Θέσπειαν δὲ λέγει τὰς νῦν Θεσπιάς, πολλῶν ὀνομάτων τῶν μὲν ἀμφοτέρως λεγομένων καὶ ἑνικῶς καὶ πληθυντικῶς, καθάπερ καὶ ἀρρενικῶς καὶ θηλυκῶς, τῶν δʼ ὁποτέρως. ἔστι δὲ πόλις πρὸς τῷ Ἑλικῶνι νοτιωτέρα αὐτοῦ, ἐπικειμένη δὲ τῷ Κρισαίῳ κόλπῳ καὶ αὐτὴ καὶ ὁ Ἑλικών· ἐπίνειον δʼ ἔχουσιν αἱ Θεσπιαὶ Κρέουσαν, ἣν καὶ Κρεουσίδα καλοῦσιν. ἐν δὲ τῇ Θεσπιέων ἐστὶ καὶ ἡ Ἄσκρη κατὰ τὸ πρὸς Ἑλικῶνα μέρος, ἡ τοῦ Ἡσιόδου πατρίς· ἐν δεξιᾷ γάρ ἐστι τοῦ Ἑλικῶνος, ἐφʼ ὑψηλοῦ καὶ τραχέος τόπου κειμένη, ἀπέχουσα τῶν Θεσπιῶν ὅσον τετταράκοντα σταδίους, ἣν καὶ κεκωμῴδηκεν αὐτὸς ἐ τοῦ πατρός, ὅτι ἐκ Κύμης τῆς Αἰολίδος μτερον λέγων νάσσατο δʼ ἄγχʼ Ἑλικῶνος ὀιζυρῇ , Ἄσκρῃ χεῖμα κακῇ, θέρει ἀργαλέῃ, οὐδέ ποτʼ . ὁ δὲ Ἑλικὼν συνεχής ἐστι τῇ Φωκίδι ἐκ τῶν πρὸς ἄρκτον αὐτοῦ μερῶν· μικρὰ δὲ καὶ ἐκ τῶν πρὸς ἑσπέραν κατὰ τὸν ὕστατον λιμένα τῆς Φωκίδος, ὃν καλοῦσιν ἀπὸ τοῦ συμβεβηκότος μυχόν· ὑπέρκειται γὰρ κατὰ τοῦτον μάλιστα τὸν λιμένα τοῦ Κρισαίου κόλπου καὶ ὁ Ἑλικὼν καὶ ἡ Ἄσκρη καὶ ἔτι αἱ Θεσπιαὶ καὶ τὸ ἐπίνειον αὐτῆς ἡ Κρέουσα. τοῦτο δὲ καὶ κοιλότατον νομίζεται τὸ μέρος τοῦ Κρισαίου κόλπου καὶ ἁπλῶς τοῦ Κορινθιακοῦ· στάδιοι δʼ εἰσὶ τῆς τῆς ἀπὸ τοῦ μυχοῦ τοῦ λιμένος εἰς Κρέουσαν ἐνε ἐντεῦθεν δὲ ἑκατὸν εἴκοσιν ἕως τῆς ἄκρας ἣν καλοῦσιν· ἐν δὲ τῷ κοιλοτάτῳ τοῦ κόλπου τοῦ βέβηκε τὰς Πηγὰς κεῖσθαι καὶ τὴν Οἰνόην, περήκαμεν. ὁ μὲν οὖν Ἑλικὼν οὐ πολὺ διεστηκὼς τοῦ Παρνασσοῦ ἐνάμιλλός ἐστιν ἐκείνῳ κατά τε ὕψος καὶ περίμετρον· ἄμφω γὰρ χιονόβολα τὰ ὄρη καὶ πετρώδη, περιγράφεται δʼ οὐ πολλῇ χώρᾳ. ἐνταῦθα δʼ ἐστὶ τό τε τῶν Μουσῶν ἱερὸν καὶ ἡ Ἵππου κρήνη καὶ τὸ τῶν Λειβηθρίδων νυμφῶν ἄντρον· ἐξ οὗ τεκμαίροιτʼ ἄν τις Θρᾷκας εἶναι τοὺς τὸν Ἑλικῶνα ταῖς Μούσαις καθιερώσαντας, οἳ καὶ τὴν Πιερίδα καὶ τὸ Λείβηθρον καὶ τὴν Πίμπλειαν ταῖς αὐταῖς θεαῖς ἀνέδειξαν· ἐκαλοῦντο δὲ Πίερες· ἐκλιπόντων δʼ ἐκείνων Μακεδόνες νῦν ἔχουσι τὰ χωρία ταῦτα. εἴρηται δʼ ὅτι τὴν Βοιωτίαν ταύτην ἐπῴκησάν ποτε Θρᾷκες βιασάμενοι τοὺς Βοιωτοὺς καὶ Πελασγοὶ καὶ ἄλλοι βάρβαροι. αἱ δὲ Θεσπιαὶ πρότερον μὲν ἐγνωρίζοντο διὰ τὸν Ἔρωτα τὸν Πραξιτέλους, ὃν ἔγλυψε μὲν ἐκεῖνος, ἀνέθηκε δὲ Γλυκέρα ἡ ἑταίρα Θεσπιεῦσιν ἐκεῖθεν οὖσα τὸ γένος, λαβοῦσα δῶρον παρὰ τοῦ τεχνίτου. πρότερον μὲν οὖν ὀψόμενοι τὸν Ἔρωτά τινες ἀνέβαινον ἐπὶ τὴν Θέσπειαν ἄλλως οὐκ οὖσαν ἀξιοθέατον, νυνὶ δὲ μόνη συνέστηκε τῶν Βοιωτιακῶν πόλεων καὶ Τάναγρα· τῶν δʼ ἄλλων ἐρείπια καὶ ὀνόματα λέλειπται.
He calls the present place Thespiae by the name of Thespia, for there are many names, of which some are used both in the singular and in the plural number, in the masculine and in the feminine gender, and some in either one or the other only. It is a city close to Helicon, lying more to the south. The city itself and Helicon are situated on the Crisaean Gulf. Thespiae has an arsenal Creusa, or, as it is also named, Creusia. In the Thespian territory, in the part lying towards Helicon, is Ascra, the birth-place of Hesiod. It is on the right of Helicon, situated upon a lofty and rocky spot, at the distance of about 40 stadia from Thespiae. Hesiod has satirized it in verses addressed to his father, for formerly emigrating (to this place) from Cume in Aetolia, as follows: He dwelt near Helicon in a wretched village, Ascra; bad in winter, in summer intolerable, and worthless at any season. Helicon is contiguous to Phocis on its northern, and partly on its western side, as far as the last harbour of Phocis, which is called from its characteristic situation, Mychus, or the Recess. Just above this part of the Crisaean Gulf, Helicon, Ascra, Thespiae, and its arsenal Creusa, are situated. This is considered as the part of the Crisaen and of the Corinthian Gulf which recedes most inland. The coast extends 90 stadia from the recess of the harbour to Creusa, and thence 120 as far as the promontory called Holmiae. In the most retired part of the Crisaean Gulf, Pagae and Oenoa, which I have already mentioned, are situated.
Helicon, not far distant from Parnassus, rivals it in height and circumference. Both mountains are covered with snow, and are rocky. They do not occupy a circuit of ground of great extent. There are, the fane of the Muses, the Horse-fountain Hippocrene, and the grottoes of the nymphs, the Leibethrides. Hence it might be conjectured, that Helicon was consecrated to the Muses, by Thracians, who dedicated also Pieris, the Leibethrum, and Pimpleia to the same goddesses. The Thracians were called Pieres, and since their expulsion, the Macedonians possess these places.
It has been remarked, that the Thracians, (having expelled the Boeotians by force,) and the Pelasgi, and other barbarous people, settled in this part of Boeotia.
Thespiae was formerly celebrated for a statue of Cupid by Praxiteles. Glycera the courtesan, a native of Thespiae, received it as a present from the artist, and dedicated it as a public offering to her fellow-citizens.
Persons formerly used to repair thither to see the Cupid, where there was nothing else worth seeing. This city, and Tanagra, alone of the Boeotian cities exist at present, while of others there remain nothing but ruins and names.
ὰ δὲ Θεσπιὰς καταλέγει Γραῖαν καὶ Μυκαὶ ὧν εἰρήκαμεν· ὡς δʼ αὕτως καὶ περὶ τῶν ἀμφʼ Ἅρμʼ ἐνέμοντο καὶ Εἰλέσιον καὶ Ἐρύθρας, εἶχον ἠδʼ Ὕλην καὶ Πετεῶνα. Πετεὼν δὲ κώμη τῆς Θηβαΐδος ἐγγὺς τῆς ἐπʼ Ἀνθηδόνα ὁδοῦ, ἡ δʼ Ὠκαλέη μέση Ἁλιάρτου καὶ Ἀλαλκομενίου ἑκατέρου τριάκοντα σταδίους ἀπέχουσα· παραρρεῖ δʼ αὐτὴν ποτάμιον ὁμώνυμον. Μεδεὼν δʼ ὁ μὲν Φωκικὸς ἐν τῷ Κρισαίῳ κόλπῳ, διέχων Βοιωτίας σταδίους ἑκατὸν ἑξήκοντα, ὁ δὲ Βοιωτιακὸς ἀπʼ ἐκείνου κέκληται, πλησίον δʼ ἐστὶν Ὀγχηστοῦ ὑπὸ τῷ Φοινικίῳ ὄρει, ἀφʼ οὗ καὶ μετωνόμασται Φοινικίς· τῆς δὲ Θηβαίας καὶ τοῦτο λέγεται, ων δὲ τῆς Ἁλιαρτίας καὶ Μεδεὼν καὶ Ὠκαλέα.
After Thespiae the poet enumerates Graia and Mycalessus, of which we have before spoken.
He proceeds as before, They who lived near Harma, Eilesium, and Erythrae, / And they who occupied Eleon, Hyle, and Peteon. / Peteon is a village of the Thebais near the road to Anthedon. Ocalea is midway between Haliartus, and Alalcomene, it is distant from each 30 stadia. A small river of the same name flows by it. Medeon, belonging to Phocis, is on the Crisaean Gulf, distant from Boeotia 160 stadia. The Medeon of Boeotia has its name from that in Phocis. It is near Onchestus, under the mountain Phoenicium, whence it has the appellation of Phoenicis. This mountain is likewise assigned to the Theban district, but by others to the territories of Haliartus, as also Medeon and Ocalea.
εἶτά φησι κώπας Εὔτρησίν τε πολυτρήρωνά τε Θίσβην. περὶ μὲν οὖν Κωπῶν εἴρηται· προσάρκτιος δέ ἐστιν ἐπὶ τῇ Κωπαΐδι λίμνῃ· αἱ δʼ ἄλλαι κύκλῳ εἰσὶν αἵδε, Ἀκραιφίαι Φοινικὶς Ὀγχηστὸς Ἁλίαρτος Ὠκαλέα Ἀλαλκομεναὶ Τιλφούσιον Κορώνεια. καὶ τό γε παλαιὸν οὐκ ἦν τῆς λίμνης κοινὸν ὄνομα, ἀλλὰ καθʼ ἑκάστην πρὸς αὐτῇ κατοικίαν ἐκείνης ἐπώνυμος ἐλέγετο, Κωπαῒς μὲν τῶν Κωπῶν, Ἁλιαρτὶς δὲ Ἁλιάρτου, καὶ οὕτως ἐπὶ τῶν ἄλλων, ὕστερον δʼ ἡ πᾶσα Κωπαῒς ἐλέχθη κατʼ ἐπικράτειαν· κοιλότατον γὰρ τοῦτο τὸ χωρίον. Πίνδαρος δὲ καὶ Κηφισσίδα καλεῖ ταύτην· παρατίθησι γοῦν τὴν Τιλφῶσσαν κρήνην ὑπὸ τῷ Τιλφωσσίῳ ὄρει ῥέουσαν πλησίον Ἁλιάρτου καὶ Ἀλαλκομενῶν, ἐφʼ ᾗ τὸ Τειρεσίου μνῆμα· αὐτοῦ δὲ καὶ τὸ τοῦ Τιλνος ἱερόν.
Homer afterwards names, Copae, and Eutresis, and Thisbe, abounding with doves. / We have spoken of Copae. It lies towards the north on the lake Copais. The other cities around are, Acraephiae, Phoenicis, Onchestus, Haliartus, Ocalea, Alalcomenae, Tilphusium, Coroneia. Formerly, the lake had no one general name, but derived its appellation from every settlement on its banks, as Copais from Copae, Haliartis from Haliartus, and other names from other places, but latterly the whole has been called Copaïs, for the lake is remarkable for forming at Copae the deepest hollow. Pindar calls it Cephissis, and places near it, not far from Haliartus and Alalcomenae, the fountain Tilphossa, which flows at the foot of Mount Tilphossius. At the fountain is the monument of Teiresias, and in the same place the temple of the Tilphossian Apollo.
ὁ δὲ ποιητὴς ἐφεξῆς ταῖς Κώπαις Εὔτρησιν τίθησι κώμιον Θεσπιέων· ἐνταῦθά φασι Ζῆθον καὶ Ἀμφίονα οἰκῆσαι πρὶν βασιλεῦσαι Θηβῶν. ἡ δὲ Θίσβη Θίσβαι νῦν λέγονται, οἰκεῖται δὲ μικρὸν ὑπὲρ τῆς θαλάττης ὅμορον Θεσπιεῦσι τὸ χωρίον καὶ τῇ Κορωνειακῇ, ὑποπεπτωκὸς ἐκ τοῦ νοτίου μέρους τῷ Ἑλικῶνι καὶ αὐτό· ἐπίνειον δʼ ἔχει πετρῶδες περιστερῶν μεστόν, ἐφʼ οὗ φησιν ὁ ποιητὴς πολυτρήρωνά τε Θίσβην. πλοῦς δʼ ἐστὶν ἐνθένδε εἰς Σικυῶνα σταδίων ἑκατὸν ἑξήκοντα.
After Copae, the poet mentions Eutresis, a small village of the Thespians. Here Zethus and Amphion lived before they became kings of Thebes.
Thisbē is now called Thisbē. The place is situated a little above the sea-coast on the confines of the Thespienses, and the territory of Coroneia; on the south it lies at the foot of Cithaeron. It has an arsenal in a rocky situation abounding with doves, whence the poet terms it Thisbe, with its flights of doves. / Thence to Sicyon is a voyage of 160 stadia.
ἑξῆς δὲ Κορώνειαν καταλέγει καὶ Ἁλίαρτον καὶ Πλαταιὰς καὶ Γλίσσαντα. ἡ μὲν οὖν Κορώνεια ἐγγὺς τοῦ Ἑλικῶνός ἐστιν ἐφʼ ὕψους ἱδρυμένη, κατελάβοντο δʼ αὐτὴν ἐπανιόντες ἐκ τῆς Θετταλικῆς Ἄρνης οἱ Βοιωτοὶ μετὰ τὰ Τρωικά, ὅτε περ καὶ τὸν Ὀρχομενὸν ἔσχον· κρατήσαντες δὲ τῆς Κορωνείας ἐν τῷ πρὸ αὐτῆς πεδίῳ τὸ τῆς Ἰτωνίας Ἀθηνᾶς ἱερὸν ἱδρύσαντο ὁμώνυμον τῷ Θετταλικῷ, καὶ τὸν παραρρέοντα ποταμὸν Κουάριον προσηγόρευσαν ὁμοφώνως τῷ ἐκεῖ. Ἀλκαῖος δὲ καλεῖ Κωράλιον λέγων ασσʼ Ἀθανάα πολε, ἅ ποι Κορωνίας ἐπὶ λαΐω ναύω πάροιθεν ἀμφι Κωραλίω ποταμῶ παρʼ ὄχθαις. ἐνταῦθα δὲ καὶ τὰ Παμβοιώτια συντέλουν· συγκαθίδρυται δὲ τῇ Ἀθηνᾷ ὁ Ἅιδης κατά τινα, ὥς φασι, μυστικὴν αἰτίαν. οἱ μὲν οὖν ἐν τῇ Κορωνείᾳ Κορώνιοι λέγονται, οἱ δʼ ἐν τῇ Μεσσηνιακῇ Κορωναεῖς.
He next recites the names of Coroneia, Haliartus, Plataeae, and Glissas.
Coroneia is situated upon an eminence, near Helicon. The Boeotians took possession of it on their return from the Thessalian Arne, after the Trojan war, when they also occupied Orchomenus. Having become masters of Coroneia, they built in the plain before the city the temple of the Itonian Minerva, of the same name as that in Thessaly, and called the river flowing by it, Cuarius, the name of the Thessalian river. Alcaeus, however, calls it Coralius in these words, Minerva, warrior queen, who o’er Coroneia keepest watch before thy temple, on the banks of Coralius. The festival Pamboeotia was here celebrated. Hades is associated with Minerva, in the dedication of the temple, for some mystical reason. The inhabitants of the Boeotian Coroneia are called Coronii, those of the Messenian Coroneia, Coronenses.
Ἁλίαρτος δὲ νῦν οὐκέτι ἐστὶ κατασκαφεῖσα ἐν τῷ πρὸς Περσέα πολέμῳ, τὴν χώραν δʼ ἔχουσιν Ἀθηναῖοι δόντων Ῥωμαίων. ἔκειτο δὲ ἐν στενῷ χωρίῳ μεταξὺ ὑπερκειμένου ὄρους καὶ τῆς Κωπαΐδος λίμνης πλησίον τοῦ Περμησσοῦ καὶ τοῦ Ὀλμειοῦ καὶ τοῦ ἕλους τοῦ φύοντος τὸν αὐλητικὸν κάλαμον.
Haliartus is no longer in existence, it was razed in the war against Perseus. The territory is occupied by the Athenians, to whom it was given by the Romans. It was situated in a narrow spot between an overhanging mountain and the lake Copais, near the Permessus, the Olmeius, and the marsh that produces the flute-reed.
Πλαταιαὶ δέ, ἃς ἑνικῶς εἶπεν ὁ ποιητής, ὑπὸ τῷ Κιθαιρῶνί εἰσι μεταξὺ αὐτοῦ καὶ Θηβῶν κατὰ τὴν ὁδὸν τὴν εἰς Ἀθήνας καὶ Μέγαρα ἐπὶ τῶν ὅρων τῶν τῆς Ἀττικῆς καὶ τῆς Βοιωτίας. γὰρ Ἐλευθεραὶ πλησίον, ἃς οἱ μὲν τῆς Βοιωτίας φασίν. εἴρηται δʼ ὅτι παραρρεῖ τὰς Πλαταιὰς ὁ Ἀσωπός. ἐνταῦθα Μαρδόνιον καὶ τὰς τριάκοντα μυριάδας Περσῶν αἱ τῶν Ἑλλήνων δυνάμεις ἄρδην ἠφάνισαν· ἱδρύσαντό τε ἐλευθερίου Διὸς ἱερὸν καὶ ἀγῶνα γυμνικὸν στεφανίτην ἀπέδειξαν, Ἐλευθέρια προσαγορεύσαντες· ταφή τε δείκνυται δημοσία τῶν τελευτησάντων ἐν τῇ μάχῃ. ἔστι δὲ καὶ ἐν τῇ Σικυωνίᾳ δῆμος Πλαταιαί, ὅθενπερ ἦν Μνασάλκης ὁ ποιητής. Γλίσσαντα δὲ λέγει κατοικίαν ἐν τῷ Ὑπάτῳ ὄρει ὅ ἐστιν ἐν τῇ Θηβαϊκῇ πλησίον Τευμησσοῦ καὶ τῆς Καδμείας, ᾧ ίπτει τὸ Ἀόνιον καλούμενον πεδίον, ὃ διατείνει ν ἀπὸ τοῦ Ὑπάτου ὄρους.
Plataeae, which the poet uses in the singular number, lies at the foot of Cithaeron, between this mountain and Thebes, on the road to Athens and Megara; it is on the borders of Attica and Boeotia, for Eleutherae is near, which some say belongs to Attica, others to Boeotia. We have said that the Asopus flows beside Plateae. There the army of the Greeks entirely destroyed Mardonius and three hundred thousand Persians. They dedicated there a temple to Jupiter Eleutherius, and instituted gymnastic games, called Eleutheria, in which the victor was crowned. The tombs erected at the public expense, in honour of those who died in the battle, are to be seen there. In the Sicyonian district is a demus called Plataeae, where the poet Mnasalces was born: the monument of Mnasalces of Plataeae. / Glissas, Homer says, is a village on Mount Hypatus, which is near Teumessus and Cadmeia, in the Theban territory. * * * * * * * beneath is what is called the Aonian plain, which extends from Mount Hypatus [to Cadmeia?].
τὸ δʼ οὕτω ῥηθέν οἵ θʼ ὑπὸ Θήβας εἶχον οἱ μὲν δέχονται πολείδιόν τι Ὑποθήβας καλούμενον, οἱ δὲ τὰς Ποτνίας· τὰς γὰρ Θήβας ἐκλελεῖφθαι διὰ τὴν τῶν Ἐπιγόνων στρατείαν καὶ μὴ μετασχεῖν τοῦ Τρωικοῦ πολέμου· οἱ δὲ μετασχεῖν μὲν οἰκεῖν δὲ ὑπὸ τῇ Καδμείᾳ τότε ἐν τοῖς ἐπιπέδοις χωρίοις μετὰ τὴν τῶν Ἐπιγόνων ἄφοδον, τὴν Καδμείαν ἀδυνατοῦντας ἀνακτίσαι· ἐπεὶ δὲ ἡ Καδμεία ἐκαλεῖτο Θῆβαι, ὑπὸ Θήβας εἰπεῖν ἀντὶ τοῦ ὑπὸ τῇ Καδμείᾳ οἰκοῦντας τὸν ποιητὴν τοὺς τότε Θηβαίους.
By these words of the poet, those who occupied under Thebes, / some understand a small town, called Under-Thebes, others Potniae, for Thebes was abandoned after the expedition of the Epigoni, and took no part in the Trojan war. Others say that they did take part in it, but that they lived at that time under Cadmeia, in the plain country, after the incursion of the Epigoni, being unable to rebuild the Cadmeia. As Thebes was called Cadmeia, the poet says that the Thebans of that time lived under Thebes instead of under Cadmeia.
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