M E G 
place has been named from them Dock Eeelefiais, “ The 
Twelve Churches;” but the number is reduced to feven. 
The acropolis or citadel, called alio NiJ'aa, v/as on a rock 
by the fea-fide. Some pieces of the wall remain; and a 
modern fortrefs has been eredted on it, and alfo on a fmaller 
rock near it. The village of Megara (continues the doc¬ 
tor) confifts of low mean cottages pleafantly iituated on 
the flooe of a brow or eminence indented in the middle. 
■ On each fide of this vale was an acropolis, or citadel; one 
named Caria; the other Alcathous, from the builder of 
the wall. An angle of the wall of one citadel is feen by 
a windmill. In 1676 the city-wall was not entirely de- 
molifhed, but comprehended the two lummits, on which 
are fome churches, with a portion of the plain toward 
the fouth. The whole fite, except the hills, was now 
green with corn, and marked by many heaps of Hones, 
the collected rubbilh of buildings. A few infcriptions 
are found, with pedeftals fixed in the walls and inverted ; 
and alfo iome maimed or mutilated llatues. One of the 
former relates to Atficus Herodes, and is on a pedeftal, 
which fupported a ftatue erefted to him when conful, 
A.D. 14.3. by the council and people of Megara, in return 
for his benefaftions and good will toward the city. In 
the plain behind the fummits, on one of which was a tem¬ 
ple of Minerva, is a large bafin of water, with fcattered 
fragments of marble, the remains of a bath or of a foun¬ 
tain, which is recorded as in the city, and remarkable for 
its fize and ornaments, and for the number of its co¬ 
lumns. The fpring was named from, the local nymphs 
called Sithnides. The ftone of Megara was of a kind not 
difcovered any-vvhere elfe in Hellas ; very white, uncom¬ 
monly loft, and confifting entirely of cockle-lhells. This 
was chiefly ufed; and, not being durable, may be rec¬ 
koned among the caufes of the defolation at Megara, 
which is lb complete, that one fearches in vain for vef- 
tiges of the many public edifices, temples, and fepulchres, 
which once adorned the city. 
Megara was engaged in various wars with Athens and 
Corinth, and experienced many viciflitudes of fortune. 
It was the only one of the Greek cities which did not re- 
flourilh under their common benefadlor Hadrian; and 
the reafon afligned is, that the avenging anger of the gods 
purlued the people for their impiety in killing Anthe- 
mocritus, a herald, who had been fent to them in the time 
of Pericles. The Athenian generals were fworn on his 
account to invade them twice a-year. Hadrian and At- 
ticus were followed by another friend, whofe memory is 
preferved by an infcription on a ftone lying near a church 
in the village: “ This too is the work of the moft mag¬ 
nificent count Diogenes, fon of Archelaus, who, regard¬ 
ing the Grecian cities as his own family, has bellowed on 
that of the Megarenfians one hundred pieces of gold to¬ 
wards the building of their towers, and allb one hundred 
and fifty more, with two thoufand two hundred feet of 
marble, toward re-edifying the bath; deeming nothing 
more honourable than to do good to the Greeks, and to 
reftore their cities.” This perfon is not quite unnoticed 
in liiftory: he was one of the generals employed by the 
emperor Anaftafius on a rebellion in Ifauria: he furpriled 
the capital Claudiopolis, and fuftained a fiege with great 
bravery, A. D. 494. 
Megara retains its original name. It has been much 
infefted by corfairs ; and in 1676 the inhabitants were ac- 
cullomed, on feeing a boat approach in the day-time, or 
hearing their dogs bark at night, immediately to fecrete 
their effebls and run away. The vaiwode, or Turkilh go¬ 
vernor, who refided in a forfaken tower above the village, 
was once carried oft’. It is no wonder, therefore, that 
Niftea has been long abandoned. The place was burned 
by the Venetians in 1687. 
MEGA'RA, formerly called Hylla, a town towards 
the ealt coalt of Sicily; extinft in Strabo’s time, though 
the name Hybla remained on account of the excellence 
of its honey. It was a colony of Megareans from Greece. 
liijus Megarieus denotes a horfe-laugh. 
MEG 27 
MEGA'RA, a town of Illyria.—A town ofPontus._ 
A town of Afia, in Syria, dependent upon Apamtea._A 
town of Greece, in the Peloponnefus. 
MEGA'RA, in modern geography, a town of Euro¬ 
pean Turkey, in the province of Livadia, on the coaft of 
the gulf of Engia, once the capital of a republic, now 
very much reduced : twenty-fix miles well oft Athens. 
MEGAR'BE, a town of Nubia: nine miles weft-fouth- 
welt of Mafuah. 
MEG'ARIS, the country of the Megareans, whofe 
chief city is defcribed above, was a rough region, like At¬ 
tica ; the mountain called Oneian, or the Alinine, now 
Macripluyi, or “ the Long Mountain,” extending through 
it towards Boeotia and Mount Cithamon. It belonged to 
Ionia or Attica, until it was taken by the Peloponne- 
fians in the reign of Codrus, when a colony of Dorians 
fettled in it. 
MEG'ARIS, a town of Italy, in Campania, placed by 
Pliny between Naples and Paufilipo. 
MEG'ARIS, a finall illand in the Tufcan fea, joined 
to Naples by a bridge, now called Cajlello dell'Ovo. 
MEGAS'THENES, a Greek hiftorian in the a°-e of 
Seleucus Nicar.or, about 300 years before Chrill. ° He 
wrote about the oriental nations, and particularly the 
Indians. His hillory is often quoted by the ancients • 
but what now pafies as his compofition is fpurious. • 
_ MEGATHE'RIUM, f. Seethe article Mammoth, vol. 
xiv. p. 240. and Manis megatherium, p. 287. 
MEG'BOTE, /. A recompenfe for the murder of a re¬ 
lation. An old law-word. 
ME'GE, a tow'n of Perfia, in Farfiftan : ten miles foudi 
of Ifpahan. 
ME'GERSHEIM, a town of Germany, in the marg- 
gravate of Anfpach : three miles north-eaft of Anfpach. 
MEGE'VE, a town of France, in the department of the 
Leman, and chief place of a canton, in. the diftridt of Bon¬ 
neville. The place contains 3075, and the canton 995.7, 
inhabitants, in feven communes. 
MEGG, J\ A weapon made ufe of by the Turkilh 
horfe, when, in purfuit of an enemy. It refembles a long 
iron fpit, and has a fcabbard like a fword. James's Mili¬ 
tary Dift. 
MEGID'DO, in ancient geography, a town of Galilee, 
recited (Joihua xvi. it.) among the cities of Manafleh, in 
the tribe of Ifiachar or After, on the weft: fide of Jordan ; 
famous for the defeat of Ahaziah and Jofiah, who pe¬ 
riled there; (2 Kings xxiii. 29.) Near it was an open 
plain, fit for drawing up an army in battle-array. It was 
fituated to the north, contrary touts pofition in the com¬ 
mon maps. The Canaanites, being tributary to. the If- 
raelites, dwelt in it; (Jofli. vii.) It was rebuilt by Solo¬ 
mon. (1 Kings ix.) 
MEG'GIO, a town of Africa, in Fez : nine miles from 
the Mediterranean. 
MEGHA'RISH UZ ZUR, or A'cra, a town of Ara¬ 
bia, in the province of Hedsjas : eighty-five miles eaft- 
fouth-eall of Madian. 
MEG'HEM, or Me'gen, a town of Brahant, on the 
Meufe : twelve miles fouth-weft of Nimeguen, and four¬ 
teen north-eaft of Bois le Due. 
MEGNITZE SE, a town of Sclavonia : eighteen miles 
weft-fouth-weft of Verovitza. 
ME'GRA, a town of Ruflla, in the government of 
Archangel, on the ealt coaft of the White Sea: fieventy- 
two miles north of Archangel. 
ME'GRIM, J. [from hpin^avicc, Gr.] Diforder of the 
head.—In every megrim or vertigo there is an obtenebra- 
tion joined with a lemblance of turning round. Bacon’s' 
Natural Hiftory. 
There fereen’d in fliades from day’s detefted glare. 
Spleen fighs for ever on her peniive bed. 
Pain at her fide, and tnegrin at her head. Pope. 
ME'GRIT, a town of France, in the department of the 
North Coafts; ten miles fouth-weft of Broons. 
MEG'STONE, 
