ὁ δʼ οὖν ποιητὴς μέχρι δεῦρο προελθὼν τῆς Μαγνητικῆς παραλίας ἐπάνεισιν ἐπὶ τὴν ἄνω Θετταλίαν· καὶ γὰρ τὰ παρατείνοντα τῇ Φ, ἀρξάμενος ἀπὸ τῆς Δολοπίας καὶ τῆς Πίνδου, κάτω Θετταλίας διέξεισιν οἳ δʼ εἶχον Τρίκκην καὶ Ἰθώμην κλωμακόεσσαν. ταῦτα τὰ χωρία ἔστι μὲν τῆς Ἱστιαιώτιδος, ἐκαλεῖτο δʼ, ὥς φασι, πρότερον Δωρίς· κατασχόντων δὲ τῶν Περραιβῶν αὐτήν, οἳ καὶ τῆς Εὐβοίας τὴν Ἱστιαιῶτιν κατεστρέψαντο καὶ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους εἰς τὴν ἤπειρον ἀνέσπασαν, διὰ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν ἐποικησάντων Ἱστιαίων τὴν χώραν ἀπʼ ἐκείνων οὕτως ἐκάλεσαν. καλοῦσι δὲ καὶ τὴν Δολοπίαν τὴν ἄνω Θετταλίαν, ἐπʼ εὐθείας οὖσα Μακεδονίᾳ, καθάπερ καὶ τὴν κάτω τῇ κάτω. ἔστι δʼ ἡ μὲν Τρίκκη, ὅπου τὸ ἱερὸν τοῦ Ἀσκληπιοῦ τὸ ἀρχαιότατον καὶ ἐπιφανέστατον, ὅμορος τοῖς τε Δόλοψιν καὶ τοῖς περὶ τὴν Πίνδον τόποις. τὴν δʼ Ἰθώμην ὁμωνύμως τῇ Μεσσηνιακῇ λεγομένην οὔ φασι δεῖν οὕτως ἐκφέρειν, ἀλλὰ τὴν πρώτην συλλαβὴν ἀφαιρεῖν· οὕτω γὰρ καλεῖσθαι πρότερον, νῦν δὲ Ἰθώμη μετωνομάσθαι, χωρίον ἐρυμνὸν καὶ τῷ ὄντι κλωμακόεν, ἱδρυμένον μεταξὺ τεττάρων φρουρίων ὥσπερ ἐν τετραπλεύρῳ κειμένων, Τρίκκης τε καὶ Μητροπόλεως καὶ Πελινναίου καὶ Γόμφων. τῆς δὲ δὴ Μητροπολιτῶν ἐστι χώρας ἡ Ἰθώμη. ἡ δὲ Μητρόπολις πρότερον μὲν ἐκ τριῶν συνῴκιστο πολιχνίων ἀσήμων, ὕστερον δὲ καὶ πλείους προσελήφθησαν, ὧν ἦν καὶ ἡ Ἰθώμη. Καλλίμαχος μὲν οὖν φησιν ἐν τοῖς ἰάμβοις τὰς Ἀφροδίτας (ἡ θεὸς γὰρ οὐ μία) τὴν Καστνιῆτιν ὑπερβάλλεσθαι πάσας τῷ φρονεῖν, ὅτι μόνη παραδέχεται τὴν τῶν ὑῶν θυσίαν. καὶ μὴν πολυίστωρ, εἴ τις ἄλλος, καὶ πάντα τὸν βίον, ὡς αὐτὸς εἴρηκεν, ὁ ταῦτα μυθεῖσθαι βουλόμενος. οἱ δʼ ὕστερον ἤλεγξαν οὐ μίαν Ἀφροδίτην μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ πλείους ἀποδεδεγμένας τὸ ἔθος τοῦτο, ὧν εἶναι καὶ τὴν ἐν τῇ Μητροπόλει· ταύτῃ δὲ μίαν τῶν συνοικισθεισῶν εἰς αὐτὴν πόλεων παραδοῦναι τὸ ἔθος Ὀνθύριον. ἔστι δὲ καὶ Φαρκαδὼν ἐν τῇ Ἱστιαιώτιδι, καὶ ῥεῖ διʼ αὐτῶν ὁ Πηνειὸς καὶ ὁ Κουράλιος· ὧν ὁ Κουράλιος ῥυεὶς παρὰ τὸ τῆς Ἰτωνίας Ἀθηνᾶς ἱερὸν εἰς τὸν Πηνειὸν ἐξίησιν, αὐτὸς δʼ ὁ Πηνειὸς ἄρχεται μὲν ἐκ Πίνδου, καθάπερ εἴρηται, ἐν ἀριστερᾷ δʼ ἀφεὶς Τρίκκην τε καὶ Πελινναῖον καὶ Φαρκαδόνα φέρεται παρά τε Ἄτρακα καὶ Λάρισαν, καὶ τοὺς ἐν τῇ Θετταλιώτιδι δεξάμενος ποταμοὺς πρόεισι διὰ τῶν Τεμπῶν ἐπὶ τὰς ἐκβολάς. τὴν δʼ Οἰχαλίαν πόλιν Εὐρύτου λεγομένην ἔν τε τοῖς τόποις τούτοις ἱστοροῦσι καὶ ἐν Εὐβοίᾳ καὶ ἐν Ἀρκαδίᾳ, καὶ μετονομάζουσιν ἄλλως, ὃ καὶ ἐν τοῖς Πελοποννησιακοῖς εἴρηται. περὶ δὲ τούτων ζητοῦσι καὶ μάλιστα τίς ἦν ἡ ὑπὸ Ἡρακλέους ἁλοῦσα, καὶ περὶ τίνος συνέγραψεν ὁ ποιήσας τὴν Οἰχαλίας ἅλωσιν. ταῦτα μὲν δὴ τὰ χωρία τοῖς Ἀσκληπιάδαις ὑπέταξεν.
The poet having proceeded so far along the Magnesian coast, returns to Upper Thessaly, for beginning from Dolopia and Pindus he goes through the region extending along Phthiotis to Lower Thessaly. They who occupy Tricca and rocky Ithome. / These places belong to Histiaeotis, which was formerly called Doris. When it was in the possession of the Perrhaebi, who destroyed Histiaeotis in Euboea, and had removed the inhabitants by force to the continent, they gave the country the name of Histiaeotis, on account of the great numbers of Histiaeans among the settlers. This country and Dolopia are called Upper Thessaly, which is in a straight line with Upper Macedonia, as Lower Thessaly is in a straight line with Lower Macedonia.
Tricca, where there is a very ancient and famous temple of Aesculapius, borders upon the Dolopes, and the parts about Pindus.
Ithome, which has the same name as the Messenian Ithome, ought not, they say, to be pronounced in this manner, but should be pronounced without the first syllable, Thome, for this was its former name. At present, it is changed to [Thumaeum]. It is a spot strong by nature, and in reality rocky. It lies between four strong-holds, which form a square, Tricca, Metropolis, Pelinnaeum, and Gomphi. Ithome belongs to the district of the Metropolitae. Metropolis was formed at first out of three small obscure cities, and afterwards more were included, and among these Ithome. Callimachus says in his Iambics, among the Venuses, (for the goddess bears several titles,) Venus Castnietis surpasses all others in wisdom, for she alone accepts the sacrifice of swine. Certainly Callimachus, if any person could be said to possess information, was well informed, and it was his object, as he himself says, all his life to relate these fables. Later writers, however, have proved that there was not one Venus only, but several, who accepted that sacrifice, from among whom the goddess worshipped at Metropolis came, and that this [foreign] rite was delivered down by one of the cities which contributed to form that settlement. Pharcadon also is situated in the Hestioeotis. The Peneius and the Curalius flow through it. The Curalius, after flowing beside the temple of the Itonian Minerva, empties itself into the Peneius.
The Peneius itself rises in Mount Pindus, as I have before said. It leaves Tricca, Pelinnaeum, and Pharcadon on the left hand, and takes its course beside Atrax and Larisa. After having received the rivers of the Thessaliotis it flows onwards through Tempe, and it empties itself into the sea.
Historians speak of Oechalia, the city of Eurytus, as existing in these parts, in Euboea also, and in Arcadia; but some give it one name, others another, as I have said in the description of Peloponnesus.
They inquire particularly, which of these was the city taken by Hercules, and which was the city intended by the author of the poem, The Capture of Oechalia?
The places, however, were subject to the Asclepiadae.
ἑξῆς δὲ λέγει τὴν ὑπʼ Εὐρυπύλῳ οἳ δʼ ἔχον Ὀρμένιον οἵ τε κρήνην Ὑπέρειαν, οἵ τʼ ἔχον Ἀστέριον Τιτάνοιό τε λευκὰ κάρηνα. τὸ μὲν οὖν Ὀρμένιον νῦν Ὀρμίνιον καλεῖται, ἔστι δʼ ὑπὸ τῷ Πηλίῳ κώμη κατὰ τὸν Παγασιτικὸν κόλπον τῶν συνῳκισμένων εἰς τὴν Δημητριάδα πόλεων, ὡς εἴρηται. ἀνάγκη δὲ καὶ τὴν Βοιβηίδα λίμνην εἶναι πλησίον, ἐπειδὴ καὶ ἡ Βοίβη τῶν περιοικίδων ἦν τῆς Δημητριάδος καὶ αὐτὸ τὸ Ὀρμένιον. τὸ μὲν οὖν Ὀρμένιον ἀπέχει τῆς Δημητριάδος πεζῇ σταδίους ἑπτὰ καὶ εἴκοσιν, ὁ δὲ τῆς Ἰωλκοῦ τόπος ἐν ὁδῷ κείμενος τῆς μὲν Δημητριάδος ἑπτὰ σταδίους διέστηκε, τοῦ δʼ Ὀρμενίου τοὺς λοιποὺς σταδίους εἴκοσι. φησὶ δʼ ὁ Σκήψιος ἐκ τοῦ Ὀρμενίου τὸν Φοίνικα εἶναι, καὶ φεύγειν αὐτὸν ἐνθένδε παρὰ τοῦ πατρὸς Ἀμύντορος Ὀρμενίδαο εἰς τὴν Φθίαν ἐς Πηλῆα ἄνακτα. ἐκτίσθαι γὰρ ὑπὸ Ὀρμένου τὸ χωρίον τοῦτο τοῦ Κερκάφου τοῦ Αἰόλου· παῖδας δὲ τοῦ Ὀρμένου γενέσθαι τόν τε Ἀμύντορα καὶ Εὐαίμονα, ὧν τοῦ μὲν εἶναι Φοίνικα τοῦ δʼ Εὐρύπυλον· φυλαχθῆναι δὲ τῷ Εὐρυπύλῳ τὴν διαδοχὴν κοινήν, ἅτε ἂν ἀπελθόντος τοῦ Φοίνικος ἐκ τῆς οἰκείας· καὶ δὴ καὶ γράφει οὕτως οἷον ὅτε πρῶτον λίπον Ὀρμένιον πολύμηλον, ἀντὶ τοῦ λίπον Ἑλλάδα καλλιγύναικα. Κράτης δὲ Φωκέα ποιεῖ τὸν Φοίνικα, τεκμαιρόμενος ἐκ τοῦ κράνους τοῦ Μέγητος ᾧ ἐχρήσατο ὁ Ὀδυσσεὺς κατὰ τὴν νυκτεγερσίαν, περὶ οὗ φησιν ὁ ποιητὴς ὅτι ἐξ Ἐλεῶνος Ἀμύντορος Ὀρμενίδαο ἐξέλετʼ Αὐτόλυκος, πυκινὸν δόμον ἀντιτορήσας. τόν τε γὰρ Ἐλεῶνα ἐν τῷ Παρνασσῷ πολίχνιον εἶναι, τόν τε Ὀρμενίδην Ἀμύντορα οὐκ ἄλλον τινὰ λέγεσθαι ἢ τὸν τοῦ Φοίνικος πατέρα, καὶ τὸν Αὐτόλυκον οἰκοῦντα ἐν τῷ Παρνασσῷ τοιχωρυχεῖν τὰ τῶν γειτόνων, ὅπερ κοινόν ἐστι τοιχωρύχου παντός, οὐ τὰ τῶν πόρρωθεν. ὁ δὲ Σκήψιός φησι μήτε Ἐλεῶνα μηδένα τόπον τοῦ Παρνασσοῦ δείκνυσθαι, ἀλλὰ Νεῶνα, καὶ ταύτην οἰκισθεῖσαν μετὰ τὰ Τρωικά, μήτʼ ἐκ γειτόνων τὰς τοιχωρυχίας γίνεσθαι μόνον. καὶ ἄλλα δʼ ἐστὶν ἃ λέγοι τις ἄν, ἀλλʼ οὖν ὀκνῶ διατρίβειν ἐπὶ πλέον. ἄλλοι δὲ γράφουσιν ἐξ Ἑλεῶνος· Ταναγρικὴ δέ ἐστιν αὕτη· καὶ μᾶλλον ἐλέγχοι ἀτόπως ἂν λεγόμενον τό φεῦγον ἔπειτʼ ἀπάνευθε διʼ Ἑλλάδος, Φθίην δʼ ἐξικόμην. ἡ δʼ Ὑπέρεια κρήνη ἐν μέσῃ ἐστὶ τῇ Φεραίων πόλει Εὐμήλου οὔσῃ· ἄτοπον τοίνυν λῳ. Τίτανος δʼ ἀπὸ τοῦ συμβεβηκότος ὠνομάσθη· λευκόγεων γάρ ἐστι τὸ χωρίον Ἄρνης πλησίον καὶ τῶν· καὶ τὸ Ἀστέριον δʼ οὐκ ἄπωθεν τούτων ἐστί.
The poet next mentions the country which was under the dominion of Eurypylus; They who possessed Ormenium and the spring Hypereia, / And they who occupied Asterium and the white peaks of Titanus. /
Ormenium is now called Orminium. It is a village situated below Pelion, near the Pagasitic Gulf, but was one of the cities which contributed to form the settlement of Demetrias, as I have before said.
The lake Boebeis must be near, because both Boebe and Ormenium belonged to the cities lying around Demetrias.
Ormenium is distant by land 27 stadia from Demetrias. The site of Iolcus, which is on the road, is distant 7 stadia from Demetrias, and the remaining 20 from Ormenium.
Demetrius of Scepsis says, that Phoenix came from Ormenium, and that he fled thence from his father Amyntor, the son of Ormenus, to Phthia, to king Peleus. For this place was founded by Ormenus, the son of Cercaphus, the son of Aeolus. The sons of Ormenus were Amyntor and Eumaemon; the son of the former was Phoenix, and of the latter, Eurypylus. The succession to his possessions was preserved secure for Eurypylus, after the departure of Phoenix from his home, and we ought to write the verse of the poet in this manner: as when I first left Ormenium, abounding with flocks, / instead of left Hellas, abounding with beautiful women. /
But Crates makes Phoenix a Phocaean, conjecturing this from the helmet of Meges, which Ulysses wore on the night expedition; of which helmet the poet says, Autolycus brought it away from Eleon, out of the house of Amyntor, the son of Ormenus, having broken through the thick walls.
Now Eleon was a small city on Parnassus, and by Amyntor, the son of Ormenus, he could not mean any other person than the father of Phoenix, and that Autolycus, who lived on Parnassus, was in the habit of digging through the houses of his neighbours, which is the common practice of every housebreaker, and not of persons living at a distance. But Demetrius the Scepsian says, that there is no such place on Parnassus as Eleon, but Neon, which was built after the Trojan war, and that digging through houses was not confined to robbers of the neighbourhood. Other things might be advanced, but I am unwilling to insist long on this subject. Others write the words from Heleon; / but this is a Tanagrian town; and the words Then far away I fled through Hellas and came to Phthia, / would make this passage absurd.
Hypereia is a spring in the middle of the city of the Pheraei [subject to Eumelus]. It would therefore be absurd [to assign it to Eurypylus].
Titanus had its name from the accident of its colour, for the soil of the country near Arne and [Aphe]tae is white, and Asterium is not far from these places.
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