ISTHMIAN ODES (Gk. 'Ue/uoviKai, Isthmio7iikai, victors in the Isthmian games). Poems of Pindar (q.v.) celebrating the victors in the Ifcthniian games.
ISTHMUS, is'mus (Lat. isthmus, from Gk.
i(TBix6i, isfhmos, narrow passage between two
seas). In geography, a narrow neck of land
joining two portions of land. The name Isthmus
was by the ancients often employed without any
addition to designate the Isthmus of Corinth, join-
ing the Peloponnesus to continental Hellas. At
the soutlieast of the Isthmus, was a sacred pre-
cinetcontaining templesof Poseidonand Paliemon-
Melicertes, where were celebrated the Isthmian
Games, one of the four great national festivals
of Greece. According to legend, they were estab-
lished by Poseidon or Sisyphus in honor of
Melicertes, or by Theseus after his victory over
Sinis in honor of Poseidon, a version which
explained the right of the Athenians to the
seats of honor. The regular celebration of the
games was dated from B.C. 582. The games
seem to have been held every two years, in the
spring of the second and fourth years of each
Olympiad. The prizes were a palm branch and
wreath of parsley during the Greek period, but
under the Roman Empire a wreath of fir was
substituted. The games were in charge of the
Corinthians, and the contests seem to have been
those usual at Oljinpia (see Olympic Games),
,to which later musical competitions were added.
After the fall of Corinth (B.C. 146) the Sicy-
onians continued the games, until the reestablish-
nient of the city by Julius Caesar. The contests-
were open to all Greeks except the Eleans. Tlie
site of the games has been excavated by the
French. Near the site of the Isthmian sanctuary
can be seen remains of the Diolkos or railway
by which, in ancient times, small ships were
transported across the Isthmus : and somewhat
to the north can be traced the ancient wall by
which, at variovis times, the Peloponnesus was
protected against invasion. The extant remains
belong chiefly to the later Roman Empire or the
period of Venetian rule. Consult Ga::ette archc-
ologir/ue (Paris, 1884-85). See CoRlNTH, Gulf
OF; Corinth Canal.
ISTIR, e-step', or SHTIPLIE, .shtip'lyg. A
town of European Turkey, in the Vilayet of
Kossovo, situated about 18 miles ea.st of Kiiprili
(Map: Balkan Peninsula, D 4). It has a num-
ber of mosques and a fine bazaar. Its trade
is of considerable importance; the population is
estimated at 10.000.
ISTEIA, is'trl-a. An Austrian margraviate
and ennvnland, forming part of the modern divi-
sion called Kiistenland, or Coast Districts (Map:
Austria-Hungary, C 4). It consists' of a penin-
sula, the ancient Histria, projecting into the
northeast part of the Adriatic Sea, and the
islands of Veglia, Cherso, and a few others, cov-
ering a total area of 1910 square miles. The
peninsula is bordered on the north by Triest,
Gcirz and Gradisca, and Carniola. on the east by
Fiume, Croatia, and the Bay of Quarnero, and on
the south and west by the Adriatic. The penin-
sula has well-indented coasts, and is traversed
by a chain of rocky mountains from north to
soiith, culminating in the peak of Jlonte
Maggiore, nearly 4000 feet high. The shores
are generally precipitous. The chief streams are
the Arsa in the east and the Quieto in the west.
The climate is very warm and dry. The severe
winds along the coasts are greatly feared by the
inhabitants. Istria has little land adapted for
tillage, but its pasture lands are extensive a»
well as its forests. The climate is favorable to
the cultivation of southern fruits, such as olives
and figs. Istria also produces an excellent grape,
and its Avines are famous. Of mineral products
it yields chiefly alum, lignite, and salt. The large
forests furnish good material for ships, and ship-
building is a very extensive industry. The sea-
fishing is also important. The manufacturing
industries are as yet undeveloped. Owing to its
numerous harbors Istria is one of the most im-
portant commercial districts of Austria, and
Pola, at the southern end of the peninsula, is the
chief naval station of the Empire. The total
shipping of all the Istrian harbors amounts to
about 6,500,000 tons annually. Istria has a
separate Diet of 33 members, and sends 5 repre-
sentatives to the Lower House of the Austrian
Reichsrat. For administrative purposes it is
divided into six districts and the municipality
of Rovigno. The population in 1900 was 344,-
173, an increase of 8.4 per cent, for the decade.
The population is almost exclusively Roman
Catholic. About 40 per cent, of the people are
Serbo-Croats, and about 34 per cent. Italians.
The capital is the little town of Parenzo. The
ancient Istrians belonged to the stock of Illyr-
ians, like them were pirates, and were subjected
by the Romans under C. Claudius, B.C. 177. Part
of their country was later united to Italy, part
to Illyricum. It fell into the hands of the Gotha
in the fifth century. In the seventh century
Slavic peoples penetrated into the region. In the
course of the Middle Ages parts of Istria were
at different times under the rule of the Byzan-
tine emperors, the Franks, the dukes of Carin-
thia, margraves of various petty German houses,
the Patriarch of Aquileja, the Venetians, the
coimts of Gorz, and the House of Austria, the
bulk of the peninsula finally remaining in the
hands of the Venetians and the northea.stern or
German portion in those of Austria. On the
extinction of the Venetian Republic, in 1797, the
whole of Istria became an Austrian possession.
ISTURIE, e'stoo-reth', Francisco Xavier de
(1790-1871). A Spanish statesman, born at
Cadiz. An ardent patriot, he was a leader in
the Revolution of 1820, and three years later
presided at the Cortes, and voted against the
Royalists. This stand caused his exile, and
lie remained in England until the amnesty of
1834. In 1S30 he was made Minister of Foreign
Affairs and Premier. Forced to yield his port-
folio during the Revolution of the following
August, he became president of the Cortes in
1838. He was now devoted to the cau.se of Queen
Maria Christina, and continued to advance her
interest and the French alliance by every means
in his power. Premier again in 1846, his Minis-
try was of short duration, but he afterwards
represented his country at the Court of Saint
James (1850-54), at Saint Petersburg (1850),
and at Paris (1863-64). The revolution of 1868
caused his permanent retirement.
IS'TIMBRAS. See Isenbeas.
ISWARA. «sh'w,a-ra (Skt. Uvara, lord). An epithet applied to different Hindu divinities, but in mythological acceptation it mostly designates Siva (q.v.).
