



THKSSALY. 



THKSSALY. 



828 



r* hardly any inetf of antiquity here. The fountain Hypereia, 

 ttnnn by Hoim r (' Iliad.' vi .127), U in the suburbs of the modern 

 lew* of H*ln1i"*. at tb fool of the ancient AcrujKilu. A nunll lake 

 of about 100 jard in diameter, and with water aa clear u crystal, 

 habtiln up out of tbe ground. The Dotiua Campus u alto iu IVlan- 

 fioU*. on iu Matern tide : it U a considerable pUin, encircled l.y hills 

 to UM north, and Unuinated to the aouth by the Lake Boebcia, 

 the mot uUntive in Theaulj, and included within the liuiiU of 

 Ptalasviotia, 



TaoM/iotu waa to callrd from iU having been first occupied by 

 ThMwliana, who caiue from Tbnprotia, and inhabited tha plains 

 below HotUcotia. having tbe dutrict of Pelaagiotis on the east This 

 Utrarchy contained toward* the south-east the city of Phartaliu, 

 oaUbratnl for the battle fought in ita plain) between Pompey and 

 Caar. It U aituated not far from the junction of the Enipeua and 

 UM Apidanut, and was a city of great *Ue and importance. There is 

 a modern town callrd fkeriale, on or near the aite of the old Ph >r- 

 salua. South-wot of it there u a hill surrounded with ancient walls, 

 and on a lofty rock above it are ruins of an ancient Acropolis. 

 Other towns of Tbeauliotis were Cieri*m, supposed to be identical 

 with the ancient Anu, the chief town of the .-Eoliau Boeotians. Ichna, 

 or Aduut, where the goddeea Themis was especially worshipped. 

 I'mnu, not far from Pharsaliu. 



}'ktkAu, according to Strabo, included all the southern par*, of 

 Tbeasaly, stretebing lengthwise from tlie Maliac liay ou the east to 

 Dolupia and Pindus on the west, and in breadth from Mount (Eta on 

 the aouth aa far aa Phanalus and the Thessalian plains on the north, 

 an average distance of about 30 miles. Homer comprised within its 

 limits the districts of Phthia and Hellas properly so called, and the 

 dominions of Achilles. Its inhabitants were the Achaians, or Achtci 

 I'hthiuie, a double name under which they were generally enumerated 

 in the lists of the Ainphictyouic nations. The principal cities of 

 Phthiotis were Ilalos, or Aim, ou the west side of the Gulf of Pagasic. 

 It contained a temple sacred to Jupiter Laphystius, which was visited 

 by Xerxes as be pasted through the city. Itun, about 6 miles west 

 from Halo*, on the river Cuarius, celebrated for a temple of Minerva 

 Itooia. The dutrict of A r*e, from which the yEolian Boeotians were 

 expelled by tbe Theataliaus, is by some supposed to have been near 

 thiaci towns and on the shores of the Pagasican Bay ; but Miiller 

 (' Dorians,' ii. 475) adduces satisfactory reasons for believing that the 

 Arne, which tbe Thins* I inns first occupied, lay to the north-west in 

 Thcsaaliotis, and that it was identical with the ancient Plenum. 

 North of Halo* and Iton lay Thibet, the most important town of this 

 put of Theasaly. It was colled Phthiotic, to distinguish it from the 

 Thebo* of liuxitia. In a military point of view it possessed consider- 

 able importance, u it commanded the avenues of Magnesia and the 

 upper parts of Tbessaly. Philip, son of Demetrius, changed its name 

 to Philippopolia. Some ruins between the modern towns of Armiro 

 and Volo are supposed by Sir W. Gll to be those of Thebes. They 

 consist of an Acropolu>, with very ancient walls constructed with very 

 large blocks ; some towers also are still standing. The port of Thebes 

 appears to have been 1'yratut, about 2J miles distant A little south 

 of Thebes was lariua Cicinaite, or the Hanging, so called from its 

 position ou tbe side of a hill ; it was also called the Pelafgian. It 

 lay in tbe dominions of Acbille.", whence be is called Larissrcus by 

 i:eid,' ii. 198). The ruins of it still exist, and Sir W. Gell 

 says of it, " The form of Larissa wac, like that of many very ancient 

 lilies, a triangle, with iti citadel at the highest point. In the 

 Acropolis are the fragments of a Doric temple; and from it is seen 

 the magnificent proi-pt-ct of the Maliac Gulf, the whole range of (Eta, 

 mod over it 1'ai IIO.-MIJ." Meiitiu waa situated at the foot of 

 OUirya, on the river Knipeus. Its ancient name was Pyrrha, and it 

 boasted of possessing the tomb of llellen, the son of Deucalion. To 

 the north-wmt of Melitia lay the town of Thaumaki (the Wonderful), 

 so called from the singularity of its position on a lofty and perpen- 

 dicular rock. It wns on the great road leading from Thermopyhu by 

 Lamia to the north of Tbctsaly. "After u nigged route over hill 

 and dale," fay. Livy Unit 4), "you suddenly open on an immense 

 plain like a vast sea, which stretches below as far as the eye can reach." 

 Uodwell aays of it, " It U about five hours from Pharsalia. It must 

 always bave been a place of importance. The view from it is one of 

 tl.e moat wonderful and extensive I ever beheld." 



On the west of Phthiotis, and close to it, but still separated from 

 it, lay the territories of the Dolopiana. According to Homer (' II., 1 i. 

 -i f 



., . 



waa at the extremity of Phthiotis; but it does not 

 follow that it wu included iu that district; nor are the Dolopians in 

 early time* evrr mentioned as the vassals of the Thessalians. They 

 occupied the .xux-me south- wet angle of Thesaaly, formed by the 

 ctaui of Tympbrestus, a branch of I'indus, on one side, and Mount 

 tthrjrs on the olhtr. They were a very ancient nation, as appears 

 from UMir sending deputies to tbe Amphictyonic council. At a later 

 period thy were subject* of Jason, the tyrant of Phene. It was 

 conquered by Pcr-eus, the last king of Macedonia, Dolopia was a 

 rugged mountainous district, with few towns of note. Ctemene, or 



timrni, was perhaps the most important. 



The .ti*w, lived in th upper valley ,.f the river Spercheius, 

 being M par.Ud from tbe Uulopea by the hills of Tymphivstus and 



fcrys. They were also called </.Vm from their position on the 



slopes of Mount (Eta. They were a tribe of great antiquity and of 

 some importance, as appears from the fact of their belonging to the 

 Ainphictyouic council Their origin is uncertain, and they made 

 many migrations from one part of Tbessaly to another. Their chit f 

 town wan JJyimtii, ou the bunks of the Hpcrcheius. 



The Maltans were the most southern tribe connected with Thessaly. 

 They occupied principally the shores of the Maliac Qulf (the 1 

 Zituu), from the pass of Thoruiopylu: ou the south to the northern 

 boundary of the Valley of the Spercheiua. Their country is generally 

 fl.it ; the plains in some parts are extensive, iu others narrow, where 

 they are confined on one side by the shores of the Maliac Gulf, and 

 on the other by the mountains of Trachiuia. They were always a. 

 warlike people. The Amphictyonic council was held in their country, 

 and the Maliaus arc included iu the lists of the Ainphictyouic states. 

 They always maintained friendly relations with the Dorians o! 

 dxmon. The principal towns of the Maliaus were Anticyra, at the 

 mouth of the bpercbeius ; it was said to produce the genuine helle- 

 bore, considered by the aucieuts as a cure for insanity. Lamia, 4 or 

 5 miles N. of Anticyra; it was celebrated as the scene of the Lainiau 

 war, carried ou between the Athenians and their confederated against 

 tbe Macedonians under Autipater; on its site is the modern /ituu. 

 Trachit (the ' rough ') was so called from the mountainous character 

 of the surrounding country; it was once the chief town of the 

 Trachiuiuus, who were always in close alliance with the Dorians. In 

 later times licraclea was the most important town of Trachinia. It 

 was a colony from Lucediemon, founded (u.c. 426) at the request of 

 the Trachimans, about 3 miles from the sea. Their object iu making 

 the request was to gain additional strength against the .Euiaues, or 

 (Eteaiis, with whom they were at war. It soon became an object of 

 jealousy with the other Thessaliau tribes. It was seized by Jason of 

 1'heru!, who caused the walls to be pulled down; but it ugaiu became 

 a flourishing city under the ..Etoliaus, who sometimes held the general 

 council of their nation there. It sustained a long siege from the 

 Itoman consul Acilius Glabrio^ after the defeat of king Autiochus at 

 Thermopylae (B.C. 1S)1). The surrounding country was marshy and 

 woody, but the vestiges of the city itself are observable ou a high 

 flat on the roots of Mount CEta. Ou the coast of Trachis, closo to 

 the mouth of the small river Asopus, which runs through a gorge iu 

 the mountain inclosing the Trachiuiau plain, was the village of Anlhelc, 

 near to which was the temple of the Auiphictyouiu Ceres, and the 

 place of meeting of the Amphictyous, This locality was also famous 

 tor the celebrated Pass of I'/iermopyUe. 



JUayneria is a country physically distiuct from Thessaly, but in 

 historical times was subject to it, and politically included within it. 

 It is a narrow strip of country between the mouth of tbe Pcneus 

 and tbe Pagasxau iiay ou the north and south, with the chain of 

 Peliou and Ussa on the west, and the sea on the east. The people of 

 this district were called Magueies, and they were iu possession of it 

 from very early times. (' Iliad,' ii. 7o6.) They were an Ainphictyouic 

 state. The extreme northern point of Magnesia was Mount It 

 a limb of Ossa, celebrated by the poets as the abode of the ancient 

 Centaurs and Lapitbx, andu favourite haunt of the god Pan. (Virgil, 

 '^Eueid,' vii. 674.) To the south, at tbe foot of Ossa, was AlUi- 

 baa, a town on the coast, ascribed by Homer ('Iliad,' ii. 716) to 

 Philoctctes. Still farther south was tbe promontory of Xcpuu, oil' 

 which the fleet of Xerxes was wrecked. Beyond the southern pro- 

 montory of Magnesia, now called Hagios Georgios, tbe coast takes a 

 south-westerly direction to the entrance of tbe Pagasseau Bay, the 

 Gulf of Volo. Among tbe principal towns of Magnesia weiv lolucw, 

 Deuietrias, and Apheta 1 . Jolcus waa a place of great antiquity, and 

 the birthplace of the mythological hero Jason and his ancestors. It 

 was situated at the foot of 1'elion, near the small river Auaurus : it 

 was once a powerful city. Pagasu:, the port of lolcos, and afterward^ 

 of 1'henq, was famed iu Grecian story as the harbour from which the 

 ship Argo set sail on her voyage to Colchis : tbe name, according to 

 btraLo ^ix., p. 436), was derived from the number of springs near it. 

 The site is nearly occupied by tbe present castle of Volo. lolcos no 

 longer existed iu tho time of iStrabo. Dcmttriiu, founded by Deme- 

 trius 1'oiiorcetcs about B.C. 2UO, soon became a nourishing city, and 

 was one of the most important fortresses iu Greece, being well 

 situated for defending the approaches to the Puss of Teuipe, both on 

 the side of the mountains and of the plains. Its maritime position 

 al.-o contributed to its importance-. After the battle of CynosoepluUn 

 it became the chief town of the Moguesinu republic, and tbe seat of 

 government ; subsequently it was attached to the house of Mucedon, 

 until tbe battle of Pyduii, when it fell under tbe Romans, (l-ivy, 

 xliv. 13.) Many ruins mark its site. 



The principal mountain ranges of Thessaly were the Camliunian, 

 on the north ; Piudus, on the west ; the ridges of Othrys and CEta, on 

 the south ; and those of Peiion and Ussa, oil the east. 



The L'ambunian Jiatiyc is a branch from Mount Piudus, running in 

 a direction nearly at right angles to it, and separating Tbessaly Ironi 

 Macedonia. In this chain is the Mount Olympus. The pn 

 road between the two countries over the mountains was by ihju Pass 

 of Voluntaiia, marked in modern maps as Volutza. Another import- 

 ant defile, leading from Thessaly into Macedonia, passed by Py thiiim, 

 a village with a temple sacred to the Pythian Apollo, situated ou 

 Mount Olympus, at the north-east extremity of the range. 



