Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography Volume II.djvu/369

 MEVANIOLA. later period it was occupied by the emperor Vitellius, with the intention of defending the passes of the Apennines against the generals of Vespasian, but lie quiclily abandoned it again, and retired to Kome. (Tac. Hist. iii. 55, 59.) As it was situated in the plain, it could scarcely be a very strong fortress; but Pliny notices it as one of the few cities of Italy that had walls of brick (xsxv. 14. s. 49). Strabo speaks of it as in his time one of the most considerable towns in the interior of Umbria : it was only of mu- nicipal rank, but seems to have continued a flourish- ing place throughout the period of the Empire. (Strab. V. p. 227; Plin. iii. 14. s. 19; Ptol. iii. 1. § 54; Itin. Ant. p. 311; Orell. I user. 98.) The modem Bevagna is a very poor and decayed place, with little more than 2000 inhabitants, though re- taining its episcopal see, and the title of a city. It contains some remains of an amphitheatre, and mosaic pavements which belonged to the ancient Thermae. (Calindri, Stat, del Pontif. Stato, p. 104.) Mevania appears to be indicated by the poet Pro- pertius himself as the place of his birth (iv. 1. 123), though othere understand tliis passage differently, and regard Hispellum as having the better claim. (Barth. Vit. Propert. ; Kuinoel, ad I. c.) It was noted for the fogs to which it was subject. (Propert. I. c. ; Sil. Ital. vi. 646.) Pliny speaks of its ter- ritory (Mevanas ager, xiv. 3. § 37) as producing a particular kind of vine, which he calls Irtiola; pro- bably the same now called " Pizzotello," for which the district is still celebrated. (Harduin, ad loc. ; Rampoldi, Corograjia, vol. i. p. 233.) [E.H. B.] MEVANIOLA. [Umbria.] MIACORUS or MILCORUS (Mii/co-pos, MiA- Kwpos; Theopomp. ap. Steph. B. s. «.), a place which may be assigned to the interior of Chalcidice. (Leake, North. Greece, vol. iii. p. 456.) [E. B. J.] MIBA, in Britain, supposed more coirectly Mida, is placed in the Ravennas's Cliorography among the towns in the south of Britain. It has been con- jectured that Midhurst, in Sussex, is its modern representative ; but this supposition is not warranted by existing remains. [C. E. S.] MICHJIAS (Maxittas, LXX. ; MaxM", Joseph., Easeb.), a city of the tribe of Benjamin, eastward from Bethel or Bethaven (1 Sam. siii. 5), held by the Philistines, while Saul and the Israelites were in Gibeah. It was on the line of march of an in- vading army from the north, and the Assyrians are represented as depositing their baggage there when advancing against Jerusalem. (^Isaiah, x. 28.) It is placed by Eusebius and St. Jerome in the bor- ders of Aelia, and was then a considerable village, retaining its ancient name, 9 miles from Aelia, near Rama. (^Onomast. s. v.) The same descrip- tion exactly applies to it at the present day. It is 3 hours distant from Jerusalem, nearly due north. Mitkkmds stands on a low ridge between two small Wadys running south into the much larger valley named Wady es-SwinU. It bears marks of having been a much larger and stronger place than any in the vicinity. There are many foundations of liewn stones, and some columns among them. The Wady es-Swinit is " the Passage of Michmash " spoken of in 1 Samuel (xiii. 23), and Isaiah (x. 29). It is an extremely steep and rugged valley, which commences in the neighbourhood "of Bethel, and a little below (E.) Mukhmds contracts between per- pendicular precipices. The rocks Bozez and Seneh, mentioned in con- nection with Jonathan's exploit (1 Sa7n. xiv. 4), vol.. u. MIDEIA. 35.3 may still be recognised in two conical rocky knolls projecting into the valley between Jeba' (ancient Gibeah) and 3Iukhmus. (Robinson, Bihl. Res. vol. ii. pp. 116, 117.) In the Talmud the soil of Mich- mash is celebrated for its fertility. (Reland, Palaes- tma,s.v.] 897.) [G. W.] MIDAEIUM or MIDAIUM (MiddsLOp), a town in the NE. of Plirygia, on the little river Bathys, on the road from Dorylaeum to Pessinus, and belonging to the conventus of Synnada. (Steph. B. s. v. ; Plin. V. 32. s. 41 ; Ptol. v. 2. § 22 ; Strab. xii. p. 576 ; Hierocl. p. 678, where it is wrongly called MeSaiov.') The town, as its name indicates, must have been built by one of the ancient kings of Phrygia, and has become celebrated in history from the fact that Sextus Pompeius, the son of Pompey the Great, was there taken prisoner by the generals of M. Antony, and afterwards put to death. (Dion Cass. xlix. 18.) It has been supposed, with some probability, that the town of Jlygdum, mentioned by Ammianus Marcellinus (xxvi. 7), is the same as Midaeium. [L. S.] MIDEIA or MIDEA, 1. (Mi'Seia, Pans.; MiSe'a, Strab. : JEth. MiSfa'rrjs), an ancient city of the Argeia, was originally called Persepolis (Jlepaiuis Tr6is, Steph. B. s. v. MiSeia), and is mentioned by Apollodorus (ii. 4. § 4) in connection with this hero. It was said to have derived its name from the wife of Electryon, and was celebrated as the residence of Electryon and the birthplace of his daughter Alc- mena. (Pans. ii. 25. § 9 ; Schol. ad Find. 01. vii. 49.) But it is mentioned in the earliest division of the country, along with the Heraeum and Tiryns, as belonging to Proetus. (Pans. ii. 16. § 2.) It was the residence of Hippodameia in her banish- ment. (Pans. vi. 20. § 7.) It was destroyed by Argos, probably at the same time as Tiryns, soon after the Persian wars. (Pans. viii. 27. § 1; Strab. viii. p. 373.) Strabo describes Midea as near Tiryns ; and from its mention by Pausanias, in connection with the Heraeum and Tiryns, it must bo placed on the eastern edge of the Argoian plain ; but the only clue to its exact position is the state- ment of Pausanius, who says that, returning from Tiryns into the road leading from Argos to Epi- daurus, " you will reach Mideia on the left " (ii. 25. § 9). Two different sites have been assigned to Mideia. The French Commission place it at the Hellenic remains at Dendrd, 5^ geographical miles direct E. by N. from the citadel of Argos, as this place lies to tlie left of the road from Argos to Epidaurus. But Leake objects, that the distance of Dendrd from this road — more than 3 geogra- phical miles — is greater than is implied by the words of Pausanias. He thercibre places Mideia at the Hellenic remains near Katzingri, 2 geogra- phical miles due E. of Tiryns. The objection to the latter site is that it lies to the right of the road from Argos to Epidaurus, from which it is separated by a deep ravine. The ruins at Dendrd, stand upon a hill almost inaccessible on three sides, enclosed by four ditlbrent walls, one above another, In one of them is a gateway formed of three pieces of stone, resembling the smaller gateway of the citadel of Mycenae. The ruins descend from the summit to a fountain, which springs out of a grotto near a chapel of the Panaghia. The surrounding meadows afford good j)asture for horses, and thus illustrate the epithet of Slatius {Thch. iv. 44) A A