομα Ἄβαντος ἐξ Ἄργους δεῦρʼ ἀποικήσαντος. Φθίαν τε οἱ μὲν τὴν αὐτὴν εἶναι τῇ Ἑλλάδι καὶ Ἀχαΐᾳ, ταύτας δʼ εἶναι διατεμνομένης τῆς συμπάσης Θετταλίας θάτερον μέρος τὸ νότιον· οἱ δὲ διαιροῦσιν. ἔοικε δʼ ὁ ποιητὴς δύο ποιεῖν τήν τε Φθίαν καὶ τὴν Ἑλλάδα ὅταν οὕτως φῇ οἵ τʼ εἶχον Φθίην ἠδʼ Ἑλλάδα, ὡς δυεῖν οὐσῶν· καὶ ὅταν οὕτως φεῦ γον ἔπειτʼ ἀπάνευθε διʼ Ἑλλάδος εὐρυχόροιο, Φθίην δʼ ἐξικόμην, καὶ ὅτι πολλαὶ Ἀχαιίδες εἰσὶν ἀνʼ Ἑλλάδα τε Φθίην τε. ὁ μὲν οὖν ποιητὴς δύο ποιεῖ, πότερον δὲ πόλεις ἢ χώρας οὐ δηλοῖ. οἱ δʼ ὕστερον τὴν Ἑλλάδα οἱ μὲν εἰπόντες χώραν διατετάσθαι φασὶν εἰς τὰς Θήβας τὰς Φθιώτιδας ἀπὸ Παλαιφαρσάλου (ἐν δὲ τῇ χώρᾳ ταύτῃ καὶ τὸ Θετίδειον ἔστι πλησίον τῶν Φαρσάλων ἀμφοῖν τῆς τε παλαιᾶς καὶ τῆς νέας, κἀκ τοῦ Θετιδείου τεκμαιρόμενοι τῆς ὑπὸ τῷ Ἀχιλλεῖ μέρος εἶναι καὶ τήνδε τὴν χώραν), οἱ δʼ εἰπόντες πόλιν Φαρσάλιοι μὲν δεικνύουσιν ἀπὸ ἑξήκοντα σταδίων τῆς ἑαυτῶν πόλεως κατεσκαμμένην πόλιν ἣν πεπιστεύκασιν εἶναι τὴν Ἑλλάδα καὶ δύο κρήνας πλησίον Μεσσηίδα καὶ Ὑπέρειαν, Μελιταιεῖς δʼ ἄπωθεν ἑαυτῶν ὅσον δέκα σταδίους οἰκεῖσθαι τὴν Ἑλλάδα πέραν τοῦ Ἐνιπέως, ἡνίκα ἡ ἑαυτῶν πόλις Πύρρα ὠνομάζετο, ἐκ δὲ τῆς Ἑλλάδος ἐν ταπεινῷ χωρίῳ κειμένης εἰς τὴν ἑαυτῶν μετοικῆσαι τοὺς Ἕλληνας· μαρτύριον δʼ εἶναι τὸν ἐν τῇ ἀγορᾷ τῇ σφετέρᾳ τάφον τοῦ Ἕλληνος τοῦ Δευκαλίωνος υἱοῦ καὶ Πύρρας. ἱστορεῖται γὰρ ὁ Δευκαλίων τῆς Φθιώτιδος ἄρξαι καὶ ἁπλῶς τῆς Θετταλίας· ὁ δʼ Ἐνιπεὺς ἀπὸ τῆς Ὄθρυος παρὰ Φάρσαλον ῥυεὶς εἰς τὸν Ἀπιδανὸν παραβάλλει, ὁ δʼ εἰς τὸν Πηνειόν. περὶ μὲν Ἑλλήνων ταῦτα.

[7] Φθῖοι δὲ καλοῦνται οἵ τε ὑπʼ Ἀχιλλεῖ καὶ ὑπὸ Πρωτεσιλάῳ καὶ Φιλοκτήτῃ· ὁ δὲ ποιητὴς τούτου μάρτυς. εἰπὼν γὰρ ἐν τῷ καταλόγῳ τῶν ὑπʼ Ἀχιλλεῖ οἵ τʼ εἶχον Φθίην, ἐν τῇ ἐπὶ ναυσὶ μάχῃ τούτους μὲν ὑπομένοντας ἐν ταῖς ναυσὶ πεποίηκε μετὰ τοῦ Ἀχιλλέως καὶ καθʼ ἡσυχίαν ὄντας, τοὺς δʼ ὑπὸ Φιλοκτήτῃ μαχομένους ἔχοντας Μέδον τα ἡγεμόνα καὶ τοὺς ὑπὸ Πρωτεσιλάῳ, Ποδάρκους περὶ ὧν κοινῶς μὲν οὕτω φησίν ἔνθα δὲ Βοιωτοὶ καὶ Ἰάονες ἑλκεχίτωνες, Λοκροὶ καὶ Φθῖοι καὶ φαιδιμόεντες Ἐπειοί· ἰδίως δέ πρὸ Φθίων δὲ Μέδων τε μενεπτόλεμός τε Ποδάρκης. οἱ μὲν πρὸ Φθίων μεγαθύμων θωρηχθέντες ναῦφιν ἀμυνόμενοι μετὰ Βοιωτῶν ἐμάχοντο. τάχα δὲ καὶ οἱ σὺν Εὐρυπύλῳ Φθῖοι ἐλέγοντο, ὅμοροι τούτοις ὄντες· νῦν μέντοι Μαγνησίας νομίζουσι τῆς τε ὑπʼ Εὐρυπύλῳ τὰ περὶ Ὀρμένιον καὶ τὴν ὑπὸ Φιλοκτήτῃ πᾶσαν, τὴν δʼ ὑπὸ Πρωτεσιλάῳ τῆς Φθίας ἀπὸ Δολοπίας καὶ τῆς Πίνδου μέχρι τῆς Μαγνητικῆς θαλάττης· μέχρι δὲ τῆς ὑπὸ Πρωτεσιλάῳ πόλεως Ἀντρῶνος, ἣ νῦν πληθυντικῶς λέγεται, τὸ πλάτος ἀφορίζεται τῆς ὑπὸ Πηλεῖ καὶ Ἀχιλλεῖ γ ῆς, ἀπὸ τῆς Τραχινίας καὶ τῆς Οἰταίας ἀρξαμένοις· τὸ δʼ αὐτὸ σχεδόν τι μῆκός ἐστι τοῦ Μαλιακοῦ κ όλπου.

[8] περὶ Ἅλου δὲ καὶ Ἀλόπης διαποροῦσι μὴ οὐ τούτους λέγει τοὺς τόπους οἳ νῦν ἐν τῷ Φθιωτικῷ τέλει φέρονται, ἀλλὰ τοὺς ἐν Λοκροῖς, μέχρι δεῦρο ἐπικρατοῦντος τοῦ Ἀχιλλέως, ὥσπερ καὶ μέχρι Τραχῖνος καὶ τῆς Οἰταίας. ἔστι γὰρ καὶ Ἅλος καὶ Ἁλιοῦς ἐν τῇ παραλίᾳ τῶν Λοκρῶν, καθάπερ καὶ Ἀλόπη. οἱ δὲ τὸν Ἁλιοῦντα ἀντὶ Ἀλόπης τιθέασι καὶ γράφουσιν οὕτως οἵ θʼ Ἅλον οἵ θʼ Ἁλιοῦνθʼ οἵ τε Τρηχῖνʼ ἐνέμοντο. ὁ δὲ Φθιωτικὸς Ἅλος ὑπὸ τῷ πέρατι κεῖται τῆς Ὄθρυος ὄρους πρὸς ἄρκτον κειμένου τῇ Φθιώτιδι, ὁμόρου δὲ τῷ Τυφρηστῷ καὶ τοῖς Δόλοψιν, κἀνθένδε παρατείνοντος εἰς τὰ πλησίον τοῦ Μαλιακοῦ κόλπου. ἀπέχει δὲ Ἰτώνου περὶ ἑξήκοντα σταδίους ὁ Ἅλος ἢ ἡ Ἅλος· λέγεται γὰρ ἀμφοτέρως. ᾤκισε δὲ ὁ Ἀθάμας τὴν Ἅλον, ἀφανισθεῖσαν δὲ συνῴ κισαν Φαρσάλιοι χρόνοις ὕστερον. ὑπέρκειται δὲ τοῦ Κροκίου πεδίου· ῥεῖ δὲ ποταμὸς Ἄμφρυσος πρὸς τῷ τείχει. ὑπὸ δὲ τῷ Κροκίῳ Θῆβαι εἰσὶν αἱ Φθιώτιδες, καὶ ἡ Ἅλος δὲ Φθιῶτις καλεῖται καὶ Ἀχαϊκή, συνάπτουσα τοῖς Μαλιεῦσιν, ὥσπερ καὶ οἱ τῆς Ὄθρυος πρόποδες. καθάπερ δὲ ἡ Φυλάκη ἡ ὑπὸ Πρωτεσιλάῳ τῆς Φθιώτιδός ἐστι τῆς προσχώρου τοῖς Μαλιεῦσιν, οὕτω καὶ ἡ Ἅλος· διέχει δὲ Θηβῶν περὶ ἑκατὸν σταδίους, ἐν μέσῳ δʼ ἐστὶ Φαρσάλου καὶ Φθιωτῶν· Φίλιππος μέντοι Φαρσαλίοις προσένειμεν ἀφελόμενος τῶν Φθιωτῶν. οὕτω δὲ συμβαίνει τοὺς ὅρους καὶ τὰς συντάξεις τῶν τε ἐθνῶν καὶ τῶν τόπων ἀλλάττεσθαι ἀεί, καθάπερ εἴπομεν. οὕτω καὶ Σοφοκλῆς τὴν Τραχῖνα Φθιῶτιν εἴρηκεν, Ἀρτεμίδωρος δὲ τὴν Ἅλον ἐν τῇ παραλίᾳ τίθησι, ἔξω μὲν τοῦ Μαλιακοῦ κόλπου κειμένην, Φθιῶτιν δέ. προϊὼν γὰρ ἐνθένδε ὡς ἐπὶ τὸν Πηνειὸν μετὰ τὸν Ἀντρῶνα τίθησι Πτελεόν, εἶτα τὸν Ἅλον ἀπὸ τοῦ Πτελεοῦ διέχοντα ἑκατὸν καὶ δέκα σταδίους. περὶ δὲ τῆς Τραχῖνος εἴρηται ὁποία τις· καὶ ὁ ποιητὴς κατονομάζει.

[9] τοῦ δὲ Σπερχειοῦ μεμνημένος πολλάκις ὡς ἐπιχωρίου ποταμοῦ, τὰς πηγὰς ἔχοντος ἐκ Τυφρηστοῦ Δρυοπικοῦ ὄρους, τοῦ καλουμένου πρότερον, ἐκδιδόντος δὲ πλησίον Θερμοπυλῶν μεταξὺ αὐτῶν καὶ Λαμίας, δηλοῖ ὅτι καὶ τὰ ἐντὸς πυλῶν ὅσα τοῦ Μαλιακοῦ κόλπου καὶ τὰ ἐκτὸς ὑπʼ ἐκείνῳ ἦν· ἀπέχει δὲ Λαμίας ὁ Σπερχειὸς περὶ τριάκοντα σταδίους ὑπερκειμένης πεδίου τινὸς καθήκοντος ἐπὶ τὸν Μαλιακὸν κόλπον· ὅτι δʼ ὁ Σπερχειὸς ἐπιχώριος, ἔκ τε τοῦ τρέφειν ἐκείνῳ τὴν κόμην φάσκειν καὶ τοῦ τὸν Μενέσθιον, ἕνα τῶν λοχαγῶν αὐτοῦ, Σπερχειοῦ λέγεσθαι παῖδα καὶ τῆς ἀδελφῆς τῆς Ἀχιλλέως. Μυρμιδόνας δʼ εἰκὸς καλεῖσθαι πάντας τοὺς ὑπὸ τῷ Ἀχιλλεῖ καὶ τῷ Πατρόκλῳ, οἳ συνηκολούθησαν ἐξ Αἰγίνης φεύγοντι τῷ Πηλεῖ. Ἀχαιοὶ δʼ ἐκαλοῦντο οἱ Φθιῶται πάντες.

[10] διαριθμοῦνται δὲ τὰς ὑπὸ τῷ Φθιωτικῷ τέλει τῷ ὑπʼ Ἀχιλλεῖ κατοικίας ἀπὸ Μαλιέων ἀρξάμενοι πλείους μέν, ἐν δʼ αὐταῖς Θήβας τὰς Φθιώτιδας Ἐχῖνον Λάμιαν, περὶ ἣν ὁ Λαμιακὸς συνέστη πόλεμος Μακεδόσι καὶ Ἀντιπάτρῳ πρὸς Ἀθηναίους· ἐν ᾧ Λεωσθένης τε ἔπεσε τῶν Ἀθηναίων στρατηγός, καὶ Λεοννάτος ὁ Ἀλεξάνδρου τοῦ βασιλέως ἑταῖρος. ἔτι δὲ Ναρθάκιον Ἐρινεὸν Κορώνειαν, ὁμώνυμον τῇ Βοιωτικῇ, Μελίταιαν Θαυμακοὺς Πρόερναν Φάρσαλον Ἐρέτριαν, ὁμώνυμον τῇ Εὐβοϊκῇ, Παραχελωίτας καὶ τούτους ὁμωνύμους τοῖς Αἰτωλικοῖς· καὶ γὰρ ἐνταῦθά ἐστιν Ἀχελῶος ποταμὸς πλησίον Λαμίας, παρʼ ὃν οἰκοῦσιν οἱ Παραχελωῖται. παρέτεινε δʼ ἡ χώρα αὕτη πρὸς ἄρκτον μὲν τῇ τῶν Ἀσκληπ ιαδῶν τῶν μάλιστα προσεσπερίων καὶ τῇ Εὐρυπύλου καὶ ἔτι τῇ Πρωτεσιλάου, ταῖς πρὸς ἕω κεκλιμέναις, πρὸς νότον δὲ τῇ Οἰταίᾳ εἰς τετταρεσκαίδεκα δήμους διῃρημένῃ, Ἡράκλειάν τε καὶ τὴν Δρυοπίδα, τετράπολιν γεγονυῖάν ποτε καθάπερ καὶ τὴν Δωρίδα, μητρόπολιν δὲ τῶν ἐν Πελοποννήσῳ Δρυόπων νομιζομένην. τῆς δʼ Οἰταίας καὶ ὁ Ἀκύφας ἐστὶ καὶ Παρασωπιὰς καὶ Οἰνειάδαι καὶ Ἀντικύρα, ὁμώνυμος τῇ ἐν Λοκροῖς τοῖς ἑσπερίοις. λέγω δὲ τὰς διατάξεις ταύτας οὐκ ἀεὶ μεμενηκυίας τὰς αὐτάς, ἀλλὰ ποικίλως μεταβεβλημένας· αἱ δʼ ἐπισημόταται μάλιστα ἄξιαι μνήμης εἰσί.

[11] τοὺς δὲ Δόλοπας φράζει καὶ ὁ ποιητὴς ἱκανῶς ὅτι ἐπὶ ταῖς ἐσχατιαῖς εἰσι τῆς Φθίας, καὶ ὅτι ὑπὸ τῷ αὐτῷ ἡγεμόνι ἦσαν τῷ Πηλεῖ οὗτοί τε καὶ οἱ Φθιῶται· ἔναιον γάρ, φησίν, ἐσχατιὴν Φθίης⁴ Δολόπεσσιν ἀνάσσων, δόντος τοῦ Πηλέως. γειτνιᾷ δὲ τῇ Πίνδῳ καὶ τοῖς περὶ αὐτὴν χωρίοις Θετταλικοῖς οὖσι τοῖς πλείστοις. διὰ γὰρ τὴν ἐπιφάνειάν τε καὶ τὴν ἐπικράτειαν τῶν Θετταλῶν καὶ τῶν Μακεδόνων οἱ πλησιάζοντες αὐτοῖς μάλιστα τῶν Ἠπειρωτῶν, οἱ μὲν ἑκόντες οἱ δʼ ἄκοντες, μέρη καθίσταντο Θετταλῶν ἢ Μακεδόνων, καθάπερ Ἀθαμᾶνες καὶ Αἴθικες καὶ Τάλαρες Θετταλῶν, Ὀρέσται δὲ καὶ Πελαγόνες καὶ Ἐλιμιῶται Μακεδόνων.

[12] ἡ δὲ Πίνδος ὄρος ἐστὶ μέγα, πρὸς ἄρκτον μὲν τὴν Μακεδόνων, πρὸς ἑσπέραν δὲ Περραιβοὺς μετανάστας ἀνθρώπους ἔχον, πρὸς δὲ μεσημβρίαν Δόλοπας, πρὸς ἕω δὲ αὕτη δʼ ἐστὶ τῆς Θετταλίας· ἐπʼ αὐτῇ δὲ τῇ Πίνδῳ ᾤκουν Τάλαρες Μολοττικὸν φῦλον, τῶν περὶ τὸν Τόμαρον ἀπόσπασμα, καὶ Αἴθικες, εἰς οὓς ἐξελαθῆναί φησιν ὑπὸ Πειρίθου τοὺς Κενταύρους ὁ ποιητής· ἐκλελοιπέναι δὲ νῦν ἱστοροῦνται. τὴν δʼ ἔκλειψιν διττῶς ἀκουστέον· ἢ γὰρ ἀφανισθέντων τῶν ἀνθρώπων καὶ τῆς χώρας τελέως ἠρημωμένης, ἢ τοῦ ὀνόματος τοῦ ἐθνικοῦ μηκέτι ὄντος, μηδὲ τοῦ συστήματος διαμένοντος τοιούτου. ὅταν οὖν ἄσημον τελέως ᾖ τὸ λειπόμενον νυνὶ σύστημα, οὐκ ἄξιον μνήμης τίθεμεν οὔτʼ αὐτὸ οὔτε τοὔνομα τὸ μεταληφθέν, ὅταν δʼ ἔχῃ τοῦ μεμνῆσθαι δικαίαν πρόφασιν, λέγειν ἀναγκαῖον τὴν μεταβολήν.

[13] λοιπὸν δʼ εἰπεῖν τῆς παραλίας τὴν τάξιν τῆς ὑπὸ τῷ Ἀχιλλεῖ ἀπὸ Θερμοπυλῶν ἀρξαμένους· τὴν γὰρ Λοκρικὴν καὶ τὴν Οἰταίαν εἰρήκαμεν. αἱ τοίνυν Θερμοπύλαι τοῦ μὲν Κηναίου διεστήκασιν ἑβδομηκοντασταδίῳ πορθμῷ, παραπλέοντι δʼ ἔξω Πυλῶν τοῦ Σπερχειοῦ ὡς σταδίους δέκα· ἔνθεν δʼ εἰς Φάλαρα εἴκοσι· τῶν δὲ Φαλάρων ἀπὸ θαλάττης ὑπέρκειται πεντήκοντα σταδίους ἡ τῶν Λαμιέων πόλις. εἶθʼ ἑξῆς παραπλεύσαντι σταδίοις ἑκατὸν ὁ Ἐχῖνος ὑπέρκειται. τῆς δʼ ἑξῆς παραλίας ἐν μεσογαίᾳ ἐστὶν ἡ Κρεμαστὴ Λάρισα εἴκοσι σταδίους αὐτῆς διέχουσα, ἡ δʼ αὐτὴ καὶ Πελασγία λεγομένη Λάρισα. εἶτα Μυόννησος νησίον, εἶτʼ Ἀντρών· ἦν δὲ αὕτη ὑπὸ Πρωτεσιλάῳ. τοσαῦτα μὲν περὶ τῆς ὑπὸ τῷ Ἀχιλλεῖ με ρίδος.

[14] ἐπεὶ δʼ ὁ ποιητὴς εἰς πολλὰ καὶ γνώριμα μέρη διε λὼν διὰ τὸ ὀνομάζειν τούς τε ἡγεμόνας καὶ τὰς ὑπʼ αὐτοῖς πόλεις τὸν σύμπαντα τῆς Θετταλίας κύκλον διέταξεν, ἡμεῖς ἀκολουθοῦντες τούτῳ πάλιν ὥσπερ ἐν τοῖς ἐπάνω προσεκπληρώσομεν τὴν λοιπὴν περιοδείαν τῆς χώ ρας. καταλέγει τοίνυν ἐφεξῆς τοῖς ὑπʼ Ἀχιλλεῖ τοὺς ὑπὸ Πρωτεσιλάῳ· οὗτοι δʼ εἰσὶν οἱ καὶ ἐφεξῆς ὄντες τῇ ὑπὸ τῷ Ἀχιλλεῖ παραλίᾳ μέχρι Ἀντρῶνος. ὁριζομένη τοίνυν τῆς ἐφεξῆς ἐστὶν ἡ ὑπὸ τῷ Πρωτεσιλάῳ, ἔξω μὲν οὖσα τοῦ Μαλιακοῦ κόλπου, ἔτι δʼ ἐντὸς τῆς Φθιώτιδος, οὐ μὴν τῆς ὑπὸ τῷ Ἀχιλλεῖ. ἡ μὲν οὖν Φυλάκη ἐγγὺς Θηβῶν ἐστι τῶν Φθιωτίδων, αἵπερ εἰσὶ καὶ αὐταὶ ὑπὸ τῷ Πρωτεσιλάῳ· καὶ Ἅλος δὲ καὶ Λάρισα ἡ Κρεμαστὴ καὶ τὸ Δημήτριον ὑπʼ ἐκείνῳ, πᾶσαι πρὸς ἕω τῆς Ὄθρυος. τὸ δὲ Δημήτριον Δήμητρος εἴρηκε τέμενος καὶ ἐκάλεσε Πύρασον. ἦν δὲ πόλις εὐλίμενος ἡ Πύρασος ἐν δυσὶ σταδίοις, ἔχουσα Δήμητρος ἄλσος καὶ ἱερὸν ἅγιον, διέχουσα Θηβῶν σταδίους εἴκοσι· ὑπέρκεινται δὲ Πυράσου μὲν αἱ Θῆβαι. τῶν Θηβῶν δὲ ἐν τῇ μεσογαίᾳ τὸ Κρόκιον πεδίον πρὸς τῷ καταλήγοντι τῆς Ὄθρυος, διʼ οὗ ὁ Ἄμφρυσος ῥεῖ. τούτου δʼ ὑπέρκειται ὁ Ἴτωνος, ὅπου τὸ τῆς Ἰτωνίας ἱερόν, ἀφʼ οὗ καὶ τὸ ἐν τῇ Βοιωτίᾳ, καὶ ὁ Κουάριος ποταμός· εἴρηται δὲ π ερὶ τούτου καὶ τῆς Ἄρνης ἐν τοῖς Βοιωτιακοῖς. ταῦτα δʼ ἐστὶ τῆς Θετταλιώτιδος μιᾶς τῶν τεττάρων μερίδων τῆς συμπάσης Θετταλίας, ἧς καὶ τὰ ὑπʼ Εὐρυπύλῳ καὶ ὁ Φύλλ ος, ὅπου Ἀπόλλωνος τοῦ Φυλλίου ἱερόν, καὶ Ἴχναι, ὅπου ἡ Θέμις Ἰχναία τιμᾶται. καὶ Κίερος δʼ εἰς αὐτὴν συντελεῖ καὶ τἆλλα μέχρι τῆς Ἀθαμανίας. κατὰ δὲ τὸν Ἀντρῶνα ἕρμα ὕφαλον ἐν τῷ πρὸς Εὐβοίᾳ ἐστὶ πόρῳ καλούμενον ὄνος Ἀντρῶνος. εἶτα Πτελεὸν καὶ ὁ Ἅλος· εἶτα τὸ τῆς Δήμητρος ἱερὸν καὶ ὁ Πύρασος κατεσκαμμένος, ὑπὲρ αὐτὸν δὲ αἱ Θῆβαι· εἶτα ἄκρα Πύρρα καὶ δύο νησία πλησίον, ὧν τὸ μὲν Πύρρα τὸ δὲ Δευκαλίων καλεῖται· ἐνταῦθα δὲ καὶ ἡ Φθιῶτίς πως τελευτᾷ.

[15] ἑξῆς δὲ τοὺς ὑπὸ τῷ Εὐμήλῳ καταλέγει, τὴν συνεχῆ παραλίαν, ἥπερ ἐστὶν ἤδη Μαγνησίας καὶ τῆς Πελασγιώτιδος γῆς. Φεραὶ μὲν οὖν εἰσι πέρας τῶν Πελασγικῶν πεδίων πρὸς τὴν Μαγνησίαν, ἃ παρατείνει μέχρι τοῦ Πηλίου σταδίους ἑκατὸν ἑξήκοντα. ἐπίνειον δὲ τῶν Φερῶν Παγασαὶ διέχον ἐνενήκοντα σταδίους αὐτῶν, Ἰωλκοῦ δὲ εἴκοσιν. ἡ δʼ Ἰωλκὸς κατέσκαπται μὲν ἐκ παλαιοῦ, ἐντεῦθεν δʼ ἔστειλε τὸν Ἰάσονα καὶ τὴν Ἀργὼ Πελίας· ἀπὸ δὲ τῆς ναυπηγίας τῆς Ἀργοῦς καὶ Παγασὰς λέγεσθαι μυθεύουσι τὸν τόπον, οἱ δὲ πιθανώτερον ἡγοῦνται τοὔνομα τῷ τόπῳ τεθῆναι τοῦτο ἀπὸ τῶν πηγῶν αἳ πολλαί τε καὶ δαψιλεῖς ῥέουσι· πλησίον δὲ καὶ Ἀφέται ὡς ἂν ἀφετήριόν τι τῶν Ἀργοναυτῶν. τῆς δὲ Δημητριάδος ἑπτὰ σταδίους ὑπέρκειται τῆς θαλάττης Ἰωλκός. ἔκτισε δὲ Δημήτριος ὁ πολιορκητὴς ἐπώνυμον ἑαυτοῦ τὴν Δημητριάδα μεταξὺ Νηλείας καὶ Παγασῶν ἐπὶ θαλάττῃ τὰς πλησίον πολίχνας εἰς αὐτὴν συνοικίσας, Νήλειάν τε καὶ Παγασὰς καὶ Ὀρμένιον, ἔτι δὲ Ῥιζοῦντα Σηπιάδα Ὀλιζῶνα Βοίβην Ἰωλκόν, αἳ δὴ νῦν εἰσι κῶμαι τῆς Δημητριάδος. καὶ δὴ καὶ ναύσταθμον ἦν τοῦτο καὶ βασίλειον μέχρι πολλοῦ τοῖς βασιλεῦσι τῶν Μακεδόνων, ἐπεκράτει δὲ καὶ τῶν Τεμπῶν καὶ τῶν ὀρῶν ἀμφοῖν, ὥσπερ εἴρηται, τοῦ τε Πηλίου καὶ τῆς Ὄσσης· νῦν δὲ συνέσταλται μέν, τῶν δʼ ἐν τῇ Μαγνησίᾳ πασῶν ὅμως διαφέρει. ἡ δὲ Βοιβηὶς λίμνη πλησιάζει μὲν ταῖς Φεραῖς, συνάπτει δὲ καὶ τοῖς ἀπολήγουσι τοῦ Πηλίου πέρασι καὶ τῆς Μαγνησίας· Βοίβη δὲ χωρίον ἐπὶ τῇ λίμνῃ κείμενον. καθάπερ δὲ τὴν Ἰωλκὸν αὐξηθεῖσαν ἐπὶ πλέον κατέλυσαν αἱ στάσεις καὶ αἱ τυραννίδες, οὕτως καὶ τὰς Φερὰς συνέστειλαν ἐξαρθείσας ποτὲ καὶ συγκαταλυθείσας τοῖς τυράννοις. πλησίον δὲ τῆς Δημητριάδος ὁ Ἄναυρος ῥεῖ. καλεῖται δὲ καὶ συνεχὴς αἰγιαλὸς Ἰωλκός· ἐνταῦθα δὲ καὶ τὴν Πυλαϊκὴν πανήγυριν συνετέλουν. ὁ δʼ Ἀρτεμίδωρος ἀπωτέρω τῆς Δημητριάδος τίθησι τὸν Παγασιτικὸν κόλπον εἰς τοὺς ὑπὸ Φιλοκτήτῃ τόπους· ἐν δὲ τῷ κόλπῳ φησὶν εἶναι τὴν Κικύνηθον νῆσον καὶ πολίχνην ὁμώνυμον.

[16] ἑξῆς δʼ αἱ ὑπὸ Φιλοκτήτῃ πόλεις καταλέγονται. ἡ μὲν οὖν Μηθώνη ἑτέρα ἐστὶ τῆς Θρᾳκίας Μεθώνης, ἣν κατέσκαψε Φίλιππος· ἐμνήσθημεν δὲ καὶ πρότερον τῆς τῶν ὀνομάτων τούτων καὶ τῶν ἐν Πελοποννήσῳ τροπῆς· τἆλλα δὲ διηρίθμηται, ἥ τε Θαυμακία καὶ ὁ Ὀλιζὼν καὶ ἡ Μελίβοια, ἃ τῆς ἑξῆς παραλίας ἐστίν. πρόκεινται δὲ τῶν Μαγνήτων νῆσοι συχναὶ μέν, αἱ δʼ ἐν ὀνόματι Σκίαθός τε καὶ Πεπάρηθος καὶ Ἰκὸς Ἁλόννησός τε καὶ Σκῦρος, ὁμωνύμους ἔχουσαι πόλεις. μάλιστα δʼ ἐστὶν ἐν ὀνόματι Σκῦρος διὰ τὴν Λυκομήδους πρὸς Ἀχιλλέα οἰκειότητα καὶ τὴν Νεοπτολέμου τοῦ Ἀχιλλέως ἐνταῦθα γένεσίν τε καὶ ἐκτροφήν. ὕστερον δὲ Φίλιππος αὐξηθείς, ὁρῶν Ἀθηναίους ἐπικρατοῦντας τῆς θαλάττης καὶ τῶν νήσων ἄρχοντας καὶ τούτων καὶ τῶν ἄλλων, ἐποίησε τὰς πλησίον ἑαυτῷ μάλιστα ἐνδόξους. πολεμῶν γὰρ περὶ τῆς ἡγεμονίας ἐπεχείρει πρώτοις ἀεὶ τοῖς ἐγγύθεν, καὶ καθάπερ αὐτῆς τῆς Μαγνήτιδος τὰ πολλὰ μέρη Μακεδονίαν ἐποίησε καὶ τῆς Θρᾴκης καὶ τῆς ἄλλης τῆς κύκλῳ γῆς, οὕτω καὶ τὰς πρὸ τῆς Μαγνησίας νήσους ἀφῃρεῖτο, καὶ τὰς ὑπʼ οὐδενὸς γνωριζομένας πρότερον περιμαχήτους καὶ γνωρίμους ἐποίει. τὴν δʼ οὖν Σκῦρον καὶ μάλιστα μὲν αἱ ἀρχαιολογίαι συνιστῶσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα θρυλεῖσθαι ποιεῖ, οἷον αἱ τῶν αἰγῶν ἀρεταὶ τῶν Σκυρίων, καὶ τὰ μέταλλα τῆς ποικίλης λίθου τῆς Σκυρίας, καθάπερ τῆς Καρυστίας καὶ τῆς Δοκιμαίας ἢ Συνναδικῆς, καὶ τῆς Ἱεραπολιτικῆς. μονολίθους γὰρ κίονας καὶ πλάκας μεγάλας ὁρᾶν ἔστιν ἐν τῇ Ῥώμῃ τῆς ποικίλης λιθείας, ἀφʼ ἧς ἡ πόλις κοσμεῖται δημοσίᾳ τε καὶ ἰδίᾳ, πεποίηκέ τε τὰ λευκόλιθα οὐ πολλοῦ ἄξια.

[17] ὁ δʼ οὖν ποιητὴς μέχρι δεῦρο προελθὼν τῆς Μαγνητικῆς παραλίας ἐπάνεισιν ἐπὶ τὴν ἄνω Θετταλίαν· καὶ γὰρ τὰ παρατείνοντα τῇ Φ θιώτιδι, ἀρξάμενος ἀπὸ τῆς Δολοπίας καὶ τῆς Πίνδου, μέχρι τῆς κάτω Θετταλίας διέξεισιν οἳ δʼ εἶχον Τρίκκην καὶ Ἰθώμην κλωμακόεσσαν. ταῦτα τὰ χωρία ἔστι μὲν τῆς Ἱστιαιώτιδος, ἐκαλεῖτο δʼ, ὥς φασι, πρότερον Δωρίς· κατασχόντων δὲ τῶν Περραιβῶν αὐτήν, οἳ καὶ τῆς Εὐβοίας τὴν Ἱστιαιῶτιν κατεστρέψαντο καὶ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους εἰς τὴν ἤπειρον ἀνέσπασαν, διὰ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν ἐποικησάντων Ἱστιαίων τὴν χώραν ἀπʼ ἐκείνων οὕτως ἐκάλεσαν. καλοῦσι δὲ καὶ αὐτὴν καὶ τὴν Δολοπίαν τὴν ἄνω Θετταλίαν, ἐπʼ εὐθείας οὖσα ν τῇ ἄνω Μακεδονίᾳ, καθάπερ καὶ τὴν κάτω τῇ κάτω. ἔστι δʼ ἡ μὲν Τρίκκη, ὅπου τὸ ἱερὸν τοῦ Ἀσκληπιοῦ τὸ ἀρχαιότατον καὶ ἐπιφανέστατον, ὅμορος τοῖς τε Δόλοψιν καὶ τοῖς περὶ τὴν Πίνδον τόποις. τὴν δʼ Ἰθώμην ὁμωνύμως τῇ Μεσσηνιακῇ λεγομένην οὔ φασι δεῖν οὕτως ἐκφέρειν, ἀλλὰ τὴν πρώτην συλλαβὴν ἀφαιρεῖν· οὕτω γὰρ καλεῖσθαι πρότερον, νῦν δὲ Ἰθώμη μετωνομάσθαι, χωρίον ἐρυμνὸν καὶ τῷ ὄντι κλωμακόεν, ἱδρυμένον μεταξὺ τεττάρων φρουρίων ὥσπερ ἐν τετραπλεύρῳ κειμένων, Τρίκκης τε καὶ Μητροπόλεως καὶ Πελινναίου καὶ Γόμφων. τῆς δὲ δὴ Μητροπολιτῶν ἐστι χώρας ἡ Ἰθώμη. ἡ δὲ Μητρόπολις πρότερον μὲν ἐκ τριῶν συνῴκιστο πολιχνίων ἀσήμων, ὕστερον δὲ καὶ πλείους προσελήφθησαν, ὧν ἦν καὶ ἡ Ἰθώμη. Καλλίμαχος μὲν οὖν φησιν ἐν τοῖς ἰάμβοις τὰς Ἀφροδίτας (ἡ θεὸς γὰρ οὐ μία) τὴν Καστνιῆτιν ὑπερβάλλεσθαι πάσας τῷ φρονεῖν, ὅτι μόνη παραδέχεται τὴν τῶν ὑῶν θυσίαν. καὶ μὴν πολυίστωρ, εἴ τις ἄλλος, καὶ πάντα τὸν βίον, ὡς αὐτὸς εἴρηκεν, ὁ ταῦτα μυθεῖσθαι βουλόμενος. οἱ δʼ ὕστερον ἤλεγξαν οὐ μίαν Ἀφροδίτην μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ πλείους ἀποδεδεγμένας τὸ ἔθος τοῦτο, ὧν εἶναι καὶ τὴν ἐν τῇ Μητροπόλει· ταύτῃ δὲ μίαν τῶν συνοικισθεισῶν εἰς αὐτὴν πόλεων παραδοῦναι τὸ ἔθος Ὀνθύριον. ἔστι δὲ καὶ Φαρκαδὼν ἐν τῇ Ἱστιαιώτιδι, καὶ ῥεῖ διʼ αὐτῶν ὁ Πηνειὸς καὶ ὁ Κουράλιος· ὧν ὁ Κουράλιος ῥυεὶς παρὰ τὸ τῆς Ἰτωνίας Ἀθηνᾶς ἱερὸν εἰς τὸν Πηνειὸν ἐξίησιν, αὐτὸς δʼ ὁ Πηνειὸς ἄρχεται μὲν ἐκ Πίνδου, καθάπερ εἴρηται, ἐν ἀριστερᾷ δʼ ἀφεὶς Τρίκκην τε καὶ Πελινναῖον καὶ Φαρκαδόνα φέρεται παρά τε Ἄτρακα καὶ Λάρισαν, καὶ τοὺς ἐν τῇ Θετταλιώτιδι δεξάμενος ποταμοὺς πρόεισι διὰ τῶν Τεμπῶν ἐπὶ τὰς ἐκβολάς. τὴν δʼ Οἰχαλίαν πόλιν Εὐρύτου λεγομένην ἔν τε τοῖς τόποις τούτοις ἱστοροῦσι καὶ ἐν Εὐβοίᾳ καὶ ἐν Ἀρκαδίᾳ, καὶ μετονομάζουσιν ἄλλοι ἄλλως, ὃ καὶ ἐν τοῖς Πελοποννησιακοῖς εἴρηται. περὶ δὲ τούτων ζητοῦσι καὶ μάλιστα τίς ἦν ἡ ὑπὸ Ἡρακλέους ἁλοῦσα, καὶ περὶ τίνος συνέγραψεν ὁ ποιήσας τὴν Οἰχαλίας ἅλωσιν. ταῦτα μὲν δὴ τὰ χωρία τοῖς Ἀσκληπιάδαις ὑπέταξεν.

[18] ἑξῆς δὲ λέγει τὴν ὑπʼ Εὐρυπύλῳ οἳ δʼ ἔχον Ὀρμένιον οἵ τε κρήνην Ὑπέρειαν, οἵ τʼ ἔχον Ἀστέριον Τιτάνοιό τε λευκὰ κάρηνα. τὸ μὲν οὖν Ὀρμένιον νῦν Ὀρμίνιον καλεῖται, ἔστι δʼ ὑπὸ τῷ Πηλίῳ κώμη κατὰ τὸν Παγασιτικὸν κόλπον τῶν συνῳκισμένων εἰς τὴν Δημητριάδα πόλεων, ὡς εἴρηται. ἀνάγκη δὲ καὶ τὴν Βοιβηίδα λίμνην εἶναι πλησίον, ἐπειδὴ καὶ ἡ Βοίβη τῶν περιοικίδων ἦν τῆς Δημητριάδος καὶ αὐτὸ τὸ Ὀρμένιον. τὸ μὲν οὖν Ὀρμένιον ἀπέχει τῆς Δημητριάδος πεζῇ σταδίους ἑπτὰ καὶ εἴκοσιν, ὁ δὲ τῆς Ἰωλκοῦ τόπος ἐν ὁδῷ κείμενος τῆς μὲν Δημητριάδος ἑπτὰ σταδίους διέστηκε, τοῦ δʼ Ὀρμενίου τοὺς λοιποὺς σταδίους εἴκοσι. φησὶ δʼ ὁ Σκήψιος ἐκ τοῦ Ὀρμενίου τὸν Φοίνικα εἶναι, καὶ φεύγειν αὐτὸν ἐνθένδε παρὰ τοῦ πατρὸς Ἀμύντορος Ὀρμενίδαο εἰς τὴν Φθίαν ἐς Πηλῆα ἄνακτα. ἐκτίσθαι γὰρ ὑπὸ Ὀρμένου τὸ χωρίον τοῦτο τοῦ Κερκάφου τοῦ Αἰόλου· παῖδας δὲ τοῦ Ὀρμένου γενέσθαι τόν τε Ἀμύντορα καὶ Εὐαίμονα, ὧν τοῦ μὲν εἶναι Φοίνικα τοῦ δʼ Εὐρύπυλον· φυλαχθῆναι δὲ τῷ Εὐρυπύλῳ τὴν διαδοχὴν κοινήν, ἅτε ἂν ἀπελθόντος τοῦ Φοίνικος ἐκ τῆς οἰκείας· καὶ δὴ καὶ γράφει οὕτως οἷον ὅτε πρῶτον λίπον Ὀρμένιον πολύμηλον, ἀντὶ τοῦ λίπον Ἑλλάδα καλλιγύναικα. Κράτης δὲ Φωκέα ποιεῖ τὸν Φοίνικα, τεκμαιρόμενος ἐκ τοῦ κράνους τοῦ Μέγητος ᾧ ἐχρήσατο ὁ Ὀδυσσεὺς κατὰ τὴν νυκτεγερσίαν, περὶ οὗ φησιν ὁ ποιητὴς ὅτι ἐξ Ἐλεῶνος Ἀμύντορος Ὀρμενίδαο ἐξέλετʼ Αὐτόλυκος, πυκινὸν δόμον ἀντιτορήσας. τόν τε γὰρ Ἐλεῶνα ἐν τῷ Παρνασσῷ πολίχνιον εἶναι, τόν τε Ὀρμενίδην Ἀμύντορα οὐκ ἄλλον τινὰ λέγεσθαι ἢ τὸν τοῦ Φοίνικος πατέρα, καὶ τὸν Αὐτόλυκον οἰκοῦντα ἐν τῷ Παρνασσῷ τοιχωρυχεῖν τὰ τῶν γειτόνων, ὅπερ κοινόν ἐστι τοιχωρύχου παντός, οὐ τὰ τῶν πόρρωθεν. ὁ δὲ Σκήψιός φησι μήτε Ἐλεῶνα μηδένα τόπον τοῦ Παρνασσοῦ δείκνυσθαι, ἀλλὰ Νεῶνα, καὶ ταύτην οἰκισθεῖσαν μετὰ τὰ Τρωικά, μήτʼ ἐκ γειτόνων τὰς τοιχωρυχίας γίνεσθαι μόνον. καὶ ἄλλα δʼ ἐστὶν ἃ λέγοι τις ἄν, ἀλλʼ οὖν ὀκνῶ διατρίβειν ἐπὶ πλέον. ἄλλοι δὲ γράφουσιν ἐξ Ἑλεῶνος· Ταναγρικὴ δέ ἐστιν αὕτη· καὶ μᾶλλον ἐλέγχοι ἀτόπως ἂν λεγόμενον τό φεῦγον ἔπειτʼ ἀπάνευθε διʼ Ἑλλάδος, Φθίην δʼ ἐξικόμην. ἡ δʼ Ὑπέρεια κρήνη ἐν μέσῃ ἐστὶ τῇ Φεραίων πόλει Εὐμήλου οὔσῃ· ἄτοπον τοίνυν δοῦναι Εὐρυπύλῳ. Τίτανος δʼ ἀπὸ τοῦ συμβεβηκότος ὠνομάσθη· λευκόγεων γάρ ἐστι τὸ χωρίον Ἄρνης πλησίον καὶ τῶν Ἀφετῶν· καὶ τὸ Ἀστέριον δʼ οὐκ ἄπωθεν τούτων ἐστί.

[19] συνεχεῖς δὲ τῇ μερίδι ταύτῃ λέγονται οἱ ὑπὸ τῷ Πολυποίτῃ οἳ δʼ Ἄργισσαν ἔχον καὶ Γυρτώνην ἐνέμοντο, Ὄρθην Ἠλώνην τε πόλιν τʼ Ὀλοοσσόνα λευκήν. ταύτην τὴν χώραν πρότερον μὲν ᾤκουν Περραιβοί, τὸ πρὸς θαλάττῃ μέρος νεμόμενοι καὶ τῷ Πηνειῷ μέχρι τῆς ἐκβολῆς αὐτοῦ καὶ Γυρτῶνος πόλεως Περραιβίδος. εἶτα ταπεινώσαντες ἐκείνους⁵ Λαπίθαι κατέσχον αὐτοὶ τὰ χωρία, Ἰξίων καὶ ὁ υἱὸς Πειρίθους, ὃς καὶ τὸ Πήλιον κατεκτήσατο βιασάμενος τοὺς κατασχόντας Κενταύρους, ἄγριόν τι φῦλον. τούτους μὲν οὖν ἐκ Πηλίου ὦσε καὶ Αἰθίκεσσι πέλασσε, τοῖς δὲ Λαπίθαις τὰ πεδία παρέδωκε· τινὰ δʼ αὐτῶν καὶ οἱ Περραιβοὶ κατεῖχον, τὰ πρὸς τῷ Ὀλύμπῳ· ἔστι δʼ ὅπου καὶ ὅλοι ἀναμὶξ τοῖς Λαπίθαις ᾤκουν. ἡ μὲν οὖν Ἄργισσα, ἡ νῦν Ἄργουρα, ἐπὶ τῷ Πηνειῷ κεῖται· ὑπέρκειται δʼ αὐτῆς Ἄτραξ ἐν τετταράκοντα σταδίοις, τῷ ποταμῷ πλησιάζουσα καὶ αὕτη· τὴν δʼ ἀνὰ μέσον ποταμίαν εἶχον Περραιβοί. Ὄρθην δὲ τινὲς τὴν ἀκρόπολιν τῶν Φαλανναίων εἰρήκασιν· ἡ δὲ Φάλαννα Περραιβικὴ πόλις πρὸς τῷ Πηνειῷ πλησίον τῶν Τεμπῶν. οἱ μὲν οὖν Περραιβοὶ καταδυναστευθέντες ὑπὸ τῶν Λαπιθῶν εἰς τὴν ὀρεινὴν ἀπανέστησαν οἱ πλείους τὴν περὶ Πίνδον καὶ Ἀθαμᾶνας καὶ Δόλοπας, τὴν δὲ χώραν καὶ τοὺς ὑπολειφθέντας τῶν Περραιβῶν κατέσχον Λαρισαῖοι, πλησίον μὲν οἰκοῦντες τοῦ Πηνειοῦ, γειτνιῶντες δʼ ἐκείνοις, νεμόμενοι δὲ τὰ εὐδαιμονέστατα μέρη τῶν πεδίων, πλὴν εἴ τι σφόδρα κοῖλον πρὸς τῇ λίμνῃ τῇ Νεσσωνίδι, εἰς ἣν ὑπερκλύζων ὁ ποταμὸς ἀφῃρεῖτό τι τῆς ἀροσίμου τοὺς Λαρισαίους· ἀλλʼ ὕστερον παραχώμασιν ἐπηνώρθωσαν Λαρισαῖοι. οὗτοι δʼ οὖν κατεῖχον τέως τὴν Περραιβίαν καὶ φόρους ἐπράττοντο, ἕως Φίλιππος κατέστη κύριος τῶν τόπων. Λάρισα δʼ ἐστὶ καὶ ἐν τῇ Ὄσσῃ χωρίον· καὶ ἡ Κρεμαστή, ὑπό τινων δὲ Πελασγία λεγομένη· καὶ ἐν τῇ Κρήτῃ πόλις ἡ νῦν εἰς Ἱεράπυτναν συνοικισθεῖσα, ἀφʼ ἧς καὶ τὸ ὑποκείμενον πεδίον νῦν Λαρίσιον καλεῖται· καὶ ἐν Πελοποννήσῳ ἥ τε τῶν Ἀργείων ἄκρα καὶ ὁ τὴν Ἠλείαν ἀπὸ Δύμης διορίζων Λάρισος ποταμός. Θεόπομπος δὲ καὶ πόλιν λέγει ἐν τῇ αὐτῇ μεθορίᾳ κειμένην Λάρισαν· καὶ ἐν τῇ Ἀσίᾳ ἥ τε Φρικωνὶς ἡ περὶ τὴν Κύμην καὶ ἡ κατὰ Ἁμαξιτὸν τῆς Τρῳάδος· καὶ ἡ Ἐφεσία Λάρισά ἐστι καὶ ἐν Συρίᾳ· τῆς δὲ Μιτυλήνης ἀπὸ πεντήκοντα σταδίων εἰσὶ Λαρισαῖαι πέτραι κατὰ τὴν ἐπὶ Μηθύμνης ὁδόν· καὶ ἐν τῇ Ἀττικῇ δʼ ἐστὶ Λάρισα· καὶ τῶν Τράλλεων διέχουσα κώμη τριάκοντα σταδίους ὑπὲρ τῆς πόλεως ἐπὶ Καΰστρου πεδίον διὰ τῆς Μεσωγίδος ἰόντων κατὰ τὸ τῆς Ἰσοδρόμης Μητρὸς ἱερόν, ὁμοίαν τὴν θέσιν καὶ τὴν ἀρετὴν ἔχουσα τῇ Κρεμαστῇ Λαρίσῃ· καὶ γὰρ εὔυδρος καὶ ἀμπελόφυτος· ἴσως δὲ καὶ ὁ Λαρίσιος Ζεὺς ἐκεῖθεν ἐπωνόμασται· καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἀριστεροῖς δὲ τοῦ Πόντου κώμη τις καλεῖται Λάρισα μεταξὺ Ναυλό χου καὶ Ὀδησσοῦ πλησίον τῶν ἄκρων τοῦ Αἵμου. καὶ Ὀλοσσὼν δὲ λευκὴ προσαγορευθεῖσα ἀπὸ τοῦ λευκάργιλος εἶναι, καὶ Ἠλώνη Περραιβικαὶ πόλεις, καὶ Γόννος. ἡ δʼ Ἠλώνη μετέβαλε τοὔνομα Λειμώνη μετονομασθεῖσα· κατέσκαπται δὲ νῦν· ἄμφω δʼ ὑπὸ τῷ Ὀλύμπῳ κεῖνται οὐ πολὺ ἄπωθεν τοῦ Εὐρώπου ποταμοῦ, ὃν ὁ ποιητὴς Τιταρήσιον καλεῖ.

[20] λέγει δὲ καὶ περὶ τούτου καὶ περὶ τῶν Περραιβῶν ἐν τοῖς ἑξῆς ὁ ποιητὴς ὅταν φῇ Γουνεὺς δʼ ἐκ Κύφου ἦγε δύω καὶ εἴκοσι νῆας. τῷ δʼ Ἐνιῆνες ἕποντο μενεπτόλεμοί τε Περαιβοί, οἳ περὶ Δωδώνην δυσχείμερον οἰκίʼ ἔθεντο, οἵ τʼ ἀμφʼ ἱμερτὸν Τιταρήσιον ἔργʼ ἐνέμοντο. λέγει μὲν οὖν τούτους τοὺς τόπους τῶν Περραιβῶν, ἀπὸ μέρους τῆς Ἑστιαιώτιδος ἐπειληφότας· ἦσαν δὲ καὶ ὑπὸ τῷ Πολυποίτῃ ἐκ μέρους Περραιβικαί, τοῖς μέντοι Λαπίθαις προσένειμε διὰ τὸ ἀναμὶξ οἰκεῖν καὶ τὰ μὲν πεδία κατέχειν τοὺς Λαπίθας καὶ τὸ ἐνταῦθα Περραιβικὸν ὑπὸ τούτοις τετάχθαι ὡς ἐπὶ πλέον, τὰ δʼ ὀρεινότερα χωρία πρὸς τῷ Ὀλύμπῳ καὶ τοῖς Τέμπεσι τοὺς Περραιβούς, καθάπερ τὸν Κύφον καὶ τὴν Δωδώνην καὶ τὰ περὶ τὸν Τιταρήσιον, ὃς ἐξ ὄρους Τιταρίου συμφυοῦς τῷ Ὀλύμπῳ ῥέων εἰς τὰ πλησίον τῶν Τεμπῶν χωρία τῆς Περραιβίας αὐτοῦ που τὰς συμβολὰς ποιεῖται πρὸς τὸν Πηνειόν. τὸ μὲν οὖν τοῦ Πηνειοῦ καθαρόν ἐστιν ὕδωρ, τὸ δὲ τοῦ Τιταρησίου λιπαρὸν ἔκ τινος ὕλης ὥστʼ οὐ συμμίσγεται ἀλλά τέ μιν καθύπερθεν ἐπιτρέχει ἠύτʼ ἔλαιον. διὰ δὲ τὸ ἀναμὶξ οἰκεῖν Σιμωνίδης Περραιβοὺς καὶ Λαπίθας καλεῖ τοὺς Πελασγιώτας ἅπαντας, τοὺς τὰ ἑῷα κατέχοντας τὰ περὶ Γυρτῶνα καὶ τὰς ἐκβολὰς τοῦ Πηνειοῦ καὶ Ὄσσαν καὶ Πήλιον καὶ τὰ περὶ Δημητριάδα καὶ τὰ ἐν τῷ πεδίῳ, Λάρισαν Κραννῶνα Σκοτοῦσσαν Μόψιον Ἄτρακα, καὶ τὰ περὶ τὴν Νεσσωνίδα λίμνην καὶ τὴν Βοιβηίδα· ὧν ὁ ποιητὴς ὀλίγων μέμνηται διὰ τὸ μὴ οἰκισθῆναί πω τἆλλα ἢ φαύλως οἰκισθῆναι διὰ τοὺς κατακλυσμοὺς ἄλλοτʼ ἄλλους γινομένους· ἐπεὶ οὐδὲ τῆς Νεσσωνίδος μέμνηται λίμνης, ἀλλὰ τῆς Βοιβηίδος μόνον πολὺ ἐλάττονος οὔσης, ταύτης δὲ μόνης μενούσης, ἐκείνης δὲ ὡς εἰκὸς τοτὲ μὲν πληρουμένης ἀτάκτως, τοτὲ δʼ ἐκλειπομένης. τῆς δὲ Σκοτούσσης ἐμνήσθημεν καὶ ἐν τοῖς περὶ Δωδώνης λόγοις καὶ τοῦ μαντείου τοῦ ἐν Θετταλίᾳ, διότι περὶ τοῦτον ὑπῆρξε τὸν τόπον. ἔστι δʼ ἐν τῇ Σκοτούσσῃ χωρίον τι Κυνὸς κεφαλαὶ καλούμενον, περὶ ὃ Ῥωμαῖοι μετʼ Αἰτωλῶν καὶ Τίτος Κοΐντιος ἐνίκων μάχῃ μεγάλῃ Φίλιππον τὸν Δημητρίου, Μακεδόνων βασιλέα.

[21] πέπονθε δέ τι τοιοῦτο καὶ ἡ Μαγνῆτις· κατηριθμημένων γὰρ ἤδη πολλῶν αὐτῆς τόπων οὐδένας τούτων ὠνόμακε Μάγνητας Ὅμηρος, ἀλλʼ ἐκείνους μόνους οὓς τυφλῶς καὶ οὐ γνωρίμως διασαφεῖ οἳ περὶ Πηνειὸν καὶ Πήλιον εἰνοσίφυλλον ναίεσκον. ἀλλὰ μὴν περὶ τὸν Πηνειὸν καὶ τὸ Πήλιον οἰκοῦσι καὶ οἱ τὴν Γυρτῶνα ἔχοντες, οὓς ἤδη κατέλεξε, καὶ τὸ Ὀρμένιον καὶ ἄλλοι πλείους, καὶ ἔτι ἀπωτέρω τοῦ Πηλίου ὅμως Μάγνητες ἦσαν ἀρξάμενοι ἀπὸ τῶν ὑπʼ Εὐμήλῳ, κατά γε τοὺς ὕστερον ἀνθρώπους. ἐοίκασιν οὖν διὰ τὰς συνεχεῖς μεταστάσεις καὶ ἐξαλλάξεις τῶν πολιτειῶν καὶ ἐπιμίξεις συγχεῖν καὶ τὰ ὀνόματα καὶ τὰ ἔθνη, ὥστε τοῖς νῦν ἔσθʼ ὅτε ἀπορίαν παρέχειν, καθάπερ τοῦτο τὸ πρῶτον μὲν ἐπὶ Κραννῶνος καὶ τῆς Γυρτῶνος γεγένηται. τοὺς μὲν γὰρ Γυρτωνίους Φλεγύας πρότερον ἐκάλουν ἀπὸ Φλεγύου τοῦ Ἰξίονος ἀδελφοῦ, τοὺς δὲ Κραννωνίους Ἐφύρους, ὥστε διαπορεῖν, ὅταν φῇ ὁ ποιητής τὼ μὲν ἄρʼ ἐκ Θρῄκης Ἐφύρους μέτα θωρήσσοντο ἠὲ μετὰ Φλεγύας μεγαλήτορας, τίνας ποτὲ βούλεται λέγειν·

[22] ἔπειτα τοῦτο καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν Περραιβῶν καὶ τῶν Αἰνιάνων συνέβη· Ὅμηρος μὲν γὰρ συνέζευξεν αὐτοὺς ὡς πλησίον ἀλλήλων οἰκοῦντας· καὶ δὴ καὶ λέγεται ὑπὸ τῶν ὕστερον ἐπὶ χρόνον συχνὸν ἡ οἴκησις τῶν Αἰνιάνων ἐν τῷ Δωτίῳ γενέσθαι πεδίῳ, τοῦτο δʼ ἐστὶ πλησίον τῆς ἄρτι λεχθείσης Περραιβίας καὶ τῆς Ὄσσης καὶ ἔτι τῆς Βοιβηίδος λίμνης, ἐν μέσῃ μέν πως τῇ Θετταλίᾳ λόφοις δὲ ἰδίοις περικλειόμενον, περὶ οὗ Ἡσίοδος οὕτως εἴρηκεν

ἢ οἵη Διδύμους ἱεροὺς ναίουσα κολωνοὺς Δωτίῳ ἐν πεδίῳ, πολυβότρυος ἄντʼ Ἀμύροιο, νίψατο Βοιβιάδος λίμνης πόδα παρθένος ἀδμής.

οἱ μὲν οὖν Αἰνιᾶνες οἱ πλείους εἰς τὴν Οἴτην ἐξηλάθησαν ὑπὸ τῶν Λαπιθῶν, κἀνταῦθα δὲ ἐδυνάστευσαν ἀφελόμενοι τῶν τε Δωριέων τινὰ μέρη καὶ τῶν Μαλιέων μέχρι Ἡρακλείας καὶ Ἐχίνου, τινὲς δʼ αὐτῶν ἔμειναν περὶ Κύφον, Περραιβικὸν ὄρος ὁμώνυμον κατοικίαν ἔχον. οἱ δὲ Περραιβοὶ τινὲς μὲν συσταλέντες περὶ τὰ ἑσπέρια τοῦ Ὀλύμπου μέρη κατέμενον αὐτόθι πρόσχωροι ὄντες Μακεδόσι, τὸ δὲ πολὺ μέρος εἰς τὰ περὶ τὴν Ἀθαμανίαν ὄρη καὶ τὴν Πίνδον ἐξέπεσε· νυνὶ δὲ μικρὸν ἢ οὐδὲν αὐτῶν ἴχνος σώζεται. τοὺς δʼ οὖν ὑπὸ τοῦ ποιητοῦ λεχθέντας Μάγνητας ὑστάτους ἐν τῷ Θετταλικῷ καταλόγῳ νομιστέον τοὺς ἐντὸς τῶν Τεμπῶν ἀπὸ τοῦ Πηνειοῦ καὶ τῆς Ὄσσης ἕως Πηλίου, Μακεδόνων τοῖς Πιεριώταις ὁμόρους τοῖς ἔχουσι τὴν τοῦ Πηνειοῦ περαίαν μέχρι τῆς θαλάττης. τὸ μὲν οὖν Ὁμόλιον ἢ τὴν Ὁμόλην (λέγεται γὰρ ἀμφοτέρως) ἀποδοτέον αὐτοῖς· εἴρηται δʼ ἐν τοῖς Μακεδονικοῖς ὅτι ἐστὶ πρὸς τῇ Ὄσσῃ κατὰ τὴν ἀρχὴν τῆς τοῦ Πηνειοῦ διὰ τῶν Τεμπῶν διεκβολῆς. εἰ δὲ καὶ μέχρι τῆς παραλίας προϊτέον τῆς ἐγγυτάτω τοῦ Ὁμολίου, λόγον ἔχει ὥστε καὶ τὸν Ῥιζοῦντα προσνέμειν καὶ Ἐρυμνὰς ἐν τῇ ὑπὸ Φιλοκτήτῃ παραλίᾳ κειμένας καὶ τῇ ὑπὸ Εὐμήλῳ. τοῦτο μὲν οὖν ἐν ἀσαφεῖ κείσθω. καὶ ἡ τάξις δὲ τῶν ἐφεξῆς τόπων μέχρι Πηνειοῦ οὐ διαφανῶς λέγεται, ἀδόξων δʼ ὄντων τῶν τόπων οὐδʼ ἡμῖν περὶ πολλοῦ θετέον. ἡ μέντοι Σηπιὰς ἀκτὴ καὶ τετραγῴδηται μετὰ ταῦτα καὶ ἐξύμνηται διὰ τὸν ἐνταῦθα ἀφανισμὸν τοῦ Περσικοῦ στόλου· ἔστι δʼ αὕτη μὲν ἀκτὴ πετρώδης, μεταξὺ δʼ αὐτῆς καὶ Κασθαναίας κώμης ὑπὸ τῷ Πηλίῳ κειμένης αἰγιαλός ἐστιν, ἐν ᾧ ὁ Ξέρξου στόλος ναυλοχῶν ἀπηλιώτου πολλοῦ πνεύσαντος ὁ μὲν εὐθὺς αὐτοῦ πρὸς τὸ ξηρὸν ἐξώκειλε καὶ διελύθη παραχρῆμα, ὁ δʼ εἰς Ἰπνοὺς τόπον τραχὺν τῶν περὶ τὸ Πήλιον παρενεχθεὶς ὁ δʼ εἰς Μελίβοιαν ὁ δʼ εἰς τὴν Κασθαναίαν διεφθάρη. τραχὺς δʼ ἐστὶν ὁ παράπλους πᾶς ὁ τοῦ Πηλίου ὅσον σταδίων ὀγδοήκοντα· τοσοῦτος δʼ ἐστὶ καὶ τοιοῦτος καὶ ὁ τῆς Ὄσσης. μεταξὺ δὲ κόλπος σταδίων πλειόνων ἢ διακοσίων, ἐν ᾧ ἡ Μελίβοια. ὁ δὲ πᾶς ἀπὸ Δημητριάδος ἐγκολπίζοντι ἐπὶ τὸν Πηνειὸν μείζων τῶν χιλίων, ἀπὸ δὲ Σπερχειοῦ καὶ ἄλλων ὀκτακοσίων, ἀπὸ δὲ Εὐρίπου δισχιλίων τριακοσίων πεντήκοντα. Ἱερώνυμος δὲ τῆς πεδιάδος Θετταλίας καὶ Μαγνήτιδος τὸν κύκλον τρισχιλίων ἀποφαίνεται σταδίων, ᾠκῆσθαι δʼ ὑπὸ Πελασγῶν, ἐξελαθῆναι δὲ τούτους εἰς τὴν Ἰταλίαν ὑπὸ Λαπιθῶν· εἶναι δὲ τὸ νῦν καλούμενον Πελασγικὸν πεδίον, ἐν ᾧ Λάρισα καὶ Γυρτώνη καὶ Φεραὶ καὶ Μόψιον καὶ Βοιβηὶς καὶ Ὄσσα καὶ Ὁμόλη καὶ Πήλιον καὶ Μαγνῆτις· Μόψιον δʼ ὠνόμασται οὐκ ἀπὸ Μόψου τοῦ Μαντοῦς τῆς Τειρεσίου, ἀλλʼ ἀπὸ τοῦ Λαπίθου τοῦ συμπλεύσαντος τοῖς Ἀργοναύταις· ἄλλος δʼ ἐστὶ Μόψοπος, ἀφʼ οὗ ἡ Ἀττικὴ Μοψοπία.

[23] τὰ καθʼ ἕκαστα μὲν ταῦτα περὶ Θετταλίας, καθʼ ὅλου δʼ ὅτι Πυρραία πρότερον ἐκαλεῖτο ἀπὸ Πύρρας τῆς Δευκαλίωνος γυναικός, Αἱμονία δὲ ἀπὸ Αἵμονος, Θετταλία δὲ ἀπὸ Θετταλοῦ τοῦ Αἵμονος. ἔνιοι δὲ διελόντες δίχα τὴν μὲν πρὸς νότον λαχεῖν φασι Δευκαλίωνι καὶ καλέσαι Πανδώραν ἀπὸ τῆς μητρός, τὴν δʼ ἑτέραν Αἵμονι, ἀφʼ οὗ Αἱμονίαν λεχθῆναι· μετωνομάσθαι δὲ τὴν μὲν Ἑλλάδα ἀπὸ Ἕλληνος τοῦ Δευκαλίωνος, τὴν δὲ Θετταλίαν ἀπὸ τοῦ υἱοῦ Αἵμονος· τινὲς δὲ ἀπὸ Ἐφύρας τῆς Θεσπρωτίδος ἀπογόνους Ἀντίφου καὶ Φειδίππου, τῶν Θετταλοῦ τοῦ Ἡρακλέους, ἐπελθόντας ἀπὸ Θετταλοῦ τοῦ ἑαυτῶν προγόνου τὴν χώραν ὀνομάσαι. εἴρ ηται δὲ καὶ Νεσσωνὶς ὀνομασθῆναί ποτε ἀπὸ Νέσσωνος τοῦ Θετταλοῦ, καθάπερ καὶ ἡ λίμνη.

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.) — 9.5 focus

CHAPTER V.

[1] THE sea-coast, extending from Thermopylae to the mouths of the Peneius,¹ and the extremities of Pelion, looking towards the east, and the northern extremities of Euboea, is that of Thessaly. The parts opposite Euboea and Thermopylae are occupied by Malienses, and by Achaean Phthiotae; those towards Pelion by the Magnetes. This may be called the eastern and maritime side of Thessaly. From either side from Pelion, and the Peneius, towards the inland parts are Macedonians, who extend as far as Paeonia, (Pindus?) and the Epeirotic nations. From Thermopylae, the Aetaean and Aetolian mountains, which approach close to the Dorians, and Parnassus, are parallel to the Macedonians. The side towards the Macedonians may be called the northern side; the other, the southern. There remains the western side, enclosed by Aetolians and Acarnanians, by Amphilochians and Athamanes, who are Epirotae; by the territory of the Molotti, formerly said to be that of the Aethices, and, in short, by the country about Pindus. Thessaly,² in the interior, is a plain country for the most part, and has no mountains, except Pelion and Ossa. These mountains rise to a considerable height, but do not encompass a large tract of country, but terminate in the plains.

[2] These are the middle parts of Thessaly, a district of very fertile country, except that part of it which is overflowed by rivers. The Peneius flows through the middle of the country, and receiving many rivers, frequently overflows. Formerly, according to report, the plain was a lake; it is enclosed on all sides inland by mountains, and the sea-coast is more elevated than the plains. When a chasm was formed, at the place now called Tempe, by shocks of an earthquake, and Ossa was riven from Olympus, the Peneius flowed out through it to the sea, and drained this tract of country. Still there remained the large lake Nessonis, and the lake Boebeis; which is of less extent than the Nessonis, and nearer to the sea-coast.

[3] Such then is Thessaly, which is divided into four parts, Phthiotis, Hestiaeotis, Thessaliotis, and Pelasgiotis.

Phthiotis comprises the southern parts, extending along Oeta from the Maliac and (or) Pylaïc Gulf³ as far as Dolopia and Pindus, increasing in breadth to Pharsalia and the Thessalian plains.

Hestiaeotis comprises the western parts and those between Pindus and Upper Macedonia; the rest is occupied by the inhabitants of the plains below Hestiaeotis, who are called Pelasgiotae, and approach close to the Lower Macedonians; by the [Thessalians] also, who possess the country next in order, as far as the coast of Magnesia.

The names of many cities might here be enumerated, which are celebrated on other accounts, but particularly as being mentioned by Homer; few of them, however, but most of all Larisa, preserve their ancient importance.

[4] The poet having divided the whole of the country, which we call Thessaly, into ten⁴ parts and dynasties, and having taken in addition some portion of the Oetaean and Locrian territory, and of that also which is now assigned to the Macedonians, shows (what commonly happened to every country) the changes which, entirely or in part, they undergo according to the power possessed by their respective governors.

[5] The poet first enumerates the Thessalians subject to Achilles, who occupied the southern side, and adjoined Oeta, and the Locri Epicnemidii;

All who dwelt in Pelasgic Argos; they who occupied Alus, Alope, and Trachin; they who possessed Phthia, and Hellas, abounding with beautiful women, were called Myrmidones, Hellenes, and Achaei.⁵

He joins together with these the people under the command of Phoenix, and makes them compose one common expedition. The poet nowhere mentions the Dolopian forces in the battles near Ilium, neither does he introduce their leader Phoenix, as undertaking, like Nestor, dangerous enterprises. But Phoenix is mentioned by others, as by Pindar,

Who led a brave band of Dolopian slingers,

Who were to aid the javelins of the Danai, tamers of horses.

The words of the poet are to be understood according to the figure of the grammarians, by which something is suppressed, for it would be ridiculous for the king to engage in the expedition,

(I live at the extremity of Phthia, chief of the Dolopians,⁶)

Il. ix. 480. and his subjects not to accompany him. For [thus] he would not appear to be a comrade of Achilles in the expedition, but only as the commander of a small body of men, and a speaker, and if so, a counsellor. The verses seem to imply this meaning, for they are to this effect, To be an eloquent speaker, and to achieve great deeds.⁷

From this it appears that Homer considered the forces under Achilles and Phoenix as constituting one body; but the places mentioned as being under the authority of Achilles, are subjects of controversy.

Some have understood Pelasgic Argos to be a Thessalian city, formerly situated near Larisa, but now no longer in existence. Others do not understand a city to be meant by this name, but the Thessalian plain, and to have been so called by Abas, who established a colony there from Argos.

[6] With respect to Phthia, some suppose it to be the same as Hellas and Achaia, and that these countries form the southern portion in the division of Thessaly into two parts. But others distinguish Phthia and Hellas. The poet seems to distinguish them in these verses;

they who occupied Phthia and Hellas,⁸

Il. ii. 683. as if they were two countries. And, again,

Then far away through wide Greece I fled and came to Phthia,⁹

Il. ix. 498. and,

There are many Achaean women in Hellas and Phthia.¹⁰

Il. ix. 395. The poet then makes these places to be two, but whether cities or countries he does not expressly say. Some of the later writers, who affirm that it is a country, suppose it to have extended from Palaepharsalus to Thebae Phthiotides. In this country also is Thetidium, near both the ancient and the modern Pharsalus; and it is conjectured from Thetidium that the country, in which it is situated, was a part of that under the command of Achilles. Others, who regard it as a city, allege that the Pharsalii show at the distance of 60 stadia from their own city, a city in ruins, which they believe to be Hellas, and two springs near it, Messeis and Hypereia. But the Melitaeenses say, that at the distance of about 10 stadia from their city, was situated Hellas on the other side of the Enipeus,¹¹ when their own city had the name of Pyrrha, and that the Hellenes migrated from Hellas, which was built in a low situation, to theirs. They adduce in proof of this the tomb of Hellen, son of Deucalion and Pyrrha, which is in their market-place. For according to historians, Deucalion was king of Phthiotis and of all Thessaly. The Enipeus flows from Othrys¹² beside Pharsalus,¹³ and empties itself into the Apidanus,¹⁴ and the latter into the Peneius.

Thus much, then, respecting the Hellenes.

[7] The people under the command of Achilles, Protesilaus, and Philoctetes, are called Phthii. The poet furnishes evidence of this. Having recited in the Catalogue of those under the command of Achilles,

the people of Phthia,¹⁵

Il. ii. 683. he represents them at the battle at the ships, as remaining in the ships with Achilles, and inactive; but those under the command of Philoctetes, as fighting with Medon [as their leader], and those under the command of Protesilaus, with Podarces [as their chief]. Of these the poet speaks in general terms;

there were Boeoti and Iaones wearing long robes, Locri, Phthii, and illustrious Epeii.¹⁶

But here he particularizes them;

at the head of the Phthii fought Medon and Podarces, firm in battle. These armed with breastplates fought together with Boeoti, at the head of the magnanimous Phthii, keeping away the enemy from the ships.¹⁷

Perhaps the people with Eurypylus were called Phthii, as they bordered upon the country of the latter. At present, however, historians assign to Magnesia the country about Ormenium, which was subject to Eurypylus, and the whole of that subject to Philoctetes; but they regard the country under the command of Protesilaus as belonging to Phthia, from Dolopia and Pindus to the sea of Magnesia; but as far as the city Antron, (now written in the plural number,) which was subject to Protesilaus, beginning from Trachinia and Oeta, is the width of the territory belonging to Peleus and Achilles. But this is nearly the whole length of the Maliac Gulf.

[8] They entertain doubts respecting Halus and Alope, whether Homer means the places which are now comprised in the Phthiotic government, or those among the Locri, since the dominion of Achilles extended hither as well as to Trachin and the Oetaean territory. For Halus and Halius, as well as Alope, are on the coast of the Locri. But some substitute Halius for Alope, and write the verse in this manner;

they who inhabited Halus, and Halius, and Trachin.¹⁸

Il. ii. 682. But the Phthiotic Halus lies under the extremity of the mountain Othrys, which lies to the north of Phthiotis, and borders upon the mountain Typhrestus and the Dolopians, and thence stretches along to the country near the Maliae Gulf. Halus,¹⁹ either masculine or feminine, for it is used in both genders, is distant from Itonus²⁰ about 60 stadia. Athamas founded Halus; it was destroyed, but subsequently [restored by the Pharsalii]. It is situated above the Crocian plain, and the river Amphrysus²¹ flows by its walls. Below the Crocian plain lies Thebae Phthiotides; Halus likewise, which is in Achaia, is called Phthiotis; this, as well as the foot of Mount Othrys, approaches close to the Malienses. As Phylace too, which was under the command of Protesilaus, so Halus also belongs to Phthiotis, which adjoins to the Malienses. Halus is distant from Thebes about 100 stadia, and lies in the middle between Pharsalus and Thebae Phthiotides. Philip, however, took it from the latter, and assigned it to the Pharsalii. Thus it happens, as we have said before, that boundaries and the distribution of nations and places are in a state of continual change. Thus Sophocles also called Phthiotis, Trachinia, Artemidorus places Halus on the coast beyond the Maliac Gulf, but as belonging to Phthiotis. For proceeding thence in the direction of the Peneius, he places Pteleum after Antron, then Halus at the distance of 110 stadia from Pteleum. I have already spoken of Trachin, and described the nature of the place. The poet mentions it by name.

[9] As Homer frequently mentions the Spercheius as a river of the country, having its source in the Typhrestus, a Dryopian mountain, formerly called [Tymphrestus], and emptying itself near Thermopylae, between Trachin and Lamia,²² he might imply that whatever parts of the Maliac Gulf were either within or without the Pylae, were subject to Achilles.

The Spercheius is distant about 30 stadia from Lamia, which lies above a plain, extending to the Maliac Gulf. That the Spercheius is a river of the country [subject to Achilles], appears from the words of Achilles, who says, that he had devoted his hair to the Spercheius; and from the circumstance, that Menesthius, one of his commanders, was said to be the son of Spercheius and the sister of Achilles.

It is probable that all the people under the command of Achilles and Patroclus, and who had accompanied Peleus in his banishment from Aegina, had the name of Myrmidons, but all the Phthiotae were called Achaecans.

[10] They reckon in the Phthiotic district, which was subject to Achilles, beginning from the Malienses, a considerable number of towns, and among them Thebae Phthiotides, Echinus, Lamia, near which the war was carried on between the Macedonians and Antipater, against the Athenians. In this war Leosthenes, the Athenian general, was killed, [and Leonnatus,] one of the companions of Alexander the king. Besides the above-mentioned towns, we must add [Narthac]ium, Erineus, Coroneia, of the same name as the town in Boeotia, Melitaea, Thaumaci, Proerna, Pharsalus, Eretria, of the same name as the Euboic town, Paracheloïtae, of the same name as those in Aetolia; for here also, near Lamia, is a river Achelous, on the banks of which live the Paracheloïtae.

This district, lying to the north, extended to the northwestern territory of the Asclepiadae, and to the territory of Eurypylus and Protesilaus, inclining to the east; on the south it adjoined the Oetaean territory, which was divided into fourteen demi, and contained Heracleia and Dryopis, which was once a community of four cities, (a Tetrapolis,) like Doris, and accounted the capital of the Dryopes in Peloponnesus. To the Oetaean district belong also the Acyphas, Parasopias, $Oeneiadae, and Anticyra, of the same name as the town among the Locri Hesperii. I do not mean that these divisions always continued the same, for they underwent various changes. The most remarkable, however, are worthy of notice.

[11] The poet with sufficient clearness describes the situation of the Dolopes, as at the extremity of Phthia, and says that both they and the Phthiotae were under the command of the same chief, Peleus;

I lived, he says, at the farthest part of Phthia, king of the Dolopes.²³

Il. ix. 484. Peleus, however, had conferred on him the authority.

This region is close to Pindus, and the places about it, most of which belong to the Thessalians. For in consequence of the renown and ascendency of the Thessalians and Macedonians, those Epeirotae, who bordered nearest upon them, became, some voluntarily, others by force, incorporated among the Macedonians and Thessalians. In this manner the Athamanes, Aethices, and Talares were joined to the Thessalians, and the Orestae, Pelagones, and Elimiotae to the Macedonians.

[12] Pindus is a large mountain, having on the north Macedonia, on the west Perrhaebi, settlers from another country, on the south Dolopes, [and on the east Hestiaeotis] which belongs to Thessaly. Close upon Pindus dwelt Talares, a tribe of Molotti, detached from the Molotti about Mount Tomarus, and Aethices, among whom the poet says the Centaurs took refuge when expelled by Peirithous.²⁴ They are at present, it is said, extinct. But this extinction is to be understood in two senses; either the inhabitants have been exterminated, and the country deserted, or the name of the nation exists no longer, or the community does not preserve its ancient form. Whenever the community, which continues, is insignificant, we do not think it worth while to record either its existence or its change of name. But when it has any just pretensions to notice, it is necessary to remark the change which it has undergone.

[13] It remains for us to describe the tract of sea-coast subject to Achilles: we begin from Thermopylae, for we have spoken of the coast of Locris, and of the interior.

Thermopylae is separated from the Cenaeum by a strait 70 stadia across. Coasting beyond the Pylae, it is at a distance from the Spercheius of about 10, (60?) and thence to Phalara of 20 stadia. Above Phalara, 50 stadia from the sea, lies the city of the [Lamians]. Then coasting along the shore 100 stadia, we find above it, Echinus. At the distance of 20 stadia from the following tract of coast, in the interior, is Larisa Cremaste, which has the name also of Larisa Pelasgia.

[14] Then follows a small island, Myonnesus; next Antron; which was subject to Protesilaus. Thus much concerning the territory subject to Achilles.

As the poet, in naming the chiefs, and cities under their rule, has divided the country into numerous well-known parts, and has given an accurate account of the whole circuit of Thessaly, we shall follow him, as before, in completing the description of this region.

Next to the people under the command of Achilles, he enumerates those under the command of Protesilaus. They were situated, next, along the sea-coast which was subject to Achilles, as far as Antron. The boundary of the country under the command of Protesilaus, is determined by its being situated without the Maliac Gulf, yet still in Phthiotis, though not within Phthiotis subject to Achilles.

Phylacē²⁵ is near Thebae Phthiotides, which was subject to Protesilaus, as were also Halus, Larisa Cremaste, and Demetrium, all of which lie to the east of Mount Othrys.

The Demetrium he speaks of²⁶ as an enclosure sacred to Ceres, and calls it Pyrasus. Pyrasus was a city with a good harbour, having at the distance of 2 stadia from it a grove, and a temple consecrated to Ceres. It is distant from Thebae 20 stadia. The latter is situated above Pyrasus. Above Thebae in the inland parts is the Crocian plain at the extremity of the mountain Othrys. Through this plain flows the river Amphrysus. Above it is the Itonus, where is the temple of the Itonian Minerva, from which that in Boeotia has its name, also the river Cuarius. [Of this river and] of Arnē we have spoken in our account of Boeotia.

These places are in Thessaliotis, one of the four divisions of all Thessaly, in which were the possessions of Eurypylus. Phyllus, where is a temple of the Phyllaean Apollo, Ichnae, where the Ichnaean Themis is worshipped, Cierus, and [all the places as far as] Athamania, are included in Thessaliotis.

At Antron, in the strait near Euboea, is a sunk rock, called the Ass of Antron. Next are Pteleum and Halus; next the temple of Ceres, and Pyrasus in ruins; above these, Thebae; then Pyrrha, a promontory, and two small islands near, one of which is called Pyrrha, the other Deucalion. Somewhere here ends the territory of Phthiotis.

[15] The poet next mentions the people under Eumelus, and the continuous tract of coast which now belongs to Magnesia, and the Pelasgiotis.

Pherae is the termination of the Pelasgic plains towards Magnesia, which plains extend as far as Pelion, a distance of 160 stadia. Pagasae is the naval arsenal of Pherae, from which it is distant 90 stadia, and 20 from Iolcus. Iolcus has been razed from ancient times. It was from this place that Pelias despatched Jason and the ship Argo. Pagasae had its name,²⁷ according to mythologists, from the building of the ship Argo at this place. Others, with more probability, suppose that the name of the place was derived from the springs, ( πηγαί,) which are very numerous and copious. Near it is Aphetae, (so named) as the starting-place²⁸ from which the Argonauts set off. Iolcus is situated 7 stadia from Demetrias, overlooking the sea. Demetrias was founded by Demetrius Poliorcetes, who called it after his own name. It is situated between Nelia and Pagasae on the sea. He collected there the inhabitants of the neighbouring small cities, Nelia, Pagasae, Ormenium, and besides these, Rhizus, Sepias, Olizon, Boebe, and Iolcus, which are at present villages belonging to Demetrias. For a long time it was a station for vessels, and a royal seat of the Macedonian kings. It had the command of Tempe, and of both the mountains Pelion and Ossa. At present its extent of power is diminished, yet it still surpasses all the cities in Magnesia.

The lake Boebeis²⁹ is near Pherae,³⁰ and approaches close to the extremities of Pelion and Magnesia. Boebe is a small place situated on the lake.

As civil dissensions and usurpations reduced the flourishing condition of Iolcus, formerly so powerful, so they affected Pherae in the same manner, which was raised to prosperity, and was destroyed by tyrants.

Near Demetrias flows the Anaurus. The continuous line of coast is called also Iolcus. Here was held the Pylaic (Peliac?) assembly and festival.

Artemidorus places the Gulf of Pagasae farther from Demetrias, near the places subject to Philoctetes. In the gulf he says is the island Cicynethus,³¹ and a small town of the same name.

[16] The poet next enumerates the cities subject to Philoctetes.

Methone is not the Thracian Methone razed by Philip. We have already noticed the change of name these places and others in the Peloponnesus have undergone. Other places enumerated as subject to Philoctetes, are Thaumacia, Olizon, and Meliboea, all along the shore next adjacent.

In front of the Magnetes lie clusters of islands; the most celebrated are Sciathus,³² Peparethus,³³ Icus,³⁴ Halonnesus, and Scyrus,³⁵ which contain cities of the same name. Scyrus however is the most famous of any for the friendship which subsisted between Lycomedes and Achilles, and for the birth and education of Neoptolemus, the son of Achilles. In after times, when Philip became powerful, perceiving that the Athenians were masters of the sea, and sovereigns both of these and other islands, he made those islands which lay near his own country more celebrated than any of the rest. For as his object in waging war was the sovereignty of Greece, he attacked those places first which were near him; and as he attached to Macedonia many parts of Magnesia itself, of Thrace, and of the rest of the surrounding country, so also he seized upon the islands in front of Magnesia, and made the possession of islands which were before entirely unknown, a subject of warlike contention, and brought them into notice.

Scyrus however is particularly celebrated in ancient histories. It is also highly reputed for the excellence of its goats, and the quarries of variegated marble, such as the Carystian, the Deucallian, (Docimaean?) the Synnadic, and the Hierapolitic kinds. For there may be seen at Rome columns, consisting of a single stone, and large slabs of variegated marble, (from Scyrus,) with which the city is embellished both at the public charge and at the expense of individuals, which has caused works of white marble to be little esteemed.

[17] The poet having proceeded so far along the Magnesian coast, returns to Upper Thessaly, for beginning from Dolopia and Pindus he goes through the region extending along Phthiotis to Lower Thessaly.

They who occupy Tricca and rocky Ithome.³⁶

Il. ii. 729. These places belong to Histiaeotis, which was formerly called Doris. When it was in the possession of the Perrhaebi, who destroyed Histiaeotis in Euboea, and had removed the inhabitants by force to the continent, they gave the country the name of Histiaeotis, on account of the great numbers of Histiaeans among the settlers. This country and Dolopia are called Upper Thessaly, which is in a straight line with Upper Macedonia, as Lower Thessaly is in a straight line with Lower Macedonia.

Tricca,³⁷ where there is a very ancient and famous temple of Aesculapius, borders upon the Dolopes, and the parts about Pindus.

Ithome, which has the same name as the Messenian Ithome, ought not, they say, to be pronounced in this manner, but should be pronounced without the first syllable, Thome, for this was its former name. At present, it is changed to [Thumaeum]. It is a spot strong by nature, and in reality rocky. It lies between four strong-holds, which form a square, Tricca, Metropolis, Pelinnaeum, and Gomphi.³⁸ Ithome belongs to the district of the Metropolitae. Metropolis was formed at first out of three small obscure cities, and afterwards more were included, and among these Ithome. Callimachus says in his Iambics,

among the Venuses, (for the goddess bears several titles,) Venus Castnietis surpasses all others in wisdom,

for she alone accepts the sacrifice of swine. Certainly Callimachus, if any person could be said to possess information, was well informed, and it was his object, as he himself says, all his life to relate these fables. Later writers, however, have proved that there was not one Venus only, but several, who accepted that sacrifice, from among whom the goddess worshipped at Metropolis came, and that this [foreign] rite was delivered down by one of the cities which contributed to form that settlement. Pharcadon also is situated in the Hestioeotis. The Peneius and the Curalius flow through it. The Curalius, after flowing beside the temple of the Itonian Minerva, empties itself into the Peneius.

The Peneius itself rises in Mount Pindus, as I have before said. It leaves Tricca, Pelinnaeum, and Pharcadon on the left hand, and takes its course beside Atrax and Larisa. After having received the rivers of the Thessaliotis it flows onwards through Tempe, and it empties itself into the sea.

Historians speak of Oechalia, the city of Eurytus, as existing in these parts, in Euboea also, and in Arcadia; but some give it one name, others another, as I have said in the description of Peloponnesus.

They inquire particularly, which of these was the city taken by Hercules, and which was the city intended by the author of the poem, The Capture of Oechalia?

The places, however, were subject to the Asclepiadae.

[18] The poet next mentions the country which was under the dominion of Eurypylus;

They who possessed Ormenium and the spring Hypereia,

And they who occupied Asterium and the white peaks of Titanus.³⁹

Il. ii. 734.

Ormenium is now called Orminium. It is a village situated below Pelion, near the Pagasitic Gulf, but was one of the cities which contributed to form the settlement of Demetrias, as I have before said.

The lake Boebeis must be near, because both Boebe and Ormenium belonged to the cities lying around Demetrias.

Ormenium is distant by land 27 stadia from Demetrias. The site of Iolcus, which is on the road, is distant 7 stadia from Demetrias, and the remaining 20 from Ormenium.

Demetrius of Scepsis says, that Phoenix came from Ormenium, and that he fled thence from his father Amyntor, the son of Ormenus, to Phthia, to king Peleus. For this place was founded by Ormenus, the son of Cercaphus, the son of Aeolus. The sons of Ormenus were Amyntor and Eumaemon; the son of the former was Phoenix, and of the latter, Eurypylus. The succession to his possessions was preserved secure for Eurypylus, after the departure of Phoenix from his home, and we ought to write the verse of the poet in this manner:

as when I first left Ormenium, abounding with flocks,⁴⁰

Il. ix. 447. instead of

left Hellas, abounding with beautiful women.

But Crates makes Phoenix a Phocaean, conjecturing this from the helmet of Meges, which Ulysses wore on the night expedition; of which helmet the poet says,

Autolycus brought it away from Eleon, out of the house of Amyntor, the son of Ormenus, having broken through the thick walls.⁴¹

Now Eleon was a small city on Parnassus, and by Amyntor, the son of Ormenus, he could not mean any other person than the father of Phoenix, and that Autolycus, who lived on Parnassus, was in the habit of digging through the houses of his neighbours, which is the common practice of every housebreaker, and not of persons living at a distance. But Demetrius the Scepsian says, that there is no such place on Parnassus as Eleon, but Neon, which was built after the Trojan war, and that digging through houses was not confined to robbers of the neighbourhood. Other things might be advanced, but I am unwilling to insist long on this subject. Others write the words

from Heleon;

but this is a Tanagrian town; and the words

Then far away I fled through Hellas and came to Phthia,⁴²

Il. ix. 424. would make this passage absurd.

Hypereia is a spring in the middle of the city of the Pheraei [subject to Eumelus]. It would therefore be absurd [to assign it to Eurypylus].

Titanus⁴³ had its name from the accident of its colour, for the soil of the country near Arne and [Aphe]tae is white, and Asterium is not far from these places.

[19] Continuous with this portion of Thessaly are the people subject to Polypoetes.

They who possessed Argissa; those who inhabited Gyrtone,⁴⁴

Orthe, Elone, and the white city Oloosson.⁴⁵

Il. ii. 738 This country was formerly inhabited by Perrhoebi, who possessed the part towards the sea and the Peneius, as far as⁴⁶ its mouth and the city Gyrton, belonging to the district Perrhaebis. Afterwards the Lapithae, Ixion and his son Peirithous, having reduced the Perrhaebi,⁴⁷ got possession of these places. Peirithous took possession also of Pelion, having expelled by force the Centaurs, a savage tribe, who inhabited it. These

he drove from Pelion to the neighbourhood of the Aethices,⁴⁸

Il. ii. 744. but he delivered up the plains to the Lapithae. The Perrhaebi kept possession of some of these parts, those, namely, towards Olympus, and in some places they lived intermixed altogether with the Lapithae.

Argissa, the present Argura, is situated upon the banks of the Peneius. Atrax lies above it at the distance of 40 stadia, close to the river. The intermediate country along the side of the river was occupied by Perrhaebi.

Some call Orthe the citadel of the Phalannaei. Phalanna is a Perrhaebic city on the Peneius, near Tempe.

The Perrhaebi, oppressed by the Lapithae, retreated in great numbers to the mountainous country about Pindus, and to the Athamanes and Dolopes; but the Larisaei became masters of the country and of the Perrhaebi who remained there. The Larisaei lived near the Peneius, but in the neighbourhood of the Perrhaebi. They occupied the most fertile portion of the plains, except some of the very deep valleys near the lake Nessonis, into which the river, when it overflowed, usually carried away a portion of the arable ground belonging to the Larisae, who afterwards remedied this by making embankments.

These people were in possession of Perrhaebia, and levied imposts until Philip became master of the country.

Larisa is a place situated on Ossa, and there is Larisa Cremaste, by some called Pelasgia. In Crete also is a city Larisa, the inhabitants of which were embodied with those of Hierapytna; and from this place the plain below is called the Larisian plain. In Peloponnesus the citadel of the Argives is called Larisa, and there is a river Larisus, which separates Eleia from Dyme. Theopompus mentions a city Larisa, situated on the immediate confines of this country. In Asia is Larisa Phriconis near Cume, and another Larisa near Hamaxitus, in the Troad. There is also an Ephesian Larisa, and a Larisa in Syria. At 50 stadia from Mitylene are the Larisaen rocks, on the road to Methymne. There is a Larisa in Attica; and a village of this name at the distance of 30 stadia from Tralleis, situated above the city, on the road to the plain of the Cayster, passing by Mesogis towards the temple of Mater Isodroma. This Larisa has a similar position, and possesses similar advantages to those of Larisa Cremaste; for it has abundance of water and vineyards. Perhaps Jupiter had the appellation of Larisaeus from this place. There is also on the left side of the Pontus (Euxine) a village called Larisa, near the extremities of Mount Haemus, between Naulochus [and Odessus].⁴⁹

Oloosson, called the White, from its chalky soil, Elone, and Gonnus are Perrhaebic cities. The name of Elone was changed to that of Leimone. It is now in ruins. Both lie at the foot of Olympus, not very far from the river Eurotas, which the poet calls Titaresius.

[20] The poet speaks both of this river and of the Perrhaebi in the subsequent verses, when he says,

Guneus brought from Cyphus two and twenty vessels. His followers were Enienes and Peraebi, firm in battle. They dwelt near the wintry Dodona, and tilled the fields about the lovely Titaresius.⁵⁰

He mentions therefore these places as belonging to the Perrhaebi, which comprised a part of the Hestiaeotis.⁵¹ They were in part Perrhaebic towns, which were subject to Polypcetes. He assigned them however to the Lapithae, because these people and the Perrhaebi lived intermixed together, and the Lapithae occupied the plains. The country, which belonged to the Perrhaebi, was, for the most part, subject to the Lapithae, but the Perrhaebi possessed the more mountainous tracts towards Olympus and Tempe, such as Cyphus, Dodonē, and the country about the river Titaresius. This river rises in the mountain Titarius, which is part of Olympus. It flows into the plain near Tempe belonging to Perrhaebia, and somewhere there enters the Peneius.

The water of the Peneius is clear, that of the Titaresius is unctuous; a property arising from some matter, which prevents the streams mingling with each other,

but runs over the surface like oil.⁵²

Il. ii. 754

Because the Perrhaebi and Lapithae lived intermingled together, Simonides calls all those people Pelasgiotae, who occupy the eastern parts about Gyrton and the mouths of the Peneius, Ossa, Pelion, and the country about Demetrias, and the places in the plain, Larisa, Crannon, Scotussa, Mopsium, Atrax, and the parts near the lakes Nessonis and Boebeis. The poet mentions a few only of these places, either because they were not inhabited at all, or badly inhabited on account of the inundations which had happened at various times. For the poet does not mention even the lake Nessonis, but the Boebeis only, which is much smaller, for its water remained constant, and this alone remains, while the former probably was at one time filled irregularly to excess, and at another contained no water.

We have mentioned Scotussa in our accounts of Dodona, and of the oracle, in Thessaly, when we observed that it was near Scotussa. Near Scotussa is a tract called Cynoscephalae. It was here that the Romans with their allies the Aetolians, and their general Titus Quintius, defeated in a great battle Philip, son of Demetrius, king of Macedon.

[21] Something of the same kind has happened in the territory of Magnetis. For Homer having enumerated many places of this country, calls none of them Magnetes, but those only whom he indicates in terms obscure, and not easily understood;

They who dwelt about Peneius and Pelion with waving woods.⁵³

Il. ii. 756. Now about the Peneius and Pelion dwell those (already mentioned by Homer) who occupied Gyrton, and Ormenium, and many other nations. At a still greater distance from Pelion, according to later writers, were Magnetes, beginning from the people, that were subject to Eumelus. These writers, on account of the continual removals from one settle ment to another, alterations in the forms of government, and intermixture of races, seem to confound both names and nations, which sometimes perplexes persons in these times, as is first to be observed in the instances of Crannon and Gyrton.

Formerly they called the Gyrtonians Phlegyae, from Phlegyas, the brother of Ixion; and the Crannonii, Ephyri, so that there is a doubt, when the poet says, These two from Thrace appeared with breastplates armed against Ephyri, or haughty Phlegyae,⁵⁴ what people he meant.

[22] The same is the case with the Perrhaebi and Aenianes, for Homer joins them together, as if they dwelt near each other; and it is said by later writers, that, for a long period, the settlement of the Aenianes was in the Dotian plain. Now this plain is near Perrhaebia, which we have just mentioned, Ossa, and the lake Boebeis: it is situated about the middle of Thessaly, but enclosed by itself within hills. Hesiod speaks of it in this manner;

Or, as a pure virgin, who dwells on the sacred heights of the Twin hills, comes to the Dotian plain, in front of Amyrus, abounding with vines, to bathe her feet in the lake Boebias.

The greater part of the Aenianes were expelled by the Lapithae, and took refuge in Oeta, where they established their power, having deprived the Dorians and the Malienses of some portions of country, extending as far as Heracleia and Echinus. Some of them however remained about Cyphus, a Perrhaebic mountain, where is a settlement of the same name. As to the Perrhaebi, some of them collected about the western parts of Olympus and settled there, on the borders of the Macedonians. But a large body took shelter among the mountains near Athamania, and Pindus. But at present few, if any, traces of them are to be found.

The Magnetes, who are mentioned last in the Thessalian catalogue of the poet, must be understood to be those situated within Tempe, extending from the Peneius and Ossa to Pelion, and bordering upon the Pieriotae in Macedonia, who occupy the country on the other side the Peneius as far as the sea.

Homolium, or Homolē, (for both words are in use,) must be assigned to the Magnetes. I have said in the description of Macedonia, that Homolium is near Ossa at the beginning of the course which the Peneius takes through Tempe.

If we are to extend their possessions as far as the sea-coast, which is very near Homolium, there is reason for assigning to them Rhizus, and Erymnae, which lies on the sea-coast in the tract subject to Philoctetes and Eumelus. Let this however remain unsettled. For the order in which the places as far as the Peneius follow one another, is not clearly expressed, and as the places are not of any note, we need not consider that uncertainty as very important. The coast of Sepias, however, is mentioned by tragic writers, and was chaunted in songs on account of the destruction of the Persian fleet. It consists of a chain of rocks.

Between Sepias and Casthanaea, a village situated below Pelion, is the sea-shore, where the fleet of 5erxes was lying, when an east wind began to blow violently; some of the vessels were forced on shore, and immediately went to pieces; others were driven on Hipnus, a rocky spot near Pelion, others were lost at Meliboea, others at Casthanaea.

The whole of the coasting voyage along Pelion, to the extent of about 80 stadia, is among rocks. That along Ossa is of the same kind and to the same extent.

Between them is a bay of more than 200 stadia in extent, upon which is situated Meliboea.

The whole voyage from Demetrias, including the winding of the bays, to the Peneius is more than 1000 stadia, from the Spercheius 800 stadia more, and from the Euripus 2350 stadia.

Hieronymus assigns a circuit of 3000 stadia to the plain country in Thessaly and Magnesia, and says, that it was inhabited by Pelasgi, but that these people were driven into Italy by Lapithae, and that the present Pelasgic plain is that in which are situated Larisa, Gyrton, Pherae, Mopsium, Boebeis, Ossa, Homole, Pelion, and Magnetis. Mopsium has not its name from Mopsus, the son of Manto the daughter of Teiresias, but from Mopsus, one of the Lapithae, who sailed with the Argonauts. Mopsopus, from whom Attica is called Mopsopia, is a different person.

[23] This then is the account of the several parts of Thessaly.

In general we say, that it was formerly called Pyrrhaea, from Pyrrha, the wife of Deucalion; Haemonia, from Haemon; and Thettalia, from Thettalus, the son of Haemon. But some writers, after dividing it into two portions, say, that Deucalion obtained by lot the southern part, and called it Pandora, from his mother; that the other fell to the share of Haemon, from whom it was called Haemonia; that the name of one part was changed to Hellas, from Hellen, the son of Deucalion, and of the other to Thettalia, from Thettalus, the son of Haemon. But, according to some writers, it was the descendants of Antiphus and Pheidippus, sons of Thettalus, descended from Hercules, who invaded the country from Ephyra in Thesprotia, and called it after the name of Thettalus their progenitor. It has been already said that once it had the name of Nessonis, as well as the lake, from Nesson, the son of Thettalus.

Notes on the current edition

Geography

1. Cf. Book 7 Fr. 12.

2. i.e., the northern and southern boundaries.

3. The mouth of the Peneius.

4. On the boundaries of Macedonia, see Fr. 10, 11, 12a and 13.

5. In 7. 7. 1 and 7. 7. 8 Strabo classes the Amphilochians as Epeirotes.

6. “Hestiaeotis” is the Attic spelling, and “Histiaeotis” the Ionic and Doric spelling, according to Stephanus Byzantinus, s.v. Ἱστίαιαν.

7. See Fr. 12.

8. The dynasties of Achilles, Protesilaüs, Eumelus, Philoctetes, Podaleirus, Eurypylus, Polypoetes, Guneus, Prothoüs, and Phoenix, all of whom are mentioned in Hom. Il. 2.685-756 , except Phoenix, who in Hom. Il. 9.484 is “lord over the Dolopians” and in Hom. Il. 16.196 is “ruler of the fourth company” of the Myrmidons.

9. Hom. Il. 2.681

10. Pind. Fr. 183 (Bergkk

11. Hom. Il. 9.484

12. Possibly an interpolation.

13. i.e., concerning Phoenix.

14. Hom. Il. 9.443

15. Hom. Il. 2.683

16. Hom. Il. 9.478

17. Hom. Il. 9.395

18. Old Pharsalus.

19. Temple of Thetis, mother of Achilles.

20. Hom. Il. 2.683

21. Hom. Il. 2.727

22. Hom. Il. 2.704

23. Hom. Il. 13.685

24. Hom. Il. 13.693, 699

25. Hom. Il. 2.682

26. On Halus, see Rawlinson’s note on “Alus,” Hdt. 7.173

27. 9. 5. 4. Cf. 3. 4. 19, 4. 1. 1, and 8. 3. 10.

28. 9. 4. 13 ff.

29. Three times only, Hom. Il. 16.174, 176; 23.144

30. i.e., of Achilles’ domain.

31. See critical note.

32. Hom. Il. 23.142

33. Hom. Il. 16.173-175

34. The Trachinian Heracleia (see 9. 4. 13 and 9. 2. 23) was in the Oetaean country (9. 3. 14), and, in the above passage, the same appears to have been true of Dryopis. But something seems to have fallen out of the MSS. after “demes”; and it is not clear whether Strabo means to include Heracleia and Dryopis in the fourteen demes or to name them as additional parts of the Oetaean country.

35. See 9. 3. 1 and 9. 4. 10.

36. The city Pindus (9. 4. 10).

37. The same as Parasopii (9. 2. 23).

38. Hom. Il. 9.483-484 (Phoenix speaking).

39. See 9. 5. 2 and note on “Hestiaeotis.”

40. From Pelion ( Hom. Il. 2.744 ).

41. See critical note.

42. Cf. 9. 5. 10.

43. Hom. Il. 2.696

44. i.e., Itonian Athena.

45. 9. 2. 3, 29, 33, 34.

46. The Greek word is a compound of “nau(s)” (“ship”) and “pagia” (“construction”), “pagia” being the Doric spelling.

47. In Greek (Doric spelling), “pagae.”

48. i.e., “starting-place.”

49. 9. 4. 15.

50. No other reference to a “Pyliac” Assembly in Iolcus has been found. It could hardly be identified with the “Pylaean (Amphictyonic) Assembly” (9. 3. 7). Groskurd emends “Pyliac” to “Peliac” (i.e., held in honor of Pelias), which is probably right.

51. See 8. 4. 3-4, 8. 5. 3 and 8. 6. 15.

52. See 10. 1. 6.

53. See 12. 8. 14.

54. See 13. 4. 14.

55. But the Greek might mean, instead of “quarries of white marble,” simply “white marble” in general.

56. Hom. Il. 2.729

57. See 9. 5. 3 and footnote.

58. i.e., Thome.

59. “Thomos” means “heap of stones.”

60. Callimachus Fr. 82b (Schneider)

61. The text is probably corrupt. We should expect either “wished to tell the truth about matters of this sort,” or, as Professor Capps suggests, “preferred this branch of learning.”

62. “Onthurium” was a “Thessalian city near Arne” (Stehpanus Byzantinus, s.v.).

63. Fr. 14, 15, 15a.

64. Hom. Il. 2.596

65. See 9. 5. 16 and footnote.

66. Cf. 10. 1. 10.

67. See 14. 1. 18.

68. Hom. Il. 2.734

69. 9. 5. 15.

70. Demetrius of Scepsis.

71. Demetrius of Scepsis Fr.

72. Hom. Il. 9.447

73. Hom. Il. 10.266

74. Instead of “from Eleon.”

75. Hom. Il. 9.478

76. “White earth.”

77. Hom. Il. 2.738

78. Hom. Il. 2.744

79. See 9. 5. 13.

80. i.e., Cybele

81. “Odessa” seems to be the lost word.

82. Hom. Il. 2.751

83. The Homeric spelling of “Aenianians” (9. 4. 11).

84. The Thessalian Dodona mentioned in Fr. 1, 1a, 1b, 1c.

85. Hom. Il. 2.748

86. The Perrhaebians had seized Hestiaeotis (9. 5. 17).

87. See 9. 5. 19.

88. Hom. Il. 2.754

89. 7. 7. 12.

90. “Dogs’ Heads,” a low range of hills.

91. Titus Quintius Flamininus.

92. 197 B.C.

93. Homer nowhere specifically names either the Magnetans or their country except in Hom. Il. 2.756, , where he says, “Prothoüs, son of Tenthredon, was the leader of the Magnetans.”

94. Hom. Il. 2.757

95. Hom. Il. 2.738

96. Hom. Il. 2.734

97. Hom. Il. 2.301

98. Some modern scholars question the authenticity of this passage. See Leaf’s note ad loc.

99. Hom. Il. 2.749

100. Coronis, mother of Asclepius.

101. Hes. Fr. 122 (Rzach)

102. Again quoted in 14. 1. 40.

103. Fr. 16b (see also 16c).

104. Apparently Hieronymus of Rhodes (see note on 8. 6. 21).

105. See 9. 1. 18.

Strabo Geography 9.5

Horace Leonard Jones (Translator)

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Current edition Perseus

CHAPTER V.

Notes on the current edition

Stable identifiers