τὰ δʼ ἑξῆς ἐν τῇ μεσογαίᾳ πεδία ἐστὶ κοῖλα πάντοθεν ἐκ τῶν ἄλλων μερῶν ὄρεσι περιεχόμενα, τοῖς Ἀττικοῖς μὲν πρὸς νότου, πρὸς ἄρκτου δὲ τοῖς Φωκικοῖς· ἀπὸ δὲ τῆς ἑσπέρας ὁ Κιθαιρὼν λοξὸς ἐμπίπτει μικρὸν ὑπὲρ τῆς Κρισαίας θαλάττης, ἔχων τὴν ἀρχὴν συνεχῆ τοῖς Μεγαρικοῖς καὶ τοῖς Ἀττικοῖς ὄρεσιν, εἶτʼ ἐπιστρέφων εἰς τὰ πεδία, παυόμενος δὲ περὶ τὴν Θηβαίαν.
The places next in order, in the inland parts, are hollow plains, surrounded everywhere on the east and west by mountains; on the south by the mountains of Attica, on the north by those of Phocis: on the west, Cithaeron inclines, obliquely, a little above the Crisaean Sea; it begins contiguous to the mountains of Megaris and Attica, and then makes a bend towards the plains, and terminates near the Theban territory.
τῶν δὲ πεδίων τούτων τὰ μὲν λιμνάζει, ποταμῶν ἀναχεομένων εἰς αὐτά, τῶν δʼ ἐμπιπτόντων, εἶτα ἐκρύσεις λαμβανόντων· τὰ δʼ ἀνέψυκται καὶ γεωργεῖται παντοδαπῶς διὰ τὴν εὐκαρπίαν. ὑπάντρου δὲ καὶ σηραγγώδους οὔσης κατὰ βάθους τῆς γῆς, σεισμοὶ γενόμενοι πολλάκις ἐξαίσιοι τοὺς μὲν ἔφραξαν τῶν πόρων τοὺς δὲ ἀνέῳξαν, τοὺς μὲν μέχρι τῆς ἐπιφανείας τοὺς δὲ διʼ ὑπονόμων· συμβαίνει δὴ καὶ τοῖς ὕδασι τοῖς μὲν διʼ ὑπονόμων φέρεσθαι τῶν ῥείθρων τοῖς δʼ ἐπιπολῆς, τοῖς τε λιμναίοις καὶ τοῖς ποταμίοις. ἐγχωσθέντων δὲ κατὰ βάθους τῶν πόρων αὔξεσθαι τὰς λίμνας συμβαίνει μέχρι τῶν οἰκουμένων τόπων ὥστε καὶ πόλεις καταπίνεσθαι καὶ χώρας, ἀνοιχθέντων δὲ τῶν αὐτῶν ἢ ἄλλων ἀνακαλύπτεσθαι, καὶ τοὺς αὐτοὺς τόπους ποτὲ μὲν πλεῖσθαι ποτὲ δὲ πεζεύεσθαι, καὶ τὰς αὐτὰς πόλεις ποτὲ μὲν ἐπὶ τῇ λίμνῃ ποτὲ δὲ ἄπωθεν κεῖσθαι.
Some of these plains become lakes, by rivers spreading over or falling into them and then flowing off. Some are dried up, and being very fertile, are cultivated in every possible way. But as the ground underneath is full of caverns and fissures, it has frequently happened, that violent earthquakes have obstructed some passages, and formed others under-ground, or on the surface, the water being carried off, either by subterranean channels, or by the formation of lakes and rivers on the surface. If the deep subterranean passages are stopped up, the waters of the lakes increase, so as to inundate and cover cities and whole districts, which become uncovered, if the same or other passages are again opened. The same regions are thus traversed in boats or on foot, according to circumstances; and the same cities are, occasionally, on the borders of, or at a distance from, a lake.
διττῶς δὲ τοῦτο γίνεται· καὶ γὰρ μενουσῶν ἀκινήτων τῶν πόλεων, ὅταν ἡ αὔξησις τῶν ὑδάτων ἥττων ᾖ τῆς ὑπερχύσεως διὰ ὕψος τῶν οἰκήσεων ἢ διὰ ἀπόστασιν, καὶ διὰ ἀνοικισμόν, ὅταν τῷ πλησιασμῷ κινδυνεύσαντες πολλάκις ἀπαλλαγὴν πορίσωνται τοῦ φόβου τὴν μετάληψιν τῶν χωρίων τῶν ἄπωθεν ἢ τῶν ἐν ὕψει. παρακολουθεῖ δὲ τοῖς οὕτως ἀνοικισθεῖσι τὸ τὴν αὐτὴν προσηγορίαν φυλάττουσιν, ἐτύμως πρότερον λεγομένοις ἀπὸ τοῦ συμβεβηκότος τοπικῶς, νῦν μη λέγεσθαι ἐτύμως· Πλαταιὰς γὰρ ἀπὸ τῆς πλάτης τῶν κωπῶν εἰρῆσθαι πιθανὸν καὶ Πλαταιέας τοὺς ἀπὸ κωπηλασίας ζῶντας, ἀλλὰ νῦν ἄπωθεν τῆς λίμνης οἰκοῦντες οὐκέτʼ ἂν προσαγορεύοιντο ἐτύμως. ἕλος τε καὶ Ἑλεὼν καὶ Εἱλέσιον ἐκλήθη διὰ τὸ ἐπὶ τοῖς ἕλεσιν ἱδρῦσθαι· νῦν δὲ οὐχ ὁμοίως ἔχει ταῦτα, ἢ ἀνοικισθέντων ἢ τῆς λίμνης ἐπιπολὺ ταπεινωθείσης διὰ τὰς ὕστερον γενομένας ἐκρύσεις· καὶ γὰρ τοῦτο δυνατόν.
One of two things took place. The cities either retained their sites, when the rise of the water was insufficient to overflow the houses, or they were deserted and rebuilt in some other place, when the inhabitants, being frequently exposed to danger from their vicinity to the lake, released themselves from further apprehension, by changing to a more distant or higher situation. It followed that the cities thus rebuilt retained the same name. Formerly, they might have had a name derived from some accidental local circumstance, but now the site does not correspond with the derivation of the name. For example, it is probable that Plataeae was so called, from πλάτη, or the flat part of the oar, and Plataeans from gaining their livelihood by rowing; but at present, since they live at a distance from the lake, the name can no longer, with equal propriety, be derived from this local circumstance. Helos also, and Heleon, and Heilesium were so called from their situation close to ἕλη, (Hele,) or marshes; but at present the case is different with all these places; either they have been rebuilt, or the lake has been greatly reduced in height by a subsequent efflux of its waters; for this is possible.
δηλοῖ δὲ καὶ ὁ Κηφισσὸς τοῦτο μάλιστα τὴν Κωπαΐδα λίμνην πληρῶν. αὐξομένης γὰρ αὐτῆς ὥστε κινδυνεύειν καταποθῆναι τὰς Κώπας, ὅ τε ποιητὴς ὀνομάζει, καὶ ἀπʼ αὐτῶν ἡ λίμνη τὴν ἐπωνυμίαν εἴληφε, χάσμα γενηθὲν πρὸς τῇ λίμνῃ πλησίον τῶν Κωπῶν ἀνέῳξεν ὑπὸ γῆς ῥεῖθρον ὅσον τριάκοντα σταδίων καὶ ἐδέξατο τὸν ποταμόν, εἶτα ἐξέρρηξεν εἰς τὴν ἐπιφάνειαν κατὰ Λάρυμναν τῆς Λοκρίδος τὴν ἄνω· καὶ γὰρ ἑτέρα ἐστίν, ἧς μεν, Βοιωτιακή, ἐπὶ τῇ θαλάττῃ, ᾗ προσέθεσαν Ῥωμαῖοι τὴν ἄνω. καλεῖται δʼ ὁ τόπος Ἀγχόη· ἔστι δὲ καὶ λίμνη ὁμώνυμος· ἐντεῦθεν δʼ ἤδη ὁ Κηφισσὸς ἐκδίδωσιν ἐπὶ τὴν θάλατταν. τότε μὲν οὖν παυσαμένης τῆς πλημμυρίδος, παῦλα καὶ τοῦ κινδύνου τοῖς παροικοῦσιν ὑπῆρξε, πλὴν τῶν ἤδη καταποθεισῶν πόλεων. πάλιν δʼ ἐγχουμένων τῶν πόρων, ὁ μεταλλευτὴς Κράτης ἀνὴρ Χαλκιδεὺς ἀνακαθαίρειν τὰ ἐμφράγματα ἐπαύσατο στασιασάντων τῶν Βοιωτῶν, καίπερ, ὡς αὐτὸς ἐν τῇ πρὸς Ἀλέξανδρον ἐπιστολῇ φησιν, ἀνεψυγμένων ἤδη πολλῶν, ἐν οἷς οἱ μὲν τὸν Ὀρχομενὸν οἰκεῖσθαι τὸν ἀρχαῖον ὑπελάμβανον, οἱ δʼ Ἐλευσῖνα καὶ Ἀθήνας παρὰ τὸν Τρίτωνα ποταμόν· λέγεται Κέκροπα, ἡνίκα τῆς Βοιωτίας ἐπῆρξε καλουμένης τότε Ὠγυγίας, ἀφανισθῆναι δὲ ταύτας ἐπικλυσθείσας ὕστερον. γενέσθαι δέ φασιν καὶ κατὰ Ὀρχομενὸν χάσμα, καὶ δέξασθαι τὸν Μέλανα ποταμὸν τὸν ῥέοντα διὰ τῆς Ἁλιαρτίας καὶ ποιοῦντα ἐνταῦθα τὸ ἕλος τὸ φύον τὸν αὐλητικὸν κάλαμον. ἀλλʼ οὗτος ἠφάνισται τελέως, εἴτε τοῦ χάσματος διαχέοντος αὐτὸν εἰς ἀδήλους πόρους, εἴτε τῶν περὶ Ἁλίαρτον ἑλῶν καὶ λιμνῶν προαναλισκόντων αὐτόν, ἀφʼ ὧν ποιήεντα καλεῖ τὸν ὁ ποιητὴς καὶ ποιήενθʼ Ἁλίαρτον λέγων.
This is exemplified particularly in the Cephissus, which fills the lake Copais. When the increase of the water of that lake was so great, that Copae was in danger of being swallowed up, (the city is mentioned by the poet, and from it the lake had its name,) a fissure in the ground, which took place not far from the lake, and near Copae, opened a subterraneous channel, of about 30 stadia in length, and received the river, which reappeared on the surface, near Upper Larymna in Locris; for, as has been mentioned, there is another Larymna, in Boeotia, on the sea, surnamed the Upper by the Romans. The place where the river rises again is called Anchoë, as also the lake near it. It is from this point that the Cephissus begins its course to the sea. When the overflowing of the water ceased, there was also a cessation of danger to the inhabitants on the banks, but not before some cities had been already swallowed up. When the outlets were again obstructed, Crates the Miner, a man of Chalcis, began to clear away the obstructions, but desisted in consequence of the Boeotians being in a state of insurrection; although, as he himself says, in the letter to Alexander, many places had been already drained; among these, some writers supposed was the site of the ancient Orchomenus; others, that of Eleusis, and of Athens on the Triton. These cities are said to have been founded by Cecrops, when he ruled over Boeotia, then called Ogygia, but that they were afterwards destroyed by inundations. It is said, that there was a fissure in the earth near Orchomenus, that admitted the river Melas, which flows through the territory of Haliartus, and forms there a marsh, where the reed grows of which the musical pipe is made. But this river has entirely disappeared, being carried off by the subterraneous channels of the chasm, or absorbed by the lakes and marshes about Haliartus; whence the poet calls Haliartus grassy, And the grassy Haliartus. /
οὗτοι μὲν οὖν ἐκ τῶν Φωκικῶν ὀρῶν οἱ ποταμοὶ καταφέρονται, ὧν ὁ Κηφισσὸς ἐκ Λιλαίας Φωκικῆς πόλεως τὴν ἀρχὴν λαμβάνει, καθάπερ καὶ Ὅμηρός φησιν οἵ τε Λίλαιαν ἔχον πηγῇς ἔπι Κηφισσοῖο· διʼ Ἐλατείας δὲ ῥυεὶς μεγίστης τῶν ἐν Φωκεῦσι πόλεων, καὶ διὰ Παραποταμίων καὶ Φανοτέων ὁμοίως Φωκικῶν πολισμάτων, εἰς Χαιρώνειαν τῆς Βοιωτίας πρόεισιν, εἶτα διὰ τῆς Ὀρχομενίας καὶ τῆς Κορωνειακῆς εἰς τὴν Κωπαΐδα λίμνην ἐξίησι· καὶ ὁ Περμησσὸς δὲ καὶ ὁ Ὀλμειός, ἐκ τοῦ Ἑλικῶνος συμβάλλοντες ἀλλήλοις, εἰς τὴν αὐτὴν ἐμπίπτουσι λίμνην τὴν Κωπαΐδα τοῦ Ἁλιάρτου πλη δὲ ῥεύματα εἰς αὐτὴν ἐμβάλλει. ἔστι μὲν οὖν μεγάλη, τὴν περίμετρον ἔχουσα ὀγδοήκοντα καὶ τριακοσίων σταδίων, αἱ δὲ ἐκρύσεις οὐδαμοῦ φαίνονται πλὴν τοῦ δεχομένου τὸν Κηφισσὸν χάσματος καὶ τῶν ἑλῶν.
These rivers descend from the Phocian mountains, and among them the Cephissus, having its source at Lilaea, a Phocian city, as Homer describes it; And they who occupied Lilaea, at the sources of Cephissus. / It flows through Elateia, the largest of the cities among the Phocians, through the Parapotamii, and the Phanoteis, which are also Phocian towns; it then goes onwards to Chaeroneia in Boeotia; afterwards, it traverses the districts of Orchomenus and Coroneia, and discharges its waters into the lake Copais. The Permessus and the Olmeius descend from Helicon, and uniting their streams, fall into the lake Copais near Haliartus. The waters of other streams likewise discharge themselves into it. It is a large lake with a circuit of 380 stadia; the outlets are nowhere visible, if we except the chasm which receives the Cephissus, and the marshes.
κειμένων λιμνῶν ἐστὶν ἥ τε Τρεφία καὶ ἡ Κ μέμνηται καὶ Ὅμηρος ὅς ῥʼ ἐν Ὕλῃ ναίεσκε μέγα πλούτοιο μεμηλώς, λίμνῃ κεκλιμένος Κηφισσίδι. οὐ γὰρ λίμνην τὴν Κωπαΐδα βούλεται λέγειν, ὡς οἴονταί τινες, ἀλλὰ τὴν Ὑλικὴν προσαγορευομένην ἀπὸ τῆς πλησίον κώμης ἣν καλοῦσιν Ὕλας, οὐδὲ Ὕδην, ὡς ἔνιοι γράφουσιν ὅς ῥʼ ἐν Ὕδῃ ναίεσκεν. ἡ μὲν γάρ ἐστιν ἐν Λυδίᾳ Τμώλῳ ὑπὸ νιφόεντι, Ὕδης ἐν πίονι δήμῳ, ἡ δὲ Βοιωτιακή· ἐπιφέρει γοῦν τῷ λίμνῃ κεκλιμένος Κηφισσίδι τὸ πὰρ δὲ οἱ ἄλλοι ναῖον Βοιωτοί. ἡ μὲν γάρ ἐστι μεγάλη καὶ οὐκ ἐν τῇ Θηβαΐδι, ἡ δὲ μικρά, ἐκεῖθεν διʼ ὑπονόμων πληρουμένη, κειμένη μεταξὺ Θηβῶν καὶ Ἀνθηδόνος. Ὅμηρος δʼ ἑνικῶς ἐκφέρει τοτὲ μὲν ἐκτείνων τὴν πρώτην συλλαβήν, ὡς ἐν τῷ καταλόγῳ ἠδʼ Ὕλην καὶ Πετεῶνα, ποιητικῶς, τοτὲ δὲ συστέλλων ὅς ῥʼ ἐν Ὕλῃ ναίεσκε σκυτοτόμων ὄχʼ ἄριστος Ὕλῃ ἔνι οἰκία ναίων. οὐδʼ ἐνταῦθα εὖ γραφόντων τινῶν Ὕδῃ ἔνι· οὐ γὰρ ὁ Αἴας ἐκ Λυδίας τὸ σάκος μετεπέμπετο.
Among the neighbouring lakes are Trephea and Cephissis. Homer mentions it; Who dwelt in Hyla, intent upon amassing wealth, close to the lake Cephissis; / for he did not mean to specify the lake Copais, as some suppose, but that called Hylicus, from the neighbouring village, which is called Hylae: nor did he mean Hyda, as some write the passage, He lived in Hyda, / for there is a place of this name in Lydia, at the foot of the snowy Tmolus, in the fruitful country of Hyda; / and another in Boeotia; he therefore adds to behind the lake Cephissis, / these words, near dwelt other Boeotians. / For the Copais is of great extent, and not situated in the Theban district, but the other is small, and filled from the former by subterraneous channels; it is situated between Thebes and Anthedon. Homer however makes use of the word in the singular number, sometimes making the first syllable long by poetical licence, as in the Catalogue, ἠδʼ?ὕλην καὶ πετεῶνα and sometimes shortening it, as in this instance; ὅς ῤ̔ ἐν?ὗλῃ ναίεσκε; and again, Tychius σκυτοτόμων ὄχʼ ἄριστος?ὕλῃ ἔνι οἰκία ναίων Nor do some persons correctly write in this passage, ὗδῃ?ἔνι, In Hyda, / for Ajax was not to send for his shield from Lydia.
λίμναι τὴν τάξιν τῶν ἐφεξῆς τόπω λόγῳ περιληφθῆναι σαφῶς, ὅτι ὁ τοῖς ὀνόμασι τῶν τόπων τῶν τε ἀξ χαλεπὸν ἐν τοσούτοις καὶ ἀσήμοις τοῖς πλείστοις καὶ ἐν μεσογαίᾳ μηδαμοῦ τῇ τάξει διαπεσεῖν· ἡ παραλία δʼ ἔχει τι πλεονέκτημα πρὸς τοῦτο· καὶ γνωριμώτεροι οἱ τόποι, καὶ ἡ θάλαττα τό γε ἑξῆς ὑπαγορεύει βέλτιον· διόπερ καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐκεῖθεν πειρώμ· ἐνταῦθα δʼ ἐάσαντες τοῦτο τῷ π διαρίθμησιν, προστιθέντες ὅ τι ἂν χρήσιμον ᾖ ν ἡμῖν, ὑπʼ ἐκείνου δὲ παραλειφθέν. ἄρχεται ης καὶ τῆς Αὐλίδος, περὶ ὧν εἰρήκαμεν.
The lakes themselves would indicate the order in which the places stand, and thence it would be easy to perceive that the poet, when naming them, whether they were places of importance or otherwise, has observed no order. Indeed it would be difficult in the enumeration of so many places, obscure for the most part, and situated in the interior, to preserve a regular order. The sea-coast affords more convenient means of doing this; the places there are better known, and the sea affords greater facilities for marking their position. We shall therefore endeavour to take our point of departure from the sea-coast, and without further discussion, shall follow the poet in his enumeration of places; at the same time, taking from other sources whatever may prove useful to us, but which has been omitted by him. He begins from Hyria and Aulis, of which we have already spoken.
σχοῖνος δʼ ἐστὶ χώρα τῆς Θηβαϊκῆς κατὰ τὴν ὁδὸν τὴν ἐπὶ Ἀνθηδόνος, διέχουσα τῶν Θηβῶν ὅσον πεντήκοντα σταδίους· ῥεῖ δὲ καὶ ποταμὸς διʼ αὐτῆς Σχοινοῦς.
Schoenusis a district of the Theban territory on the road to Anthedon, distant from Thebes about 50 stadia. A river of the name of Schoenus flows through it.
Σκῶλος δʼ ἐστὶ κώμη τῆς Παρασωπίας ὑπὸ τῷ Κιθαιρῶνι, δυσοίκητος τόπος καὶ τραχύς, ἀφʼ οὗ καὶ ἡ παροιμία εἰς Σκῶλον μήτʼ αὐτὸς ἴναι, μήτʼ ἄλλῳ ἕπεσθαι. καὶ τὸν Πενθέα δὲ ἐνθένδε καταγόμενον διασπασθῆναί φασιν. ἦν δὲ καὶ τῶν περὶ Ὄλυνθον πόλεων ὁμώνυμος αὐτῇ Σκῶλος. εἴρηται δʼ ὅτι Παρασώπιοι καὶ κώμη τις καλεῖται ἐν Ἡρακλείᾳ τῇ Τραχινίᾳ, παρʼ ἣν ῥεῖ Ἀσωπὸς ποταμός, καὶ ὅτι ἐν Σικυωνίᾳ ἄλλος ἐστὶν Ἀσωπὸς καὶ ἡ χώρα Ἀσωπία, διʼ ἧς ῥεῖ.
Scolus is a village belonging to the district of Parasopia situated at the foot of Cithaeron; it is a rugged place, and scarcely habitable, hence the proverbial saying, Neither go yourself, nor follow any one going to Scolus. / It is said that Pentheus was brought from thence, and torn in pieces. There was among the cities near Olynthus another of the name of Scolus. We have said that in the Heracleian Trachinia there was a village of the name of Parasopii, beside which runs a river Asopus, and that there is another river Asopus in Sicyonia, and that the country through which it flows is called Asopia. There are however other rivers of the same name.
ὁ Ἐτεωνὸς δὲ Σκάρφη μετωνομάσθη, καὶ αὕτη δὲ τῆς Παρασωπίας. ὁ γὰρ Ἀσωπὸς καὶ ὁ Ἰσμηνὸς διὰ τοῦ πεδίου ῥέουσι τοῦ πρὸ τῶν Θηβῶν· ἔστι δὲ καὶ ἡ Δίρκη κρήνη καὶ Πότνιαι, ἐφʼ ὧν μυθεύεται τὰ περὶ τὸν Ποτνιέα Γλαῦκον τὸν διασπασθέντα ὑπὸ τῶν Ποτνιάδων ἵππων τῆς πόλεως πλησίον, καὶ ὁ Κιθαιρὼν δὲ οὐκ ἄπωθεν τῶν Θηβῶν τελευτᾷ· παρʼ αὐτὸν δὲ ὁ Ἀσωπὸς ῥεῖ, τὴν ὑπώρειαν αὐτοῦ κλύζων καὶ ποιῶν τοὺς Παρασωπίους εἰς κατοικίας πλείους διῃρημένους, ἅπαντας δʼ ὑπὸ Θηβαίοις ὄντας (ἕτεροι δʼ ἐν τῇ Πλαταιέων φασὶ τόν τε Σκῶλον καὶ τὸν Ἐτεωνὸν καὶ τὰς Ἐρύθρας· καὶ γὰρ παρα Πλαταιὰς καὶ παρὰ Τάναγραν ἐκδίδωσιν)· ἐν δὲ τῇ Θηβαίων εἰσὶ καὶ αἱ Θεράπναι καὶ ὁ Τευμησσός, ὃν ἐκόσμησεν Ἀντίμαχος διὰ πολλῶν ἐπῶν, τὰς μὴ προσούσας ἀρετὰς διαριθμούμενος ἔστι τις ἠνεμόεις ὀλίγος λόφος. γνώριμα δὲ τὰ ἔπη.
The name of Eteonus was changed to that of Scarphe, which belongs to Parasopia. [Parasopia belongs to the Thebais,] for the Asopus and the Ismenus flow through the plain in front of Thebes. There is the fountain Dirce, and also Potniae, where is laid the fable of Glaucus of Potniae, who was torn in pieces near the city by Potnian mares. The Cithaeron terminates not far from Thebes. The Asopus flows by it, and washes the foot of the mountain, and occasions the Parasopii to be distributed among several settlements, but all of these bodies of people are subject to the Thebans. (Other writers say, that Scolus, Eteonus, and Erythrae, are in the district of Plataeae, for the Asopus flows past Plataeae, and discharges its waters into the sea near Tanagra.) In the Theban territory are Therapnae and Teumessus, which Antimachus has extolled in a long poem, enumerating excellencies which it had not; There is a small hill exposed to the winds, etc.: / but the lines are well known.
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