Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography Volume II.djvu/1187

 TIIERMUM. no ]on£rer tenable, embarked on board their sliips and retired without further loss. (Paus. x. 19 — 22.) In B.C. 207, when the Romans were carrying on war in Greece against Pliilip, king of Macedonia, the Aetolians, who were then in alliance with the Romans, fortified Thermopylae with a ditch and a rampart, but Philip shortly afterwards forced his way through the pass. (Liv. xxviii. 5, 7 ; Polyb. X. 41.) In B. c. 181, Antiochus, who was then at war with the Romans, took up his position at Ther- mopylae, which he fortified with a double rampart, a ditch, and a wall ; and, in order to prevent the Romans from crossing the mountains and descending upon his rear, he garrisoned with 2000 Aetolians the three summits, named Callidromum, Teichius, and Rhoduntia. The consul Acilius sent some troops against these fortresses and at the same time at- tacked the army of Antiochus in the pass. While THERMUM. 1163 the battle was going on in the pass, the Roman de- tachment, which had succeeded in taking Callidm- mum, appeared upon the heights, threatening the king's rear, in consequence of which Antiochus im- mediately took to flight. (Liv. xxxvi. 15 — 19.) There are still remainsof three Hellenic fortresses upon the heights above Thermopylae, which probably represent the three places mentioned by Livy. Appian (Si/r. 17) speaks only of Callidromum and Teichius, but Strabo (ix. p. 428) mentions Rhoduntia also. Procopius relates that the fortifications of Thermo- pylae were restored by Justinian (f/e Aed. iv. 2). (On the topography of Thermopylae, see the excel- lent account of Leake, Northern Greece, vol. ii. pp. 5, seq., 40, seq. ; there is also a treatise by Gordon, Account of two Visits to the Anopaea or the Uirjh- lands above Thermopylae, Athens, 1838, which the writer of this article has not seen.) MAP OF TilEUJIOPYLAE AXU THE SUKROUNKINO ( liUNTKV. A A. Alluvial deposits. an. Pi-fseiit line of coast, 111). Present course of the Spercheius. cc. Ancient line of coast. dd. Present course of the Dyras. ee. Present course of the Asupus. THERMUM, THERMUS or THERMA (jh ©e'p- (lov, Pol. V.8; TO @(piJ.a, Strab. x. p. 463; Pol. v. 7; @eplj.vs, Steph. B. S.V.: Eth. Qipfiios: Vlokho), the chief city of Aetolia during the flourishing period of the Aetolian League, and the place where the meet- ings of the league were usually held and an annual festival celebrated. It possessed a celebrated temple of Apollo, in connection with which the festival was probably celebrated. It was situated in the very heart of Aetolia, N. of the lake Trichonis, and on a height of Mt. Panaetolium {Viena). It was con- sidered inaccessible to an army, and from the strength of its situation was regarded as a place of refuge, and, as it were, the Acropolis of all Aetolia. The road to it ran from Metapa, on the lake Trichonis, through the village of Pamphia. The city was distant 60 stadia from Metapa, and 30 from Pam- phia ; and from the latter place the road was very steep and dangerous, running along a narrow crest with precipices on each side. It was, however, surprised by Philip V., king of Macedonia, in his invasion of' Aetolia in b c. 218. The Aetolians, Jf'. Track of the Persians under Hydarnes. g. Hot springs at the western entrance, or the false Thermopylae. h. Hot springs at the eastern entrance, or the real Thermopylae. i. Phocian wall. who had never imagined that Philip would have penetrated so far into their country, had deposited liere all their treasures, the whole of which now fell into the hands of the king, together with a vast quantity of arms and armour. He carried off tho inost valuable part of the spoil, and burnt all the rest, among which were more than 15,000 suits of armour. Not content with this, he set fire to tho sacred buiMings, to retaliate for the destruction of Dium and Dodona. He also defaced all the works of art and threw down all the statues, which were not less than 2000 in immber, only sparing those of the Gods. (Pol. v. 0— '.», 13.) A few years after- wards, when the Aetolians bad sided with the Ro- mans, Philip again surprised Thermus (about ii. <'. 206), when he destroyed everything which had escaped his ravages in his first attack. (Pol. xi. 4.) We have no further details of the history of Ther- nnim. Polybius alludes, in one or two other juus- sages (xviii. 31, x.wiii. 4), to the meetings of liie league held there. In the former of these p.assages Livy (sxxiii. 35) has misuuderstood the words rv"