τοῖς δὲ Λοκροῖς τοῖς μὲν ἑσπερίοις συνεχεῖς εἰσιν Αἰτωλοί, τοῖς δʼ Ἐπικνημιδίοις Αἰνιᾶνες συνεχεῖς οἱ τὴν Οἴτην ἔχοντες, καὶ μέσοι Δωριεῖς. οὗτοι μὲν οὖν εἰσιν οἱ τὴν τετράπολιν οἰκήσαντες, ἥν φασιν εἶναι μητρόπολιν τῶν ἁπάντων Δωριέων, πόλεις δʼ ἔσχον Ἐρινεὸν Βοῖον Πίνδον Κυτίνιον· ὑπέρκειται δʼ ἡ Πίνδος τοῦ Ἐρινεοῦ, παραρρεῖ δʼ αὐτὴν ὁμώνυμος ποταμὸς ἐμβάλλων εἰς τὸν Κηφισσὸν οὐ πολὺ τῆς Λιλαίας ἄπωθεν· τινὲς δʼ Ἀκύφαντα λέγουσι τὴν Πίνδον. τούτων ὁ βασιλεὺς Αἰγίμιος ἐκπεσὼν τῆς ἀρχῆς κατήχθη πάλιν, ὡς ἱστοροῦσιν, ὑφʼ Ἡρακλέους· ἀπεμνημόνευσεν οὖν αὐτῷ τὴν χάριν τελευτήσαντι περὶ τὴν Οἴτην· Ὕλλον γὰρ εἰσεποιήσατο τὸν πρεσβύτατον τῶν ἐκείνου παίδων, καὶ διεδέξατο ἐκεῖνος τὴν ἀρχὴν καὶ οἱ ἀπόγονοι. ἐντεῦθεν ὁρμηθεῖσι τοῖς Ἡρακλείδαις ὑπῆρξεν ἡ εἰς Πελοπόννησον κάθοδος.
Aetolians are continuous with the Locri Hesperii, and the Aenianes, who occupy Oeta with the Epicnemidii, and between them Dorians. These last are the people who inhabited the Tetrapolis, which is called the capital of all the Dorians. They possessed the cities Erineus, Boeum, Pindus, Cytinium. Pindus is situated above Erineus. A river of the same name flows beside it, and empties itself into the Cephissus, not far from Lilaea. Some writers call Pindus, Acyphas.
Aegimius, king of these Dorians, when an exile from his kingdom, was restored, as they relate, by Hercules. He requited this favour after the death of Hercules at Oeta by adopting Hyllus, the eldest of the sons of Hercules, and both he and his descendants succeeded him in the kingdom. It was from this place that the Heracleidae set out on their return to Peloponnesus.
τέως μὲν οὖν ἦσαν ἐν ἀξιώματι αἱ πόλεις, καίπερ οὖσαι μικραὶ καὶ λυπρόχωροι, ἔπειτʼ ὠλιγωρήθησαν· ἐν δὲ τῷ Φωκικῷ πολέμῳ καὶ τῇ Μακεδόνων ἐπικρατείᾳ καὶ Αἰτωλῶν καὶ Ἀθαμάνων θαυμαστὸν εἰ καὶ ἴχνος αὐτῶν εἰς Ῥωμαίους ἦλθε. τὰ δʼ αὐτὰ πεπόνθασι καὶ Αἰνιᾶνες· καὶ γὰρ τούτους ἐξέφθειραν Αἰτωλοί τε καὶ Ἀθαμᾶνες, Αἰτωλοὶ μὲν μετὰ Ἀκαρνάνων πολεμοῦντες καὶ μέγα δυνάμενοι, Ἀθαμᾶνες δʼ ὕστατοι τῶν Ἠπειρωτῶν εἰς ἀξίωμα προαχθέντες, ἤδη τῶν ἄλλων ἀπειρηκότων, καὶ μετʼ Ἀμυνάνδρου τοῦ βασιλέως δύναμιν κατασκευασάμενοι. οὗτοι δὲ τὴν Οἴτην διακατεῖχον.
These cities were for some time of importance, although they were small, and their territory not fruitful. They were afterwards neglected. After what they suffered in the Phocian war and under the dominion of the Macedonians, Aetolians, and Athamanes, it is surprising that even a vestige of them should have remained to the time of the Romans.
It was the same with the Aenianes, who were exterminated by Aetolians and Athamanes. The Aetolians were a very powerful people, and carried on war together with the Acarnanians. The Athamanes were the last of the Epeirotae, who attained distinction when the rest were declining, and acquired power by the assistance of their king Amynander. The Aenianes, however, kept possession of Oeta.
τὸ δʼ ὄρος διατείνει ἀπὸ Θερμοπυλῶν καὶ τῆς ἀνατολῆς μέχρι πρὸς τὸν κόλπον τὸν Ἀμβρακικὸν καὶ τὴν ἑσπέραν· τρόπον δέ τινα καὶ πρὸς ὀρθὰς τέμνει τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ Παρνασσοῦ μέχρι Πίνδου καὶ τῶν ὑπερκειμένων βαρβάρων ὀρεινὴν τὸ ὄρος τοῦτο. τούτου δὴ τὸ μὲν πρὸς Θερμοπύλας νενευκὸς μέρος Οἴτη καλεῖται σταδίων διακοσίων τὸ μῆκος, τραχὺ καὶ ὑψηλόν, ὑψηλότατον δὲ κατὰ τὰς Θερμοπύλας· κορυφοῦται γὰρ ἐνταῦθα καὶ τελευτᾷ πρὸς ὀξεῖς καὶ ἀποτόμους μέχρι τῆς θαλάττης κρημνούς, ὀλίγην δʼ ἀπολείπει πάροδον τοῖς ἀπὸ τῆς παραλίας ἐμβάλλουσιν εἰς τοὺς Λοκροὺς ἐκ τῆς Θετταλίας.
This mountain extends from Thermopylae and the east, to the Ambracian Gulf and the west; it may be said to cut at right angles the mountainous tract, extending from Parnassus as far as Pindus, and to the Barbarians who live beyond. The portion of this mountain verging towards Thermopylae is called Oeta; it is 200 stadia in length, rocky and elevated, but the highest part is at Thermopylae, for there it forms a peak, and terminates with acute and abrupt rocks, continued to the sea. It leaves a narrow passage for those who are going from Thessaly to Locris.
τὴν μὲν οὖν πάροδον Πύλας καλοῦσι καὶ στενὰ καὶ Θερμοπύλας· ἔστι γὰρ καὶ θερμὰ πλησίον ὕδατα τιμώμενα ὡς Ἡρακλέους ἱερά· τὸ δʼ ὑπερκείμενον ὄρος Καλλίδρομον· τινὲς δὲ καὶ τὸ λοιπὸν τὸ διʼ Αἰτωλίας καὶ τῆς Ἀκαρνανίας διῆκον μέχρι τοῦ Ἀμβρακικοῦ κόλπου Καλλίδρομον προσαγορεύουσι. πρὸς δὲ ταῖς Θερμοπύλαις ἐστὶ φρούρια ἐντὸς τῶν στενῶν, Νίκαια μὲν ἐπὶ θάλατταν Λοκρῶν, Τειχιοῦς δὲ καὶ Ἡράκλεια ὑπὲρ αὐτῆς, ἡ Τραχὶν καλουμένη πρότερον, Λακεδαιμονίων κτίσμα· διέχει δὲ τῆς ἀρχαίας Τραχῖνος περὶ ἓξ σταδίους ἡ Ἡράκλεια· ἑξῆς δὲ ἡ Ῥοδουντία, χωρίον ἐρυμνόν.
This passage is called Pylae, or gates, straits, and Thermopylae, because near the straits are hot springs, which are held in honour as sacred to Hercules. The mountain above is called Callidromus; but some writers call by the name of Callidromus the remaining part of the range extending through Aetolia and Acarnania to the Ambracian Gulf.
At Thermopylae within the straits are strongholds, as Nicaea, on the sea of the Locri, Teichius and Heracleia above it, formerly called Trachin, founded by the Lacedaemonians. Heracleia is distant from the ancient Trachin about 6 stadia. Next follows Rhoduntia, strong by its position.
ποιεῖ δὲ δυσείσβολα τὰ χωρία ταῦτα ἥ τε τραχύτης καὶ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν ὑδάτων φάραγγας ποιούντων, ἃς διέξεισι. πρὸς γὰρ τῷ Σπερχειῷ τῷ παραρρέοντι τὴν Ἀντικύραν καὶ ὁ Δύρας ἐστίν, ὅν φασιν ἐπιχειρῆσαι τὴν Ἡρακλέους σβέσαι πυράν· καὶ ἄλλος Μέλας διέχων Τραχῖνος εἰς πέντε σταδίους. πρὸς δὲ μεσημβρίαν τῆς Τραχῖνος φησὶν Ἡρόδοτος εἶναι βαθεῖαν διασφάγα, διʼ ἧς Ἀσωπός, ὁμώνυμος τοῖς εἰρημένοις Ἀσωποῖς, εἰς τὴν θάλατταν ἐκπίπτει τὴν ἐκτὸς Πυλῶν, παραλαβὼν καὶ τὸν Φοίνικα ἐκ τῆς μεσημβρίας συμβάλλοντα αὐτῷ, ὁμώνυμον τῷ ἥρωι, οὗ καὶ τάφος πλησίον δείκνυται· στάδιοι δʼ εἰσὶν ἐπὶ Θερμοπύλας ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἀσωποῦ πεντεκαίδεκα.
These places are rendered difficult of access by a rocky country, and by bodies of water, forming ravines through which they pass. For besides the Spercheius, which flows past Anticyra, there is the Dyras, which, it is said, endeavoured to extinguish the funeral pile of Hercules, and another river, the Melas, distant about 5 stadia from Trachin. Herodotus says, that to the south of Trachin there is a deep fissure, through which the Asopus, (which has the same name as other rivers that we have mentioned,) empties itself into the sea without the Pylae, having received the river Phoenix which flows from the south, and unites with it. The latter river bears the name of the hero, whose tomb is shown near it. From the Asopus (Phoenix?) to Thermopylae are 15 stadia.
τότε μὲν οὖν ἦν ἐνδοξότατα τὰ χωρία ταῦτα, ἡνίκα τῶν κλείθρων ἐκυρίευε τῶν περὶ τὰ στενά, καὶ τοῖς ἔξω τῶν στενῶν πρὸς τοὺς ἐντὸς ἦσαν ἀγῶνες πρωτείων· καθάπερ καὶ πέδας ἐκάλει Φίλιππος τῆς Ἑλλάδος τὴν Χαλκίδα καὶ τὴν Κόρινθον, πρὸς τὰς ἐκ τῆς Μακεδονίας ἀφορμὰς βλέπων· ἐπιδέσμους δʼ οἱ ὕστερον προσηγόρευον ταύτας τε καὶ ἔτι τὴν Δημητριάδα· καὶ γὰρ αὕτη παρόδων ἦν κυρία τῶν περὶ τὰ Τέμπη, τό τε Πήλιον ἔχουσα καὶ τὴν Ὄσσαν. ὕστερον δὲ πάντων ὑπὸ μίαν ἐξουσίαν ὑπηγμένων, ἅπαντʼ ἀτελεύεται πᾶσι καὶ ἀνέῳγε.
These places were of the greatest celebrity when they formed the keys of the straits. There were frequent contests for the ascendency between the inhabitants without and those within the straits. Philip used to call Chalcis and Corinth the fetters of Greece with reference to the opportunity which they afforded for invasions from Macedonia; and persons in later times called both these places and Demetrias the fetters, for Demetrias commanding Pelion and Ossa, commanded also the passes at Tempe. Afterwards, however, when the whole country was subject to one power, the passes were freely open to all.
περὶ δὲ τὰ στενὰ ταῦτα οἱ περὶ Λεωνίδαν μετὰ ὀλίγων τῶν ὁμόρων τοῖς τόποις ἀντέσχον πρὸς τὰς τοσαύτας τῶν Περσῶν δυνάμεις, μέχρι περιελθόντες διʼ ἀτραπῶν τὰ ὄρη κατέκοψαν αὐτοὺς οἱ βάρβαροι. καὶ νῦν τὸ πολυάνδριον ἐκείνων ἐστὶ καὶ στῆλαι καὶ ἡ θρυλουμένη ἐπιγραφὴ τῇ Λακεδαιμονίων στήλῃ οὕτως ἔχουσα ὦ ξένʼ ἀπάγγειλον Λακεδαιμονίοις ὅτι τῇδε κείμεθα τοῖς κείνων πειθόμενοι νομίμοις.
It was at these straits that Leonidas and his companions, together with a small body of persons from the neighbourhood, resisted the numerous forces of the Persians, until the Barbarians, making a circuit of the mountains along narrow paths, surrounded and cut them to pieces. Their place of burial, the Polyandrium, is still to be seen there, and the celebrated inscription sculptured on the Lacedaemonian pillar; Stranger, go tell Lacedaemon that we lie here in obedience to her laws.
ἔστι δὲ καὶ λιμὴν μέγας αὐτόθι καὶ Δήμητρος ἱερόν, ἐν ᾧ κατὰ πᾶσαν Πυλαίαν θυσίαν ἐτέλουν οἱ Ἀμφικτύονες. ἐκ δὲ τοῦ λιμένος εἰς Ἡράκλειαν τὴν Τραχῖνα πεζῇ στάδιοι τετταράκοντα, πλοῦς δʼ ἐπὶ τὸ Κήναιον ἑβδομήκοντα. ἔξω δὲ Πυλῶν εὐθὺς ὁ Σπερχειὸς ἐκδίδωσιν. ἐπὶ δὲ Πύλας ἀπὸ Εὐρίπου στάδιοι πεντακόσιοι τριάκοντα. καὶ ἡ μὲν Λοκρὶς τέλος ἔχει. τὰ δʼ ἔξω Θετταλῶν ἐστι τὰ πρὸς ἕω καὶ τὸν Μαλιακὸν κόλπον, τὰ δὲ πρὸς δύσιν Αἰτωλῶν καὶ Ἀκαρνάνων. Ἀθαμᾶνες δὲ καὶ αὐτοὶ ἐκλελοίπασι.
There is also a large harbour here and a temple of Ceres, in which the Amphictyons at the time of every Pylaean assembly offered sacrifice. From the harbour to the Heracleian Trachin are 40 stadia by land, but by sea to Cenaeum it is 70 stadia. The Spercheius empties itself immediately without the Pylae. To Pylae from the Euripus are 530 stadia. And here Locris terminates. The parts without the Pylae towards the east, and the Maliac Gulf, belong to the Thessalians; those towards the west, to the Aetolians and Acarnanians. The Athamanes are extinct.
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