Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography Volume II.djvu/496

 480 OLYMPUS. the calm ether, it was believed that here was an opening into the vault of heaven, closed by a tliick cloud, as a door. {II. v. 751.) [See Diet, of Biof/r. Vol. III. p. 25 ; Liddell and Scott, Greek Lex. s. v.'] 2. A mountain in Laconia, near Sellasia. [Sel- LASIA.] 3. A mountain above Olympia in Elis. [Olym- PIA, p. 475, a.] OLYMPUS ("OAujU'Tos)- L A mountain range of Mysia, extending eastward as far as the river Sangarius, and dividing Phrygia from Bithynia. To distinguish it from other mountains of the same name, it often is called the ]Iysian Olympus. Its height rises towards the west, and that part which is of the greatest height, is the highest mountain in all Asia Minor. The country around this mountain was well peopled, but its heights were thickly clad with wood, and contained many safe retreats for robbers, bands of whom, under a regular leader, often rendered the country unsafe. (Strab. xii. p. 574, comp. x. p. 470, xii.'p. 571 ; Herod, i. 36, vii. 74 ; Ptol. v. L § 10; Steph. Ks.v.; Plin. v. 40, 43 ; Pomp. Mela, i. 19 ; Anmn. Marc. xxvi. 9 ; Schol. ad Apollon. Rhod. I. 598.) The lower regions of this great mountain are still covered with extensive forests; but the summit is rocky, devoid of vegetation, and during the greater part of the year covered with snow. Tlie Turks generally call it Anadoli Dagh, though the western or highest parts also bear the name of Keskhh Dagh, that is, the ]Ionk's Mountain, and the eastern Toumandji or Domoun Dagh. The Byzantine historians mention several fortresses to defend the passes of Olympus, such as Pitheca (Nicet. Chon. p. 35 ; B. Cinnam. p. 21), Acrunum, and Calogroea (B. Cinnam. Z. c; Cedren. p. 553; Anna Conm. p. 441 ; comp. Brown, in Walpule's Turkey, torn, ii. pp. 109, foil. ; Pococke, Travels iii. p. 178). 2. A mountain in the north of Galatia, which it separates from Bithynia. It is, properly speaking, only a continuation of the Mysian Olympus, and is remarkable in history for the defeat sustained on it by the Tolistoboii, in a battle against the Romans under Manlius. (Liv. xxxviii. 19, &c. ; Polyb. xxii. 20, 21.) Its modern name is Ala Dagh. 3. A volcanic mountain in the east of Lycia, a little to the north-east of Corydalla. It also bore the name of Phoenicus, and near it was a large town, likewise bearing the name Olympus. (Strab. xiv. p. 666.) In another passage (xiv. p. 671) Strabo speaks of a mountain Olympus and a stronghold of the same name in Cilicia, from which the whole of Lycia, Pamphylia, and Pisidia could be surveyed, and which was in his time taken possession of by the Isaurian robber Zenicetas. It is, however, generally supposed that this Cilician Olympus is no other than the Lycian, and that the geographer was led into his mistake by the fact that a town of the name of Corycus existed both in Lycia and Cilicia. On the Lycian Olympus stood a temple of Hephaestus. (Comp. Stadiasm. Mar. Mag. § 205 ; Ptol. v. 3. § 3.) Scylax (39) does not mention Olympus, but his Siderus is evidently no other place. (Lealce, Asia i/mor, p. 189; Fellows, L?/aa, pp. 212, foil.; Spratt and Forbes, Travels in Lycia, i. p. 192.) Mount Olympus now bears the name Janar Dagh, and the town that of Deliktash ; in the latter place, which was first identified by Beaufort, some ancient remains still exist ; but it does not appear ever to have been a large town, as Strabo calls it. [L. S.] OLYMPUS COKvfj.nos, Strab. xiv. pp. 682, 683; OLYNTHUS. Ptol. V. 14. § 5), a mountain range in the lofty island of Cyprus. On one of its eminences — breast- shaped (/xacTToeiS'ijs) — was a temple to Aphrodite " of the heights " (d/fpai'a), into which women were not permitted to enter. (Strab. I. c.) This pro- bably implies that all but the " hierodulae " were excluded. (Comp. Claudian, Nnpt. Hon. et Mar. 49—85; Achill. Tat. vii. 13.) According to Po- cocke {Trav. vol. ii. p. 212; comp. Mariti, Viaggi, vol. i. p. 206), this part of the chain is now called Haghios Stavros, or Sta. Croce, from a convent dedicated to the Cross. (Engel, Kypros, vol. i. pp. 33—37). [E. B. J.] OLYNTA INS. (^OKvvTa, Scyl. p. 8; Solentii, It. Anton. ; Peiot. Tab. ; Solenta, Geog. Rav.), a small island off the coast of Dalmatia, which now bears the name of Solta, and is famous for its honey. (Wilkinson, Dalmatia and Montenegro, vol. i. p. 187.) [E. B. J.] OLYNTHIACUS. [Olynthus.] OLYNTHUS {'OKvveos, Scyl. p. 26; Strab. vii. p. 330; Steph. B.; Pomp. Mela, ii. 2. § 9; Plin. iv. 17 : Eth. 'OKiivdios'), a town which stood at the head of the Toronaic gulf, between the peninsulas of Pal- lene and Sithonia, and was surrounded by a fertile plain. Originally a Bottiaean town, at the time of the Persian invasion it had passed into the hands of the Chalcidic Greeks (Herod, vii. 122; Strab. x. p. 447), to whom, under Critobulus of Torone, it was handed over, by the Persian Artabazus, after taking the town, and slaying all the inhabitants (Herod, viii. 127). Afterwards Perdiecas prevailed on many of the Chaleidian settlers lo abandon the small towns on the sea-coast, and make Olynthus, which was se- veral stadia from the sea, their central position (Time. i. 58). After this period the Bottiaei seem to have been the humble dependents of the Chal- cidians, with whom they are found joined on two oc- casions (Thuc. i. 65, ii. 79). The expedition cf Brasidas secured the independence of the Olynthians, which was distinctly recognised by treaty (Thuc. V. ] 9.) The town, from its maritime situation, became a place of great importance, B. c. 392. Owing to the weakness of Amyntas, the Macedonian king, they were enabled to take into their alliance the smaller towns of maritime Macedonia, and gradually ad- vanced so far as to include the larger cities in this region, including even Pella. The military force of the Olynthian confederacy had now become so pow- erful from the just and generous principles upon which it was fi'amed, including full liberty of inter- marriage, of commercial dealings, and lan<led proprie- torship, that Acanthus and Apollonia, jealous of Olyn- thian supremacy, and menaced in their independence, applied to Sparta, then in the height of its power, B.C. 383, to solicit intei-vention. The Spartan Eu- damidas was at once sent against Olynthus, with such force as could be got ready, to check the new power. Teleutias, the brother of Agesilaus, was after- wards sent there with a force of 10,000 men, which the Spartan assembly had previously voted, and was joined by Derdas, prince of Elimeia, with 400 Ma- cedonian horse. But the conquest of Olynthus was no easy entei-prise ; its cavalry was excellent, and enabled them to keep the Spartan infantry at bay. Teleutias, at first successful, becoming over con- fident, sustained a terrible defeat under the walls of the city. But the Spartans, not disheartened, thought only of repairing their dishonour by fresh exertions. Agesipolis, their king, was placed in command, and ordered to prosecute the war with vigour; the young