Strabo · Geography Γεωγραφικά

Strabo, Geography 14.1.27–34: Colophon, Clarus, Teos and Erythrae

Strabo describes the grove of Apollo at Clarus, where the seer Calchas died of vexation after losing a contest of divination to Mopsus, with the versions of Hesiod and Pherecydes. He then follows the coast through Lebedos, where the Dionysiac artists gather, Teos, Anacreon's city, and the Corycaean pirates, and ends at Erythrae, home of the Sibyl.

Sections 14.1.27–34 · 1150 words · click a number to copy its link

εἶτα τὸ Γαλλήσιον ὄρος καὶ ἡ Κολοφὼν πόλις Ἰωνικὴ καὶ τὸ πρὸ αὐτῆς ἄλσος τοῦ Κλαρίου Ἀπόλλωνος, ἐν ᾧ καὶ μαντεῖόν ἐστι παλαιόν. λέγεται δὲ Κάλχας ὁ μάντις μετʼ Ἀμφιλόχου τοῦ Ἀμφιαράου κατὰ τὴν ἐκ Τροίας ἐπάνοδον πεζῇ δεῦρο ἀφικέσθαι, περιτυχὼν δʼ ἑαυτοῦ κρείττονι μάντει κατὰ τὴν Κλάρον, Μόψῳ τῷ Μαντοῦς τῆς Τειρεσίου θυγατρός, διὰ λύπην ἀποθανεῖν. Ἡσίοδος μὲν οὖν οὕτω πως διασκευάζει τὸν μῦθον· προτεῖναι γάρ τι τοιοῦτο τῷ Μόψῳ τὸν Κάλχαντα θαῦμά μʼ ἔχει κατὰ θυμόν, ὅσους ἐρινειὸς ὀλύνθους / οὗτος ἔχει μικρός περ ἐών· εἴποις ἂν ἀριθμόν; / τὸν δʼ ἀποκρίνασθαι μύριοί εἰσιν ἀριθμόν, ἀτὰρ μέτρον γε μέδιμνος· / εἷς δὲ περισσεύει, τὸν ἐπενθέμεν οὔ κε δύναιο. / ὣς φάτο· καί σφιν ἀριθμὸς ἐτήτυμος εἴδετο μέτρου. / καὶ τότε δὴ Κάλχανθʼ ὕπνος θανάτοιο κάλυψε. / Φερεκύδης δέ φησιν ὗν προβαλεῖν ἔγκυον τὸν Κάλχαντα πόσους ἔχει χοίρους, τὸν δʼ εἰπεῖν ὅτι τρεῖς, ὧν ἕνα θῆλυν· ἀληθεύσαντος δʼ ἀποθανεῖν ὑπὸ λύπης. οἱ δὲ τὸν μὲν Κάλχαντα προβαλεῖν τὴν ὗν φασι τὸν δὲ ἐρινεόν, καὶ τὸν μὲν εἰπεῖν τἀληθὲς τὸν δὲ μή, ἀποθανεῖν δὲ ὑπὸ λύπης καὶ κατά τι λόγιον. λέγει δʼ αὐτὸ Σοφοκλῆς ἐν Ἑλένης ἀπαιτήσει ὡς εἱμαρμένον εἴη ἀποθανεῖν, ὅταν κρείττονι ἑαυτοῦ μάντει περιτύχῃ· οὗτος δὲ καὶ εἰς Κιλικίαν μεταφέρει τὴν ἔριν καὶ τὸν θάνατον τοῦ Κάλχαντος. τὰ μὲν παλαιὰ τοιαῦτα.

Next follows the mountain Gallesius, and Colophon, an Ionian city, in front of which is the grove of Apollo Clarius, where was once an ancient oracle. It is said that the prophet Calchas came hither on foot, on his return from Troy with Amphilochus, the son of Amphiaraus, and that meeting at Clarus with a prophet superior to himself, Mopsus, the son of Mantus, the daughter of Teiresias, he died of vexation.

Hesiod relates the fable somewhat in this manner: Calchas propounds to Mopsus something of this kind: I am surprised to see how large a quantity of figs there is on this small tree; can you tell the number? Mopsus answered: There are ten thousand; they will measure a medimnus, and there is one over, which you cannot comprehend. Thus he spoke; the number and measure were exact. Then Calchas closed his eyes in the sleep of death.

But Pherecydes says, that Calchas proposed a question respecting a pregnant sow, and asked how many young she had; the other answered, three, one of which is a sow. Upon his giving the true answer, Calchas died of vexation. According to others, Calchas propounded the question of the sow, and Mopsus that of the fig-tree; that Mopsus returned the true answer, and that Calchas was mistaken, who died of vexation, according to some oracular prophecy.

Sophocles, in his Helen Claimed, says that he was destined by fate to die when he should meet with a prophet superior to himself. But this writer transfers the scene of the rivalry, and of the death of Calchas, to Cilicia.

These are ancient traditions.

ἐκτήσαντο δέ ποτε καὶ ναυτικὴν ἀξιόλογον δύναμιν Κολοφώνιοι καὶ ἱππικήν, ἐν ᾗ τοσοῦτον διέφερον τῶν ἄλλων ὥσθʼ, ὅπου ποτὲ ἐν τοῖς δυσκαταλύτοις πολέμοις τὸ ἱππικὸν τῶν Κολοφωνίων ἐπικουρήσειε, λύεσθαι τὸν πόλεμον· ἀφʼ οὗ καὶ τὴν παροιμίαν ἐκδοθῆναι τὴν λέγουσαν τὸν Κολοφῶνα ἐπέθηκεν ὅταν τέλος ἐπιτεθῇ βέβαιον τῷ πράγματι. ἄνδρες δʼ ἐγένοντο Κολοφώνιοι τῶν μνημονευομένων Μίμνερμος αὐλητὴς ἅμα καὶ ποιητὴς ἐλεγείας, καὶ Ξενοφάνης ὁ φυσικός, ὁ τοὺς σίλλους ποιήσας διὰ ποιημάτων· λέγει δὲ Πίνδαρος καὶ Πολύμναστόν τινα τῶν περὶ τὴν μουσικὴν ἐλλογίμων φθέγμα μὲν πάγκοινον ἔγνωκας ;Πολυμνάστου Κολοφωνίου ἀνδρός. / καὶ Ὅμηρον δέ τινες ἐντεῦθεν εἶναί φασιν. Εὐθυπλοίᾳ μὲν οὖν ἑβδομήκοντα στάδιοί εἰσιν ἐξ Ἐφέσου, ἐγκολπίζοντι δὲ ἑκατὸν καὶ εἴκοσι.

The Colophonians once possessed a considerable armament, consisting both of ships and of cavalry. In the latter they were so much superior to other nations, that in any obstinate engagement, on whichever side the Colophonian horse were auxiliaries, they decided it; whence came the proverb, he put the Colophon to it, when a person brought any affair to a decisive issue.

Among some of the remarkable persons born at Colophon were Mimnermus, a flute-player and an elegiac poet; Xenophanes, the natural philosopher, who composed Silli in verse. Pindar mentions one Polymnastus also, a Colophonian, as distinguished for his skill in music: Thou knowest the celebrated strains of Polymnastus, the Colophonian: and some writers affirm that Homer was of that city. The voyage from Ephesus in a straight line is 70 stadia, and including the winding of the bays, 120.

μετὰ δὲ Κολοφῶνα ὄρος Κοράκιον καὶ νησίον ἱερὸν Ἀρτέμιδος, εἰς ὃ διανηχομένας τίκτειν τὰς ἐλάφους πεπιστεύκασιν. εἶτα Λέβεδος διέχουσα Κολοφῶνος ἑκατὸν καὶ εἴκοσιν· ἐνταῦθα τῶν περὶ τὸν Διόνυσον τεχνιτῶν ἡ σύνοδος καὶ κατοικία τῶν ἐν Ἰωνίᾳ μέχρι Ἑλλησπόντου, ἐν ᾗ πανήγυρίς τε καὶ ἀγῶνες κατʼ ἔτος συντελοῦνται τῷ Διονύσῳ. ἐν Τέῳ δὲ ᾤκουν πρότερον τῇ ἐφεξῆς πόλει τῶν Ἰώνων, ἐμπεσούσης δὲ στάσεως εἰς Ἔφεσον κατέφυγον· Ἀττάλου δʼ εἰς Μυόννησον αὐτοὺς καταστήσαντος μεταξὺ Τέω καὶ Λεβέδου, πρεσβεύονται Τήιοι δεόμενοι Ῥωμαίων μὴ περιιδεῖν ἐπιτειχιζομένην σφίσι τὴν Μυόννησον, οἱ δὲ μετέστησαν εἰς Λέβεδον δεξαμένων τῶν Λεβεδίων ἀσμένως διὰ τὴν κατέχουσαν αὐτοὺς ὀλιγανδρίαν. καὶ Τέως δὲ Λεβέδου διέχει ἑκατὸν εἴκοσι, μεταξὺ δὲ νῆσος Ἀσπίς, οἱ δʼ Ἀρκόνησον καλοῦσι· καὶ ἡ Μυόννησος δὲ ἐφʼ ὕψους χερρονησίζοντος κατοικεῖται.

Next to Colophon is the mountain Coracium, and a small island sacred to Artemis, to which it is believed that the hinds swim across to bring forth their young.

Then follows Lebedos, distant from Colophon 120 stadia. This is the place of meeting and residence of the Dionysiac artists (who travel about) Ionia as far as the Hellespont. In Ionia a general assembly is held, and games are celebrated every year in honour of Bacchus. These artists formerly inhabited Teos, a city of the Ionians, next in order after Colophon, but on the breaking out of a sedition they took refuge at Ephesus; and when Attalus settled them at Myonnesus, between Teos and Lebedos, the Teians sent a deputation to request the Romans not to permit Myonnesus to be fortified, as it would endanger their safety. They migrated to Lebedos, and the Lebedians were glad to receive them, on account of their own scanty population.

Teos is distant from Lebedos 120 stadia. Between these two places is the island Aspis, which some writers call Arconnesus. Myonnesus is situated upon high ground resembling a peninsula.

καὶ ἡ Τέως δὲ ἐπὶ χερρονήσῳ ἵδρυται λιμένα ἔχουσα· ἐνθένδʼ ἐστὶν Ἀνακρέων ὁ μελοποιός, ἐφʼ οὗ Τήιοι τὴν πόλιν ἐκλιπόντες εἰς Ἄβδηρα ἀπῴκησαν Θρᾳκίαν πόλιν, οὐ φέροντες τὴν τῶν Περσῶν ὕβριν, ἀφʼ οὗ καὶ τοῦτʼ εἴρηται Ἄβδηρα καλὴ Τηίων ἀποικίη. / πάλιν δʼ ἐπανῆλθόν τινες αὐτῶν χρόνῳ ὕστερον· εἴρηται δὲ καὶ περὶ Ἀπελλικῶντος ὅτι Τήιος ἦν κἀκεῖνος· γέγονε δὲ καὶ συγγραφεὺς Ἑκαταῖος ἐκ τῆς αὐτῆς πόλεως. ἔστι καὶ ἄλλος λιμὴν ὁ πρόσβορρος ἀπὸ τριάκοντα σταδίων τῆς πόλεως Γερραιίδαι.

Teos is situated upon a peninsula, and has a port. Anacreon, the lyric poet, was a native of this place; in his time, the Teians, unable to endure the insults and injuries of the Persians, abandoned Teos, and removed to Abdera, whence originated the verse— Abdera, the beautiful colony of the Teians. Some of them returned in after-times to their own country. We have said that Apellicon was of Teos, and Hecataeus also, the historian.

There is another port to the north, at the distance of 30 stadia from the city, Gerrhaeïdae.

εἶτα Χαλκιδεῖς ὁ τῆς χερρονήσου ἰσθμὸς τῆς Τηίων καὶ Ἐρυθραίων· ἐντὸς μὲν οὖν τοῦ ἰσθμοῦ οἰκοῦσιν οὗτοι, ἐπʼ αὐτῷ δὲ τῷ ἰσθμῷ Τήιοι καὶ Κλαζομένιοι· τὸ μὲν γὰρ νότιον τοῦ ἰσθμοῦ πλευρὸν ἔχουσι Τήιοι τοὺς Χαλκιδέας, τὸ δὲ πρόσβορρον Κλαζομένιοι, καθʼ ὃ συνάπτουσι τῇ Ἐρυθραίᾳ. κεῖται δʼ Ὑπόκρημνος ὁ τόπος ἐπὶ τῇ ἀρχῇ τοῦ ἰσθμοῦ, ἐντὸς μὲν ἀπολαμβάνων τὴν Ἐρυθραίαν ἐκτὸς δὲ τὴν τῶν Κλαζομενίων. ὑπέρκειται δὲ τῶν Χαλκιδέων ἄλσος καθιερωμένον Ἀλεξάνδρῳ τῷ Φιλίππου, καὶ ἀγὼν ὑπὸ τοῦ κοινοῦ τῶν Ἰώνων Ἀλεξάνδρεια καταγγέλλεται, συντελούμενος ἐνταῦθα. ἡ δʼ ὑπέρβασις τοῦ ἰσθμοῦ τοῦ ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἀλεξανδρείου καὶ τῶν Χαλκιδέων μέχρι τοῦ Ὑποκρήμνου πεντήκοντά εἰσι στάδιοι, ὁ δὲ περίπλους πλείους ἢ χίλιοι. κατὰ μέσον δέ που τὸν περίπλουν αἱ Ἐρυθραί, πόλις Ἰωνικὴ λιμένα ἔχουσα καὶ νησῖδας προκειμένας τέτταρας Ἵππους καλουμένας.

Next follows Chalcideis, and the isthmus of the peninsula of the Teians and Erythraeans; the latter inhabit the interior of the isthmus. The Teians and Clazomenians are situated on the isthmus itself. The Teians occupy the southern side of the isthmus, namely, Chalcideis; the Clazomenians, the northern side, whence they are contiguous to the Erythraean district. At the commencement of the isthmus is Hypocremnus, having on this side the Erythraean, and on the other, the Clazomenian territory. Above Chalcideis is a grove, dedicated to Alexander, the son of Philip, and a festival called Alexandreia is proclaimed and celebrated there by the common body of the Ionians.

The passage across the isthmus from the Alexandrine grove and Chalcideis, as far as the Hypocremnus, is 50 stadia (150?). The circuit round by sea is more than 1000 stadia. Somewhere about the middle of the voyage is Erythrae, an Ionian city, with a port, having in front four small islands, called Hippoi (the Horses).

πρὶν δʼ ἐλθεῖν ἐπὶ τὰς Ἐρυθράς, πρῶτον μὲν Ἔραι πολίχνιόν ἐστι Τηίων· εἶτα Κώρυκος ὄρος ὑψηλὸν καὶ λιμὴν ὑπʼ αὐτῷ Κασύστης καὶ ἄλλος Ἐρυθρᾶς λιμὴν καλούμενος καὶ ἐφεξῆς πλείους ἕτεροι. φασὶ δὲ τὸν παράπλουν τοῦ Κωρύκου πάντα λῃστήριον ὑπάρξαι τῶν Κωρυκαίων καλουμένων, εὑρομένων τρόπον καινὸν τῆς ἐπιβουλῆς τῶν πλοϊζομένων· κατεσπαρμένους γὰρ ἐν τοῖς λιμέσι τοῖς καθορμιζομένοις ἐμπόροις προσφοιτᾶν καὶ ὠτακουστεῖν τί φέροιεν καὶ ποῦ πλέοιεν, εἶτα συνελθόντας ἀναχθεῖσι τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἐπιτίθεσθαι καὶ καθαρπάζειν· ἀφʼ οὗ δὴ πάντα τὸν πολυπράγμονα καὶ κατακούειν ἐπιχειροῦντα τῶν λάθρα καὶ ἐν ἀπορρήτῳ διαλεγομένων Κωρυκαῖον καλοῦμεν, καὶ ἐν παροιμίᾳ φαμέν / τοῦ δʼ ἆρʼ ὁ Κωρυκαῖος ἠκροάζετο, / ὅταν δοκῇ τις πράττειν διʼ ἀπορρήτων ἢ λαλεῖν, μὴ λανθάνῃ δὲ διὰ τοὺς κατασκοποῦντας καὶ φιλοπευστοῦντας τὰ μὴ προσήκοντα.

But before we come to Erythrae, the first place we meet with is Erae, a small city belonging to the Teians.

Next is Corycus, a lofty mountain; and below it, Casystes, a port; then another, called the port of Erythrae, and afterwards many others. It is said that the whole sea-coast along the Corycus was the haunt of pirates, who were called Corycaeans, and who had contrived a new mode of attacking vessels. They dispersed themselves among the ports, and went among the merchants who had just arrived, and listened to their conversation respecting the freight of their ships, and the places whither they were bound. The pirates then collected together, attacked the merchants at sea, and plundered the vessels. Hence all inquisitive persons and those who listen to private and secret conversation we call Corycaeans, and say proverbially, The Corycaean must have overheard it, when any one thinks that he has done or said anything not to be divulged, but is betrayed by spies or persons anxious to be informed of what does not concern them.

μετὰ δὲ Κώρυκον Ἁλόννησος νησίον· εἶτα τὸ Ἄργεννον, ἄκρα τῆς Ἐρυθραίας πλησιάζουσα μάλιστα τῷ Χίων Ποσειδίῳ ποιοῦντι πορθμὸν ὅσον ἑξήκοντα σταδίων. μεταξὺ δὲ τῶν Ἐρυθρῶν καὶ τοῦ Ὑποκρήμνου Μίμας ἐστὶν ὄρος ὑψηλὸν εὔθηρον πολύδενδρον· εἶτα κώμη Κυβέλεια καὶ ἄκρα Μέλαινα καλουμένη μύλων ἔχουσα λατόμιον.

Next to Corycus is Halonnesus, a small island, then the Argennum, a promontory of the Erythraean territory, situated close to Poseidium, belonging to the Chians, and forming a strait of about 60 stadia in width. Between Erythrae and Hypocremnus is Mimas, a lofty mountain, abounding with beasts of chase, and well wooded. Then follows Cybelia, a village, and a promontory called Melaena, (or Black,) which has a quarry whence millstones are obtained.

ἐκ δʼ Ἐρυθρῶν Σίβυλλά ἐστιν, ἔνθους καὶ μαντικὴ γυνὴ τῶν ἀρχαίων τις· κατʼ Ἀλέξανδρον δὲ ἄλλη ἦν τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον μαντική, καλουμένη Ἀθηναΐς, ἐκ τῆς αὐτῆς πόλεως· καὶ καθʼ ἡμᾶς Ἡρακλείδης Ἡροφίλειος ἰατρὸς συσχολαστὴς Ἀπολλωνίου τοῦ Μυός.

Erythrae was the native place of the Sibyl, an ancient inspired prophetess. In the time of Alexander there was another Sibyl, who was also a prophetess, whose name was Athenais, a native of the same city; and in our age there was Heracleides the Herophilian physician, a native of Erythrae, a fellow-student of Apollonius surnamed Mus.

People and places in this passage

English translation by H. C. Hamilton and W. Falconer (1854). Original text: August Meineke (ed.), Strabonis Geographica, 3 vols., Leipzig: Teubner, 1877 (Greek text as digitised by Perseus).

Greek text and translation from the Perseus Digital Library, Tufts University, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Perseus Digital Library); translation public domain. Introductions, summaries and notes © GreekMythology.com.