Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography Volume II.djvu/124

 ■J 03 LACMON vol. i. p. 34), a tributary town of the TurJuli in Hispania Baetica, near the shore of the ]McJiter- ranean, where its ruins are still seen at Akcippe, near Casares. Ptolemy places it too far inland. (Mela, ii. 6. § 7 ; Plin. iii. 1. s. 3 ; Carter, Travels, p. 128 ; Ukert, vol. ii. pt. 1. p. 348.) [P. S.] LACMON (AaKfxwv, Hecat. Fr. 70 ; Herod, ix. 92 ; Steph. B. s. v.) or LACMUS (Aa/c^os, Strab. vi. p. 271, vii. p. 316), the highest summit of Mount Pindus, the Zijgos or ridge of Metzovo. This is geographically the most remarkable moun- tain in Greece ; situated in the heart of Pindus as to its breadth, and centrally also in the longitudinal chain which pervades the continent from N. to S. : it gives rise to five principal rivers, in fact to all the great streams of Northern Greece except the Spercheius ; north-eastward to the Haliacmon, south-eastward to the Peneius, southward to the Achelous, south-westward to the Arachthus, and north-westward to the Aous. (Leake, Northern Greece, vol. i. pp. 294, 411 — 415, vol. iv. pp.240, 261,276.) [E. B. J.] LACOBPJ'GA. [1. LusiTANiA ; 2. Vaccaei.] LACO'NIA, LACO'NICA, or LACEDAEMON, the south-easterly district of Peloponnesus. I. Naisie. Its most ancient name was Lacedaemon (Aa(C€- haifjLwv), which is the only form found in Homer, who aoplies this name as well to the country, as to its capital. {II. ii. .581, iii. 239, 244, &c.') The usual name in the Greek writers was Laconica (7; AaKceviKri, sc. yv), though the form Lacedaemon still continued to be used. (Herod, vi. 58.) The Romans called the country Laconica (Plin. xxv. 8. s. 53 ; Laconice, Mela, ii. 3) or Lacoxia (Plin. vi. 34. s. 39, xvii. 18. s. 30), the latter of which is the form usually employed by modem writers. Mela (/. c.) also uses Laconis, which is borrowed from the Greek {rj AaKcovls yala, Hom. Hymn, in Apoll. 410.) The P^thnic names are AdiccDV, -oivos, Ao/ceSai/Uowoy, Lat. Laco or Lacon, -nis, Lacedaemonius ; fem. AaKcuva, AaKcevis, La- conis. These names are applied to the whole free population of Laconia, both to the Spartan citizens and to the Perioeci, spoken of below (for authori- ties, see CHnton,i^. Zf. vol. ii. pp. 405, 406). They are usually derived from a mythical hero, Lacon or Lacedaemon ; but some modern writers think that the root Lac is connected with Aclkos, AaKKos. lacus, lacuna, and was given originally to the central district from its being deeply sunk between moun- tains. (Curtius, Peloponnesos, vol. ii. p. 309.) IL General Description of the Country. The natural features of Laconia are strongly marked, and exercised a powerful influence upon the history of the people. It is a long valley, surroimded on three sides by mountains, and open only on the fourth to the sea. On the north it is bounded by the southern barrier of the Ar-cadian mountains, from which run in a parallel direction towards the south, the two lofty mountain ranges of Taygetus and Parnon, — the former dividing Laconia and Jlessenia, and terminating in the promontoiy of Taenarum, now C. Matapan, the southernmost ex- tremity of Greece and of Europe, the latter stretch- ing along the eastern coast, and terminating in the promontory of Malea. The river Eurotas flows through the entire length of the valley lying between these mountain masses, and falls into the sea, which LACONIA. was called the Laconian gulf. Laconia is well de- scribed by Euripides as a country " hollow, sur- rounded by mountains, rugged, and difficult of acces.s to an enemy " (ap. Strab. viii. p. 366) ; and the difficulty of invading it made even Epaminondas hesitate to enter it with his army. (Xen. Hell. v. 5. § 10.) On the northern side there are only two natural passes by which the plain of Sparta can he invaded. (See below.) On the western side the lofty masses of Taygetus form an almost insurmountable barrier ; and the pass across them, which leads into the plain of Sparta, is so difficult as scarcely to be practicable for an army. On the eastern side the rocky character of the coast protects it from invasion by sea. III. Mountains, Rivers, and Plains. IMouNT Tatgetus (Tavyeroi', to TvvyeTov opos, the common forms; Tavyeros, Lucian, /caro7«. 19 ; rd Tatiyira, Polyaen. vii. 49 ; Taygeta, Virg. Georg. ii. 487 : the first half of this word is said by Hesychius to signify great). This mountain is the loftiest in Peloponnesus, and extends in an almost unbroken line for the space of 70 miles from Leondari in Arcadia to C. Matapan. Its vast height, unbroken length, and majestic form, have been celebrated by both ancient and modem writers. Homer gives it the epithet of i:ipifj.i]KiTov {Od. vi. 103), and a modern traveller remarks that, " whether from its real height, from the grandeur of its outline, or the abruptness of its rise from the plain, it created in his mind a stronger impression of stupendous bulk and loftiness than any mountain he had seen in Greece, or perhaps in any other part of Europe." (Mure, Tour in GVeece, vol. ii. p. 221.) Taygetus rises to its greatest height immediately above Sparta. Its principal summit was called Taletum (TaXerov') in antiquity : it was sacred to the Sun, and horses and other victims were here sacrificed to this god. (Pans. iii. 20. § 4.) It is now called S. FJias, to whose chapel on the summit an annual pilgrimage is made in the middle of the summer. Its height has been ascertained by the French Commission to be 2409 metres, or 7902 English feet. Another summit near Taletum was called Evoras (Euopos, Belvedere, Pans. I. c), which Leake identifies with Jit. Paximadhi, the highest summit next to St.EUas, from which it is distant 5^^ geographical miles. The ancient names of none of the other heights are mentioned. By the Byzantine writers Taygetus was called Pentedactylttm (jh XliVTiSa.KTvXov'), or the " Five Fingers," on account of its various sum- mits above the Spartan plain. (Constant. Porphyr. de Adm. Imp. c. 50.) In the 13th century it bore the name of Melinfjus (6 ^vyhs tov Me- Myyov, see Leake, PelojMfittesiaca, p. 138). At the base of Taygetus, immediately above the Spar- tan plain, there is a lower ridge running parallel to the higher summits. This lower ridge consists of huge projecting masses of precipitous rocks, some of which are more than 2000 feet high, though they appear insignificant when compared with the lofty barrier of Taygetus behind them. After at- taining its greatest elevation, Mt. Taj'getus sinks gradually down towards the south, and sends forth a long and lofty counterfork towards the Eurotas, now called Lyhoh'mi {AvkoSuwi, Wolfs-mountain), which bounds the Spartan plain on the south. It there contracts again, and runs down, as the back- bone of a small peninsula, to the southernmost ex-