Page:The Natural History of Pliny.djvu/328

miles from the narrow pass of Thermopylæ^[1], Heraclea, which from it takes its surname of Trachin^[2]. Here too is Mount Callidromus^[3], and the celebrated towns of Hellas^[4], Halos^[5], Lamia^[6], Phthia^[7], and Arne^[8]

Chap. 15. (8.) — Thessaly Proper.

In Thessaly is Orchomenus, formerly called the Minyan^[9], and the towns of Almon, by some called Salmon, Atrax^[10], and Pelinna; the Fountain of Hyperia; the towns also of Pheræ^[11], at the back of which is Pieria^[12], extending to Macedonia, Larisa^[13], Gomphi^[14], Thebes^[15] of Thessaly, the grove of Pteleon, the Gulf of Pagasa, the town of Pagasa^[16], which was afterwards called Demetrias^[17], the Plains of Pharsalia,

1. This famous spot still retains its name. It is also called Bocca di Lupo.
2. From τραχὺς, "narrow," in allusion to the narrowness of the mountain passes. Brotier places it on the site of the modern Zeitoun, but he is probably in error.
3. A peak of the range of Œta.
4. The name of a town and small district of Phthiotis: it eventually gave its name to the whole of Greece, which by its inhabitants was called Hellas.
5. Near the river Amphrysus. Leake places it at Kefalosi, at the extremity of Mount Othrys.
6. The modern Zeitoun.
7. Said to have been the city of Achilles.
8. According to Stephanus of Byzantium, Cierium was identical with Arne. Leake places it at the modern Mataranga.
9. So called from the people called Minyæ, who derived their name from Minyas, the father of Orchomenus. In the time of Strabo, this city, the capital of the Minyan empire, was in ruins. Its site is now called Scripu.
10. Leake places its site on the left bank of the Pencius, opposite the village of Gunitza.
11. The residence of Admetus, and in later times of the tyrants of Thessaly. The modern Valestina occupies its site.
12. Spoken of in C. 17 of the present book.
13. The ancient capital of the Pelasgi. It is now called Larissa, Larza, or Ionitchen.
14. Leake places Gomphi on the heights now called Episkopi, on the left bank of the Bliuri.
15. Its ruins are said to be seen about eight miles from the modern city of Volo.
16. The city of Volo stands on its site. The Gulf is called the Bay of Volo.
17. This is not strictly correct. Demetrias was founded by Demetrius Poliorcetes, about two or three miles to the west of Pagasa, the inhabitants of which were removed to that place. Its remains are to be seen, according to Leake, on the face of a maritime height called Goritza.