Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography Volume II.djvu/1194

 1170 THESSALTA. the Thessalian side of Pindus near the sources of the Peneius. They are described as a barbarous tribe, liviiis; by plunder and robbery. (Horn. II. ii. 744: Strab. vii. p. 327, ix. p. 434; Steph. B. s. v. AWma.) The towns of Hestiaeotis were: Oxyneia, PiALiA, Aeginium, Mkliboka, Phalokia, Eri- ciNiuM, Pelisnaeum, Tricca, Oechalia, Si- i-ana, Gomphi, Pheca or Phecadum, Ithome, Lisinaea, Piiacium, Phakstus, Pharcadon, JIyi,at5, Malloea, Cyretiae, Eritujji, Oloos- SON, AzoKUS DoLicnE, Pythium, Elone subse- quently Leimone, EuDiERr, Lapathus, Gox- NUS or GONNI, CHARAX, CoNDYLON, P1IAL.VNNA, Ortiie, Atrax. 2. Pelasgiotis (TleXaayMTis). inhabited by the Pelasglotae (rTeAaff7;&)Tai), extended S. of the Pe- neius, and alont; the western side of Pelion and Ossa, including the districtcalled the Pelasgic plain. (Strab. is. p. 443.) The name shows that this dis- trict was originally inhabited by Pelasgians; and its chief town was Larissa, a well known name of Pe- lasgic cities. The towns of Pelasgiotis were : Elatea, Mopsium, Metropolis, Gyrton or Gyr- ToNA, Argura, Larissa, Sy'curiuji, Crannon, Amyp,us, Armenium, Pherae, Cy'noscepiialae, ScoTussA, Palaepharus. 3. Thessaliotis (06<7(rai£Tis-), the central plain of Thessaly and the upper course of the river Peneius, so called from its having been first occu- pied by the Thessalian conquerors from Epeirus. Its towns were: Peiresiae,Phyllus, Metropolis, Cierium, Euhydrium. Pharsalus, the most important in the di.striet, Tiietidium. 4. PnTHioTis(*9ia>Tis),inhal)ited by the Achaean Phthiotae {'Axaiot ^OiuiTai), under which name they are nsu;illy mentioned as members of the Amphic- tyoiiic league. This district, according to Strabo, included the southern part of Thessaly, extending from the Maliac gulf on the E. to Dolopia and Jlount Pindus on the W., and stretching as far N. as Pharsalus and the Thessalian plains. (Strab. ix. p. 430.) Phthiiitis derived its name from the Ho- meric Phthia (eiv, II. i. 155, ii. 683), which ap- pears to have included in the heroic times not only Hellas and Dolopia, which is expressly called the furthest part of Phthia {II. ix. 484), but also the southern portion of the Thessalian plain, since it is probable that Phthia was also the ancient name of Pharsalus. (L^'Ake, Northern Greece, vol. iv. ji. 484, seq.) The cities of Phthiotis were: Amphanaeum (Scylax, p. 25), or Amphanae QA/x(pavai, Steph. B. s. v.), on the promontory Pyrrha and on the Paga- saean gulf ; Tiiebae, Eretria, Piiylace, Iton, Halus, Pteleum, Astron, Larissa, Cre.maste, Proerna, Pras, Narthacium, '1 hau.maci, JIe- litae., Coroseia, Xyniae, Lamia, Phalara, Echinus. 5. Magnesi.v (Mayvriffia), inhabited by the Magnetes (!VIa7i'7)Tes), was the long and narrow slip of country between Mts. Ossa and Pelion on the W. and the sea on the E., and extending from the mouth of the Peneius on the N. to the Pagasaean gulf on the S. The RLagnetes were members of the Amphictyonic le;igue, and were settled in this district in the Homeric times. (II. ii 756.) The Thessalian Magnetes are said to have founded the Asiatic cities of Magnesia on Mt. Sipylus and of Magnesia on the river Maeander. (Aristot. ap. Athen. iv. p. 173; Gonon, 29; Strab. xiv. p. 647). The towns of JIagnesia were: CEii- CINIUM, BOEBE, GlAPHYRAE, AeSONIS, Pa- THESSALONICA. GAS.VE, loLcus, Demetrias, Nelia, Aphetae, Homole or H0MOLIU.M, EtiRYMENAE, Meli- BOEA, Th.vu.macia, Casthanaea, Rhizis, Magnesia, Olizon, Mylae, Spalaethra, Co- RACAE, MkTHONE. 6. Dolopia (AoAoTri'o), inhabited by the Dolopes (AdAoTres), a mountainous district in the SW. corner of Thessaly, lying between Mt. Tymphrestus, a branch of Pindus, on the one side, and Mt. Olhrvs on the other. The Dolopes were, like the Magnetes, an ancient Hellenic people, and members of the Am- pliictyonic league. They are mentiuned by Homer {II. is. 484) as included in Phthia, but were governed by a subordinate chieftain of their own. Though nominally belonging to Thessaly, they seem practically to have been independent : and their country was at a later period a constant subject of contention between the Aetolians and the kings of Macedonia. The only place in Dolopia of the slighte-st importance was Ctimene. 7. Oetaea (OiVara), inhabited by the Oetaei (OiVaioi), was the mountainous district around Mt. Oeta in the upper valley of the Spercheius, and to the E. of Dolopia. The Oetaeans appear to have been the collective name of the various predatory tribes, dwelling upon the northern de- clivities of Mt. Oeta, who are mentioned as plun- dering both the Malians on the east, and the Dorians on the south (Thuc. iii. 92 — 97, viii. 3.) The most important of these tribes were the Aenianes (AiViai/es), called Enieues ('Erifjz/es) by Homer {II. ii. 749) and Herodotus (vii. 132), an ancient Hel- lenic Amphictyonic race. (Paus. x. 8. § 2 ; Har- pocrat. s. V. 'A/xcpiKTvoves.) They are said to have tirst occupied the Dotian plain in Pelasgiotis ; after- wards to have wandered to the borders of Epeirus, and finally to have settled in the u]iper valley of the Spercheius, where Hypata was their chief town. (Plut. Qtiaest. Gr. 13'. p. 294 ; Strab. i. p. 61, ix. p. 442.) Besides Hypata, which was the only place of importance in Oetaea, we find mention of Sperchiae and Macra Come by Livy (.xxxii. L3), and of Sosthenis (SuxTflej/ij), Homihie {"O/xiXai), Cypaera {Kvnuipa) and Phalachthia (*aAox0i'a) by Ptolemy (iii. 13. § 45.) 8. Malis, the lower valley of the Spercheius, described in a separate article. [Malis.] COIN OF THESS..LIA. THESSALIOTIS. [Thessalia.] THESSALONI'C A (0eo'(raAoz'i/cr) ; QfTTaXoviicrj, Polyb. xxiii. 4; Scymn. Ch. 625; ©eo-iraAofiKei'a, Strab. vii. Epit. 3: Eth. QeffaaXoviKevs), a large and important city, the capital of Roman JIacedonia, situated at the head of the Thermaic gulf, in the district anciently c:illed Mygdonia. 1. Situation. — This is well described by Pliny (iv. 10) as "medio flexu litoris [sinus Therniaici]." The gulf extends about 30 leagues in a NW. direc- tion from the group of the Tliessalian islands, and then turns to the NE., forming a noble basin be-