Strabo · Geography Γεωγραφικά

Strabo, Geography 8.7.4–5: The twelve Achaean cities and Aegium

Strabo lists the twelve Achaean cities from Pellene to Dyme, with their rivers, notes where Homer does and does not name them, and separates the Aegae of Poseidon (Neptune) from the Euboean one. He mentions Zeus (Jupiter) being suckled by a goat at Aegium and the colonies that borrowed river names such as Crathis and Sybaris. He closes with Patrae, Dyme and the Caucones.

Sections 8.7.4–5 · 1012 words · click a number to copy its link

ἡ δὲ τάξις τῶν τόπων, οὓς κατῴκουν εἰς δώδεκα μέρη διῃρημένοι, τοιαύτη τίς ἐστι· μετὰ Σικυῶνα Πελλήνη κεῖται· εἶτα Αἴγειρα δευτέρα· τρίτη Αἰγαί, Ποσειδῶνος ἱερὸν ἔχουσα· τετάρτη Βοῦρα· μετʼ αὐτὴν Ἑλίκη, εἰς ἣν καταπεφεύγεισαν Ἴωνες, μάχῃ κρατηθέντες ὑπʼ Ἀχαιῶν, καὶ τὸ τελευταῖον ἐξέπεσον ἐνθένδε· μετὰ δὲ Ἑλίκην Αἴγιον καὶ Ῥύπες καὶ Πατρεῖς καὶ Φαρεῖς· εἶτʼ Ὤλενος, παρʼ ὃν Πεῖρος ποταμὸς μέγας· εἶτα Δύμη καὶ Τριταιεῖς. οἱ μὲν οὖν Ἴωνες κωμηδὸν ᾤκουν, οἱ δʼ Ἀχαιοὶ πόλεις ἔκτισαν, ὧν εἴς τινας ὕστερον συνῴκισαν καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἄλλων μερίδων ἐνίας, καθάπερ τὰς Αἰγὰς εἰς Αἴγειραν (Αἰγαῖοι δʼ ἐλέγοντο οἱ ἐνοικοῦντες), Ὤλενον δὲ εἰς Δύμην. δείκνυται δʼ ἴχνη μεταξὺ Πατρῶν καὶ Δύμης τοῦ παλαιοῦ τῶν Ὠλενίων κτίσματος· αὐτοῦ δὲ καὶ τὸ τοῦ Ἀσκληπιοῦ ἱερὸν ἐπίσημον, Δύμης μὲν ἀπέχει τετταράκοντα σταδίους, Πατρῶν δὲ ὀγδοήκοντα. ὁμώνυμοι δʼ εἰσὶ ταῖς μὲν Αἰγαῖς ταύταις αἱ ἐν Εὐβοίᾳ, τῷ δὲ Ὠλένῳ τὸ ἐν Αἰτωλίᾳ κτίσμα καὶ αὐτὸ ἴχνη σῶζον μόνον. ὁ δὲ ποιητὴς τοῦ μὲν ἐν Ἀχαΐᾳ Ὠλένου οὐ μέμνηται, ὥσπερ οὐδʼ ἄλλων πλειόνων τῶν περὶ τὸν Αἰγιαλὸν οἰκούντων, ἀλλὰ κοινότερον λέγει αἰγιαλόν τʼ ἀνὰ πάντα καὶ ἀμφʼ Ἑλίκην εὐρεῖαν. / τοῦ δʼ Αἰτωλικοῦ μέμνηται ὅταν φῇ οἳ Πλευρῶνʼ ἐνέμοντο καὶ Ὤλενον. / τὰς δʼ Αἰγὰς ἀμφοτέρας λέγει, τὴν μὲν Ἀχαϊκήν οἱ δέ τοι εἰς Ἑλίκην τε καὶ Αἰγὰς δῶρʼ ἀνάγουσι. / ὅταν δὲ φῇ Αἰγάς, ἔνθα τέ οἱ κλυτὰ δώματα βένθεσι λίμνης· / ἔνθʼ ἵππους ἔστησε Ποσειδάων, / βέλτιον δέχεσθαι τὰς ἐν Εὐβοίᾳ, ἀφʼ ὧν εἰκὸς καὶ τὸ πέλαγος Αἰγαῖον λεχθῆναι· ἐκεῖ δὲ καὶ τῷ Ποσειδῶνι ἡ πραγματεία πεποίηται ἡ περὶ τὸν Τρωικὸν πόλεμον. πρὸς δὲ ταῖς Ἀχαϊκαῖς Αἰγαῖς ὁ Κρᾶθις ῥεῖ ποταμὸς ἐκ δυεῖν ποταμῶν αὐξόμενος, ἀπὸ τοῦ κίρνασθαι τὴν ὀνομασίαν ἔχων· ἀφʼ οὗ καὶ ὁ ἐν Ἰταλίᾳ Κρᾶθις.

The order of the places which the Achaeans inhabited, according to the distribution into twelve parts, is as follows. Next to Sicyon is Pellene; Aegeira, the second; the third, Aegae, with a temple of Neptune; Bura, the fourth; then Helice, where the Ionians took refuge after their defeat by the Achaeans, and from which place they were at last banished; after Helice are Aegium, Rhypes, Patrae, and Phara; then Olenus, beside which runs the large river [Peirus?]; then Dyme, and Tritsaeis. The Ionians dwelt in villages, but the Achaeans founded cities, to some of which they afterwards united others transferred from other quarters, as Aegae to Aegeira, (the inhabitants, however, were called Aegaei,) and Olenus to Dyme.

Traces of the ancient settlement of the Olenii are to be seen between Patrae and Dyme: there also is the famous temple of Aesculapius, distant from Dyme 40, and from Patrae 80 stadia.

In Euboea there is a place of the same name with the Aegae here, and there is a town of the name of Olenus in Aetolia, of which there remain only vestiges.

The poet does not mention the Olenus in Achaia, nor many other people living near Aegialus, but speaks in general terms; along the whole of Aegialus, and about the spacious Helice. / But he mentions the Aetolian Olenus in these words; those who occupied Pleuron and Olenus. / He mentions both the places of the name of Aegae; the Achaean Aegae in these terms, who bring presents to Helice, and to Aegae. / But when he says, Aegae, where his palace is in the depths of the sea, / There Neptune stopped his coursers, / it is better to understand Aegae in Euboea; whence it is probable the Aegaean Sea had its name. On this sea, according to story, Neptune made his preparations for the Trojan war.

Close to the Achaen Aegae flows the river Crathis, augmented by the waters of two rivers, and deriving its name from the mixture of their streams. To this circumstance the river Crathis in Italy owes its name.

ἑκάστη δὲ τῶν δώδεκα μερίδων ἐκ δήμων συνειστήκει ἑπτὰ καὶ ὀκτώ· τοσοῦτον εὐανδρεῖν τὴν χώραν συνέβαινεν. ἔστι δʼ ἡ Πελλήνη στάδια ἑξήκοντα τῆς θαλάττης ὑπερκειμένη, φρούριον ἐρυμνόν. ἔστι δὲ καὶ κώμη Πελλήνη, ὅθεν καὶ αἱ Πελληνικαὶ χλαῖναι, ἃς καὶ ἆθλα ἐτίθεσαν ἐν τοῖς ἀγῶσι· κεῖται δὲ μεταξὺ Αἰγίου καὶ Πελλήνης· τὰ δὲ Πέλλανα ἕτερα τούτων ἐστί, Λακωνικὸν χωρίον, ὡς πρὸς τὴν Μεγαλοπολῖτιν νεῦον. Αἴγειρα δὲ ἐπὶ βουνοῦ κεῖται. Βοῦρα δʼ ὑπέρκειται τῆς θαλάττης ἐν τετταράκοντά πως σταδίοις, ἣν ὑπὸ σεισμοῦ καταποθῆναι συνέβη. ἀπὸ δὲ τῆς ἐνταῦθα κρήνης Συβάριδος τὸν κατὰ τὴν Ἰταλίαν ποταμὸν ὀνομασθῆναί φασιν. ἡ δʼ Αἰγὰ (καὶ γὰρ οὕτω λέγουσι τὰς Αἰγὰς) νῦν μὲν οὐκ οἰκεῖται, τὴν δὲ χώραν ἔχουσιν Αἰγιεῖς. Αἴγιον δὲ ἱκανῶς οἰκεῖται· ἱστοροῦσι δʼ ἐνταῦθα τὸν Δία ὑπʼ αἰγὸς ἀνατραφῆναι, καθάπερ φησὶ καὶ Ἄρατος αἲξ ἱερή, τὴν μέν τε λόγος Διὶ μαζὸν ἐπισχεῖν. / ἐπιλέγει δὲ καὶ ὅτι Ὠλενίην δέ μιν αἶγα Διὸς καλέουσʼ ὑποφῆται / δηλῶν τὸν τόπον διότι πλησίον Ὠλένη. αὐτοῦ δὲ καὶ ἡ Κερύνεια ἐπὶ πέτρας ὑψηλῆς ἱδρυμένη. Αἰγιέων δʼ ἐστὶ καὶ ταῦτα καὶ Ἑλίκη καὶ τὸ τοῦ Διὸς ἄλσος τὸ Ἁμάριον, ὅπου συνῄεσαν οἱ Ἀχαιοὶ βουλευσόμενοι περὶ τῶν κοινῶν. ῥεῖ δὲ διὰ τῆς Αἰγιέων ὁ Σελινοῦς ποταμός, ὁμώνυμος τῷ τε ἐν Ἐφέσῳ παρὰ τὸ Ἀρτεμίσιον ῥέοντι, καὶ τῷ ἐν τῇ νῦν Ἠλείᾳ τῷ παραρρέοντι τὸ χωρίον ὅ φησιν ὠνήσασθαι τῇ Ἀρτέμιδι Ξενοφῶν κατὰ χρησμόν· ἄλλος δὲ Σελινοῦς ὁ παρὰ τοῖς Ὑβλαίοις Μεγαρεῦσιν, οὓς ἀνέστησαν Καρχηδόνιοι. τῶν δὲ λοιπῶν πόλεων τῶν Ἀχαϊκῶν εἴτε μερίδων Ῥύπες μὲν οὐκ οἰκοῦνται, τὴν δὲ χώραν Ῥυπίδα καλουμένην ἔσχον Αἰγιεῖς καὶ Φαριεῖς· ἐκ δὲ τῶν Ῥυπῶν ἦν ὁ Μύσκελλος ὁ Κρότωνος οἰκιστής· τῆς δὲ Ῥυπίδος καὶ τὸ Λεῦκτρον ἦν, δῆμος τῶν Ῥυπῶν. μετὰ δὲ τούτους Πάτραι πόλις ἀξιόλογος· μεταξὺ δὲ τὸ Ῥίον ἀπέχον Πατρῶν στάδια τετταράκοντα. Ῥωμαῖοι δὲ νεωστὶ μετὰ τὴν Ἀκτιακὴν νίκην ἵδρυσαν αὐτόθι τῆς στρατιᾶς μέρος ἀξιόλογον, καὶ διαφερόντως εὐανδρεῖ νῦν ἀποικία Ῥωμαίων οὖσα· ἔχει δὲ ὕφορμον μέτριον. ἐφεξῆς δʼ ἐστὶν ἡ Δύμη, πόλις ἀλίμενος, πασῶν δυσμικωτάτη, ἀφʼ οὗ καὶ τοὔνομα· πρότερον δʼ ἐκαλεῖτο Στράτος· διαιρεῖ δʼ αὐτὴν ἀπὸ τῆς Ἠλείας κατὰ Βουπράσιον ὁ Λάρισος ποταμός, ῥέων ἐξ ὄρους· τοῦτο δʼ οἱ μὲν Σκόλλιν καλοῦσιν, Ὅμηρος δὲ πέτρην Ὠλενίην. τοῦ δʼ Ἀντιμάχου Καυκωνίδα τὴν Δύμην εἰπόντος, οἱ μὲν ἐδέξαντο ἀπὸ τῶν Καυκώνων ἐπιθέτως εἰρῆσθαι αὐτὸ μέχρι δεῦρο καθηκόντων, καθάπερ ἐπάνω προείπομεν· οἱ δʼ ἀπὸ Καύκωνος ποταμοῦ τινος, ὡς αἱ Θῆβαι Διρκαῖαι καὶ Ἀσωπίδες, Ἄργος δʼ Ἰνάχειον, Τροία δὲ Σιμουντίς. δέδεκται δʼ οἰκήτορας καὶ ἡ Δύμη μικρὸν πρὸ ἡμῶν ἀνθρώπους μιγάδας, οὓς ἀπὸ τοῦ πειρατικοῦ πλήθους περιλιπεῖς ἔσχε Πομπήιος, καταλύσας τὰ λῃστήρια καὶ ἱδρύσας τοὺς μὲν ἐν Σόλοις τοῖς Κιλικίοις τοὺς δʼ ἄλλοθι καὶ δὴ καὶ ἐνταῦθα. ἡ δὲ Φάρα συνορεῖ μὲν τῇ Δυμαίᾳ. καλοῦνται δὲ οἱ μὲν ἐκ ταύτης τῆς Φάρας Φαρεῖς, οἱ δʼ ἐκ τῆς Μεσσηνιακῆς Φαραιᾶται· ἔστι δʼ ἐν τῇ Φαραϊκῇ Δίρκη κρήνη ὁμώνυμος τῇ ἐν Θήβαις. ἡ δʼ Ὤλενος ἔστι μὲν ἔρημος, κεῖται δὲ μεταξὺ Πατρῶν καὶ Δύμης· ἔχουσι δὲ Δυμαῖοι τὴν χώραν. εἶτʼ Ἄραξος, τὸ ἀκρωτήριον τῆς Ἠλείας, ἀπὸ Ἰσθμοῦ στάδιοι χίλιοι .

Each of these twelve portions contained seven or eight demi, so great was the population of the country.

Pellene, situated at the distance of 60 stadia from the sea, is a strong fortress. There is also a village of the name of Pellene, whence they bring the Pellenian mantles, which are offered as prizes at the public games. It lies between Aegium and Pellene. But Pellana, a different place from these, belongs to the Lacedaemonians, and is situated towards the territory of Megalopolitis.

Aegeira is situated upon a hill. Bura is at the distance from the sea-coast of about 40 stadia. It was swallowed up by an earthquake. It is said, that from the fountain Sybaris which is there, the river Sybaris in Italy had its name.

Aega (for this is the name by which Aegae is called) is not now inhabited, but the Aegienses occupy the territory. Aegium, however, is well inhabited. It was here, it is said, that Jupiter was suckled by a goat, as Aratus also says, the sacred goat, which is said to have applied its teats to the lips of Jupiter. / He adds, that, the priests call it the Olenian goat of Jupiter, / and indicates the place because it was near Olenus. There also is Ceryneia, situated upon a lofty rock. This place, and Helice, belong to the Aegienses, and the Aenarium, [Homarium,] the grove of Jupiter, where the Achaeans held their convention, when they were to deliberate upon their common affairs.

The river Selinus flows through the city of the Aegienses. It has the same name as that which was beside Artemisium at Ephesus, and that in Elis, which has its course along the spot, that Xenophon says he purchased in compliance with the injunction of an oracle, in honour of Artemis. There is also another Selinus in the country of the Hyblaei Megarenses, whom the Carthaginians expelled.

Of the remaining Achaean cities, or portions, Rhypes is not inhabited, but the territory called Rhypis was occupied by Aegienses and Pharians. Aeschylus also says somewhere, the sacred Bura, and Rhypes struck with lightning. /

Myscellus, the founder of Croton, was a native of Rhypes. Leuctrum, belonging to the district Rhypis, was a demus of Rhypes. Between these was Patrae, a considerable city, and in the intervening country, at the distance of 40 stadia from Patrae, are Rhium, and opposite to it, Antirrhium. Not long since the Romans, after the victory at Actium, stationed there a large portion of their army, and at present it is very well peopled, since it is a colony of the Romans. It has also a tolerably good shelter for vessels. Next is Dyme, a city without a harbour, the most westerly of all the cities, whence also it has its name. It was formerly called Stratos. It is separated from Eleia at Buprasium by the river Larisus, which rises in a mountain, called by some persons Scollis, but by Homer, the Olenian rock.

Antimachus having called Dyme Cauconis, some writers suppose that the latter word is used as an epithet derived from the Caucones, who extended as far as this quarter, as I have said before. Others think that it is derived from a river Caucon, in the same way as Thebes has the appellation of Dircaean, and Asopian; and as Argos is called Inachian, and Troy, Simuntis.

A little before our time, Dyme had received a colony consisting of a mixed body of people, a remnant of the piratical bands, whose haunts Pompey had destroyed. Some he settled at Soli in Cilicia, and others in other places, and some in this spot.

Phara borders upon the Dymaean territory. The inhabitants of this Phara are called Pharenses; those of the Messenian Phara, Pharatae. In the territory of Phara there is a fountain Dirce, of the same name as that at Thebes.

Olenus is deserted. It lies between Patrae and Dyme. The territory is occupied by the Dymaei. Next is Araxus, the promontory of the Eleian district, distant from the isthmus 1000 stadia.

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.