Strabo, Geography, Hans Claude Hamilton (Translator), William Falconer (Translator), 14.1.40

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[40] The Magnesians appear to be the descendants of Delphians who inhabited the Didymaean mountains in Thessaly, and of whom Hesiod says,

or, as the chaste virgin, who inhabits the sacred Didymaean hills in the plain of Dotium, opposite Amyrus, abounding with vines, and bathes her feet in the lake Boebias—

At Magnesia also was the temple of Dindymene, the mother of the gods. Her priestess, according to some writers, was the daughter, according to others, the wife, of Themistocles. At present there is no temple, because the city has been transferred to another place. In the present city is the temple of Artemis Leucophryene, which in the size of the nave and in the number of sacred offerings is inferior to the temple at Ephesus; but, in the fine proportion and the skill exhibited in the structure of the enclosure, it greatly surpasses the Ephesian temple; in size it is superior to all the temples in Asia, except that at Ephesus and that at Didymi.

Anciently the Magnetes were utterly extirpated by Treres, a Cimmerian tribe, who for a long period made successful inroads. Subsequently Ephesians got possession of the place.¹ Callinus speaks of the Magnetes as still in a flourishing state, and successful in the war against the Ephesians. But Archilochus seems to have been acquainted with the calamities which had befallen them:

bewail the misfortunes of the Thasians, not of the Magnetes;

whence we may conjecture that Archilochus was posterior to Callinus. Yet Callinus mentions some other earlier inroad of the Cimmerians, when he says—

and now the army of the daring Cimmerians is advancing,

where he is speaking of the capture of Sardis.

Geography. Strabo. Hans Claude Hamilton (Translator), William Falconer (Translator). London. 1854-1857.

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Current edition Perseus

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

Editions (1)

Γεωγραφικά Perseus (Strabo. Strabonis Geographica, Vols. 1-3. Meineke, August, editor. Leipzig: Teubner. 1877.) — 14.1.40 focus

[40] δοκοῦσι δʼ εἶναι Μάγνητες Δελφῶν ἀπόγονοι τῶν ἐποικησάντων τὰ Δίδυμα ὄρη ἐν Θετταλίᾳ, περὶ ὧν φησιν Ἡσίοδος

ἢ οἵη Διδύμους ἱεροὺς ναίουσα κολωνούς,

Δωτίῳ ἐν πεδίῳ πολυβότρυος ἄντʼ Ἀμύροιο,

νίψατο Βοιβιάδος λίμνης πόδα παρθένος ἀδμής.

¹ ἐνταῦθα δʼ ἦν καὶ τὸ τῆς Δινδυμήνης ἱερὸν μητρὸς θεῶν· ἱεράσασθαι δʼ αὐτοῦ τὴν Θεμιστοκλέους γυναῖκα, οἱ δὲ θυγατέρα παραδιδόασι· νῦν δʼ οὐκ ἔστι τὸ ἱερὸν διὰ τὸ τὴν πόλιν εἰς ἄλλον μετῳκίσθαι τόπον· ἐν δὲ τῇ νῦν πόλει τὸ τῆς Λευκοφρυήνης ἱερὸν ἔστιν Ἀρτέμιδος, ὃ τῷ μὲν μεγέθει τοῦ ναοῦ καὶ τῷ πλήθει τῶν ἀναθημάτων λείπεται τοῦ ἐν Ἐφέσῳ, τῇ δʼ εὐρυθμίᾳ καὶ τῇ τέχνῃ τῇ περὶ τὴν κατασκευὴν τοῦ σηκοῦ πολὺ διαφέρει· καὶ τῷ μεγέθει ὑπεραίρει πάντας τοὺς ἐν Ἀσίᾳ πλὴν δυεῖν, τοῦ ἐν Ἐφέσῳ καὶ τοῦ ἐν Διδύμοις. καὶ τὸ παλαιὸν δὲ συνέβη τοῖς Μάγνησιν ὑπὸ Τρηρῶν ἄρδην ἀναιρεθῆναι, Κιμμερικοῦ ἔθνους, εὐτυχήσαντας πολὺν χρόνον, τὸ δʼ ἑξῆς τοὺς Ἐφεσίους κατασχεῖν τὸν τόπον. Καλλῖνος μὲν οὖν ὡς εὐτυχούντων ἔτι τῶν Μαγνήτων μέμνηται καὶ κατορθούντων ἐν τῷ πρὸς τοὺς Ἐφεσίους πολέμῳ, Ἀρχίλοχος δὲ ἤδη φαίνεται γνωρίζων τὴν γενομένην αὐτοῖς συμφοράν

κλαίειν τὰ Θασίων, οὗ τὰ Μαγνήτων κακά.

² ἐξ οὗ καὶ αὐτὸν νεώτερον εἶναι τοῦ Καλλίνου τεκμαίρεσθαι πάρεστιν. ἄλλης δέ τινος ἐφόδου τῶν Κιμμερίων μέμνηται πρεσβυτέρας ὁ Καλλῖνος ἐπὰν φῇ

νῦν δʼ ἐπὶ Κιμμερίων στρατὸς ἔρχεται ὀβριμοεργῶν,

³ ἐν ᾗ τὴν Σάρδεων ἅλωσιν δηλοῖ.

Translations (1)

Geography (Books 6-14) Perseus (Strabo. The Geography of Strabo, Vols. 3-6. Jones, Horace Leonard, translator. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann, Ltd., 1924-1929 (printing).) — 14.1.40 focus

[40] The Magnetans are thought to be descendants of Delphians who settled in the Didyman hills, in Thessaly, concerning whom Hesiod says:

Or as the unwedded virgin who, dwelling on the holy Didyman hills, in the Dotian Plain, in front of Amyrus, bathed her foot in Lake Boebeïs.

¹² Here was also the temple of Dindymene, Mother of the gods. According to tradition, the wife of Themistocles, some say his daughter, served as a priestess there. But the temple is not now in existence, because the city has been transferred to another site. In the present city is the temple of Artemis Leucophryene, which in the size of its shrine and in the number of its votive offerings is inferior to the temple at Ephesus, but in the harmony and skill shown in the structure of the sacred enclosure is far superior to it. And in size it surpasses all the sacred enclosures in Asia except two, that at Ephesus and that at Didymi. In ancient times, also, it came to pass that the Magnetans were utterly destroyed by the Treres, a Cimmerian tribe, although they had for a long time been a prosperous people, but the Milesians took possession of the place in the following year. Now Callinus mentions the Magnetans as still being a prosperous people and as being successful in their war against the Ephesians, but Archilochus is obviously already aware of the misfortune that befell them:

to bewail the woes of the Thasians, not those of the Magnetans;

³ whence one may judge that he was more recent than Callinus. And Callinus recalls another, and earlier, invasion of the Cimmerians when he says:

And now the army of the Cimmerians, mighty in deeds, advanceth,

⁴in which he plainly indicates the capture of Sardeis.

Notes on the current edition

Geography

1. The incursions of the Treres, with Cimmerians, into Asia and Europe followed after the Trojan war. The text is here corrupt. The translation follows the amendments proposed partly by Coraÿ, and partly by Kramer, τὸ δ̓ ἑξῆς?̓εφεσίου.

Strabo Geography 14.1.40

Hans Claude Hamilton (Translator), William Falconer (Translator)

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