Page:The Natural History of Pliny.djvu/314

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280 plikt's NATUEAL HISTOET. [Book IV; CHAP. 6. (5.) — ACHAIA. The province called Acliaia^ begins at the Isthmus ; from the circumstance of its cities being ranged in regular suc- cession on its coast, it formerly had the name of ^gialos^ The first place there is Lecheae, already mentioned, a port of the Corinthians ; next to which is Olyros^, a fortress of the people of Pellene'* ; then the former towns of Helice and Bura^, and the places in which their inhabitants took refuge after their towns had been swallowed up by the sea, Sicyon^ namely, ^gira^, ^gium, and Erineos^. In the interior are Cleonae and Hysise^ ; then come the port of Panormus^", and E/hium already mentioned ; from which promontory, Patrae, of which we have previously spoken, is distant five miles ; and then the place where Pherae" stood. Of the nine mountains of Achaia, Scioessa is the most famous ; there is also the fountain of Cymothoe. Beyond Patrae we find the town of Olenum^^, the colony of Dyme^^, the places where Bupra- 1 Originally a district in the south of Thessaly had this name ; but to distinguish it from that in the Peloponnesus, its people were called the Phtliiotian Acheei. 2 From the Greek word alyiaXo^, " the sea-shore." 3 Situate on the coast, about five miles from the present Yostitzat •< In the interior. The modern Trikala stands on its site. ^ Hehce Avas the place of meeting of the Achsean league ; when, in B.C. 373, together with Biira, it was swallowed up by an earthquake, and their sites were covered by the sea. Such of the people as escaped fled to the places mentioned above by Phny. Pouqueville says that some remains of these places may still be seen emerging from the sea.

  • The modern BasUico or Vasihka stands on its site.

7 The places called Palseo-Kastro and Vostitza are supposed to occupy tlie sites of ^gvca and ^gium. To the east of Vostitza con- siderable ruins are still to be seen. ^ Supposed to be the present Artotina. ^ Towns of Koman Argohs. The ruins of the former are supposed to be those at a spot still called Klenes, near the village of Curtesi. The remains of Hysise, on the road from Argos to Tegea, stand on a hill above the plain of Achladokampos. 1" Now called Tekieh ; fifteen stadia from Rhium, ^^ OrPharse; 150 stadia from Patrse. ^^ The modem Kato-Achaia. ^•^ Its remains are to be seen near the modem village of Kararostasi. Pliny is mistaken probably in calling it a colony, as we know that it was placed under the authority of the colony of Patrae, which alone was allowed to enjoy the privilege of self-government.