ἑξῆς δὲ τοὺς ὑπὸ τῷ Εὐμήλῳ καταλέγει, τὴν συνεχῆ παραλίαν, ἥπερ ἐστὶν ἤδη Μαγνησίας καὶ τῆς Πελασγιώτιδος γῆς. Φεραὶ μὲν οὖν εἰσι πέρας τῶν Πελασγικῶν πεδίων πρὸς τὴν Μαγνησίαν, ἃ παρατείνει μέχρι τοῦ Πηλίου σταδίους ἑκατὸν ἑξήκοντα. ἐπίνειον δὲ τῶν Φερῶν Παγασαὶ διέχον ἐνενήκοντα σταδίους αὐτῶν, Ἰωλκοῦ δὲ εἴκοσιν. ἡ δʼ Ἰωλκὸς κατέσκαπται μὲν ἐκ παλαιοῦ, ἐντεῦθεν δʼ ἔστειλε τὸν Ἰάσονα καὶ τὴν Ἀργὼ Πελίας· ἀπὸ δὲ τῆς ναυπηγίας τῆς Ἀργοῦς καὶ Παγασὰς λέγεσθαι μυθεύουσι τὸν τόπον, οἱ δὲ πιθανώτερον ἡγοῦνται τοὔνομα τῷ τόπῳ τεθῆναι τοῦτο ἀπὸ τῶν πηγῶν αἳ πολλαί τε καὶ δαψιλεῖς ῥέουσι· πλησίον δὲ καὶ Ἀφέται ὡς ἂν ἀφετήριόν τι τῶν Ἀργοναυτῶν. τῆς δὲ Δημητριάδος ἑπτὰ σταδίους ὑπέρκειται τῆς θαλάττης Ἰωλκός. ἔκτισε δὲ Δημήτριος ὁ πολιορκητὴς ἐπώνυμον ἑαυτοῦ τὴν Δημητριάδα μεταξὺ Νηλείας καὶ Παγασῶν ἐπὶ θαλάττῃ τὰς πλησίον πολίχνας εἰς αὐτὴν συνοικίσας, Νήλειάν τε καὶ Παγασὰς καὶ Ὀρμένιον, ἔτι δὲ Ῥιζοῦντα Σηπιάδα Ὀλιζῶνα Βοίβην Ἰωλκόν, αἳ δὴ νῦν εἰσι κῶμαι τῆς Δημητριάδος. καὶ δὴ καὶ ναύσταθμον ἦν τοῦτο καὶ βασίλειον μέχρι πολλοῦ τοῖς βασιλεῦσι τῶν Μακεδόνων, ἐπεκράτει δὲ καὶ τῶν Τεμπῶν καὶ τῶν ὀρῶν ἀμφοῖν, ὥσπερ εἴρηται, τοῦ τε Πηλίου καὶ τῆς Ὄσσης· νῦν δὲ συνέσταλται μέν, τῶν δʼ ἐν τῇ Μαγνησίᾳ πασῶν ὅμως διαφέρει. ἡ δὲ Βοιβηὶς λίμνη πλησιάζει μὲν ταῖς Φεραῖς, συνάπτει δὲ καὶ τοῖς ἀπολήγουσι τοῦ Πηλίου πέρασι καὶ τῆς Μαγνησίας· Βοίβη δὲ χωρίον ἐπὶ τῇ λίμνῃ κείμενον. καθάπερ δὲ τὴν Ἰωλκὸν αὐξηθεῖσαν ἐπὶ πλέον κατέλυσαν αἱ στάσεις καὶ αἱ τυραννίδες, οὕτως καὶ τὰς Φερὰς συνέστειλαν ἐξαρθείσας ποτὲ καὶ συγκαταλυθείσας τοῖς τυράννοις. πλησίον δὲ τῆς Δημητριάδος ὁ Ἄναυρος ῥεῖ. καλεῖται δὲ καὶ συνεχὴς αἰγιαλὸς Ἰωλκός· ἐνταῦθα δὲ καὶ τὴν Πυλαϊκὴν πανήγυριν συνετέλουν. ὁ δʼ Ἀρτεμίδωρος ἀπωτέρω τῆς Δημητριάδος τίθησι τὸν Παγασιτικὸν κόλπον εἰς τοὺς ὑπὸ Φιλοκτήτῃ τόπους· ἐν δὲ τῷ κόλπῳ φησὶν εἶναι τὴν Κικύνηθον νῆσον καὶ πολίχνην ὁμώνυμον.
The poet next mentions the people under Eumelus, and the continuous tract of coast which now belongs to Magnesia, and the Pelasgiotis.
Pherae is the termination of the Pelasgic plains towards Magnesia, which plains extend as far as Pelion, a distance of 160 stadia. Pagasae is the naval arsenal of Pherae, from which it is distant 90 stadia, and 20 from Iolcus. Iolcus has been razed from ancient times. It was from this place that Pelias despatched Jason and the ship Argo. Pagasae had its name, according to mythologists, from the building of the ship Argo at this place. Others, with more probability, suppose that the name of the place was derived from the springs, (πηγαί,) which are very numerous and copious. Near it is Aphetae, (so named) as the starting-place from which the Argonauts set off. Iolcus is situated 7 stadia from Demetrias, overlooking the sea. Demetrias was founded by Demetrius Poliorcetes, who called it after his own name. It is situated between Nelia and Pagasae on the sea. He collected there the inhabitants of the neighbouring small cities, Nelia, Pagasae, Ormenium, and besides these, Rhizus, Sepias, Olizon, Boebe, and Iolcus, which are at present villages belonging to Demetrias. For a long time it was a station for vessels, and a royal seat of the Macedonian kings. It had the command of Tempe, and of both the mountains Pelion and Ossa. At present its extent of power is diminished, yet it still surpasses all the cities in Magnesia.
The lake Boebeis is near Pherae, and approaches close to the extremities of Pelion and Magnesia. Boebe is a small place situated on the lake.
As civil dissensions and usurpations reduced the flourishing condition of Iolcus, formerly so powerful, so they affected Pherae in the same manner, which was raised to prosperity, and was destroyed by tyrants.
Near Demetrias flows the Anaurus. The continuous line of coast is called also Iolcus. Here was held the Pylaic (Peliac?) assembly and festival.
Artemidorus places the Gulf of Pagasae farther from Demetrias, near the places subject to Philoctetes. In the gulf he says is the island Cicynethus, and a small town of the same name.
ἑξῆς δʼ αἱ ὑπὸ Φιλοκτήτῃ πόλεις καταλέγονται. ἡ μὲν οὖν Μηθώνη ἑτέρα ἐστὶ τῆς Θρᾳκίας Μεθώνης, ἣν κατέσκαψε Φίλιππος· ἐμνήσθημεν δὲ καὶ πρότερον τῆς τῶν ὀνομάτων τούτων καὶ τῶν ἐν Πελοποννήσῳ […] τροπῆς· τἆλλα δὲ ηρίθμηται, ἥ τε Θαυμακία καὶ ὼν καὶ ἡ Μελίβοια, τῆς ἑξῆς παραλίας ἐστίν. πρόκεινται δὲ τῶν Μαγνήτων νῆσοι συχναὶ μέν, αἱ δʼ ἐν ὀνόματι Σκίαθός τε καὶ Πεπάρηθος καὶ Ἰκὸς Ἁλόννησός τε καὶ Σκῦρος, ὁμωνύμους ἔχουσαι πόλεις. μάλιστα δʼ ἐστὶν ἐν ὀνόματι Σκῦρος διὰ τὴν Λυκομήδους πρὸς Ἀχιλλέα οἰκειότητα καὶ τὴν Νεοπτολέμου τοῦ Ἀχιλλέως ἐνταῦθα γένεσίν τε καὶ ἐκτροφήν. ὕστερον δὲ Φίλιππος αὐξηθείς, ὁρῶν Ἀθηναίους ἐπικρατοῦντας τῆς θαλάττης καὶ τῶν νήσων ἄρχοντας καὶ τούτων καὶ τῶν ἄλλων, ἐποίησε τὰς πλησίον ἑαυτῷ μάλιστα ἐνδόξους. πολεμῶν γὰρ περὶ τῆς ἡγεμονίας ἐπεχείρει πρώτοις ἀεὶ τοῖς ἐγγύθεν, καὶ καθάπερ αὐτῆς τῆς Μαγνήτιδος τὰ πολλὰ μέρη Μακεδονίαν ἐποίησε καὶ τῆς Θρᾴκης καὶ τῆς ἄλλης τῆς κύκλῳ γῆς, οὕτω καὶ τὰς πρὸ τῆς Μαγνησίας νήσους ἀφῃρεῖτο, καὶ τὰς ὑπʼ οὐδενὸς γνωριζομένας πρότερον περιμαχήτους καὶ γνωρίμους ἐποίει. τὴν δʼ οὖν Σκῦρον καὶ μάλιστα μὲν αἱ ἀρχαιολογίαι συνιστῶσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα θρυλεῖσθαι ποιεῖ, οἷον αἱ τῶν αἰγῶν ἀρεταὶ τῶν Σκυρίων, καὶ τὰ μέταλλα τῆς ποικίλης λίθου τῆς Σκυρίας, καθάπερ τῆς Καρυστίας καὶ τῆς Δοκιμαίας ἢ Συνναδικῆς, καὶ τῆς Ἱεραπολιτικῆς. μονολίθους γὰρ κίονας καὶ πλάκας μεγάλας ὁρᾶν ἔστιν ἐν τῇ Ῥώμῃ τῆς ποικίλης λιθείας, ἀφʼ ἧς ἡ πόλις κοσμεῖται δημοσίᾳ τε καὶ ἰδίᾳ, πεποίηκέ τε τὰ λευκόλιθα οὐ πολλοῦ ἄξια.
The poet next enumerates the cities subject to Philoctetes.
Methone is not the Thracian Methone razed by Philip. We have already noticed the change of name these places and others in the Peloponnesus have undergone. Other places enumerated as subject to Philoctetes, are Thaumacia, Olizon, and Meliboea, all along the shore next adjacent.
In front of the Magnetes lie clusters of islands; the most celebrated are Sciathus, Peparethus, Icus, Halonnesus, and Scyrus, which contain cities of the same name. Scyrus however is the most famous of any for the friendship which subsisted between Lycomedes and Achilles, and for the birth and education of Neoptolemus, the son of Achilles. In after times, when Philip became powerful, perceiving that the Athenians were masters of the sea, and sovereigns both of these and other islands, he made those islands which lay near his own country more celebrated than any of the rest. For as his object in waging war was the sovereignty of Greece, he attacked those places first which were near him; and as he attached to Macedonia many parts of Magnesia itself, of Thrace, and of the rest of the surrounding country, so also he seized upon the islands in front of Magnesia, and made the possession of islands which were before entirely unknown, a subject of warlike contention, and brought them into notice.
Scyrus however is particularly celebrated in ancient histories. It is also highly reputed for the excellence of its goats, and the quarries of variegated marble, such as the Carystian, the Deucallian, (Docimaean?) the Synnadic, and the Hierapolitic kinds. For there may be seen at Rome columns, consisting of a single stone, and large slabs of variegated marble, (from Scyrus,) with which the city is embellished both at the public charge and at the expense of individuals, which has caused works of white marble to be little esteemed.
Cite This Text