πρώτους δὴ καταλέγει τοὺς ὑπʼ Ἀχιλλεῖ 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 στρατείας, τοὺς δʼ ὑπηκόους μὴ παρεῖναι · οὐδὲ γὰρ συστρατεύειν ἂν τῷ Ἀχιλλεῖ δόξειεν, ἀλλὰ μόνον 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.
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. 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,) / 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.
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.
εἴρηται τό τε ὑπὸ τῷ Ἀχιλλεῖ νικι· αὐτὰ δὲ λεχθέντα περὶ τῶν ὑπʼ ἐν ἀντιλογίᾳ ἐστί. τό τε Ἄργος τὸ Πελασγικὸν 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 ἔπειτʼ ἀπάνευθε διʼ Ἑλλάδος εὐρυχόροιο, Φθίην δʼ ἐξικόμην, καὶ ὅτι πολλαὶ ς 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 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.
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, / as if they were two countries. And, again, Then far away through wide Greece I fled and came to Phthia, / and, There are many Achaean women in Hellas and Phthia. / 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, 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 Othrys beside Pharsalus, and empties itself into the Apidanus, and the latter into the Peneius.
Thus much, then, respecting the Hellenes.
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 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 τῶν 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 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 τῆς Τραχινίας καὶ τῆς Οἰταίας ἀρξαμένοις· δʼ αὐτὸ σχεδόν τι μῆκός ἐστι τοῦ Μαλιακοῦ κ.
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, / 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. 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.
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.
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 συνῴ χρόνοις ὕστερον. ὑπέρκειται δὲ τοῦ Κροκίου πεδίου· ῥεῖ δὲ ποταμὸς Ἄμφρυσος πρὸς τῷ . 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.
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. / 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, either masculine or feminine, for it is used in both genders, is distant from Itonus 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 Amphrysus 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.
τοῦ δὲ Σπερχειοῦ μεμνημένος πολλάκις ὡς ἐπιχωρίου ποταμοῦ, τὰς πηγὰς ἔχοντος ἐκ Τυφρηστοῦ Δρυοπικοῦ ὄρους, τοῦ καλουμένου […] ότερον, 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.
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, 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.
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