Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography Volume II.djvu/618

 602 PHLIUS. It was at length obliged to surrender through failure of provisions in b. c. 379 ; and Agesilaus appointed a council of 100 members (half from the exiles and half from the besieged), with powers of life and death over the citizens, and authorised to frame a new constitution. (Xen. Hell. v. 3. § 10, seq.; Plut. Arjes. 24; Diod. xv. 20.) From this time the Phliasians remained faithful to Sparta through- out the whole of the Theban War, though they had to suffer much from the devastation of their teiri- tory by their hostile neighbours. The Argives occupied and fortified Tricaranum above I'hlius, and the Sicyonians Thyamia on the Sicyonian frontier. (Xen. Uell. vii. 2. § 1.) In b. c. 368 the city was nearly taken by the exiles, who no doubt belonged to the democratical party, and had been driven into exile after the capture of the city by Agesilaus. In this year a body of Arcadians and Eleians, who were inarching through NemeatojoinEpaminondas at the Isthmus, were persuaded by the Fhliasian exiles to assist them in capturing the city. During the night the exiles stole to the foot of the Acropolis; and in the morning when the scouts stationed by the citizens on the hill Tricaranum announced that the enemy were in sight, the exiles seized the oppor- tunity to scale the Acropolis, of which they obtained possession. They were, however, repulsed in their attempt to force their way into the town, and were eventually obliged to abandon the citadel also. The Arcadians and Argives were at the same time re- pulsed from the walls. (Xen. Hell. vii. 2. §§ 5 — 9.) In the following year Phlius was exposed to a still more formidable attack from the Theban commander at Sicyon, assisted by Euphron, tyrant of that city. The main body of the army descended from Tri- caranum to the Heraeum which stood at the foot of the mountain, in order to ravage the Phliasian plain. At the same time a detachment of Sicyonians and Pellenians were posted NE. of the Acropolis before the Corinthian gate, to hinder the Phliasians from attacking them in their rear. But the main body of the troops was repulsed; and being unable to join the detachment of Sicyonians and Pallenians in consequence of a ravine ((J)apa7|), the Phliasians attacked and defeated them with loss. (Xen. Hell. vii. 2. § 11, seq.) After the death of Alexander, Phlius, like many of the other Peloponnosian cities, became subject to tyrants; but upon the organisation of the Achaean League by Aratus, Cleonymus, who was then tyrant of Phlius, voluntarily resigned his power, and the city joined the league. (Polyb. ii. 44.) Phlius is celebrated in the history of literature as the birthplace of Pratinas, the inventor of the Sa- tyric drama, and who contended with Aeschylus for the prize at Athens. In the agora of Phlius was the tomb of Aristias, the son of Pratinas. (Paus. ii. 13. § 6.) Pausanias says that on the Acropolis of Phlius was a temple of Hebe or Ganymeda, in a cypress grove, which enjoyed the right of asylum. (Comp. Strab. viii. p. 382.) There was also a temple of Demeter on the Acropolis. On descending from the citadel there stood on the right a temple of As- clepius, and below it the theatre and another temple of Demeter. In the agora there were also other public buildings. (Paus. ii. 13. § 3, seq.) The principal place at present in the Phliasia is the vil- lage of St. George, situated at the southern foot of Tricaranum, a mountain with three summits, which bounds the plain to the NE. The ruins of Phlius PHLYA. are situated three quarters of an hour further west, on one of the spurs of Tricaranum, above the right bank of the Asopus. They are of considerable ex- tent, but present little more than foundations. On the south-western slope of the height stands the church of our Lady of the Hill (Uavayia 'Pax'ai- Tiacra), from which the whole spot is now called V T7)v 'FaxtuTKTcrav. It probably occupies the site of the temple of Asclepius. Ross found here the remains of several Doric pillars. Five stadia from the town on the Asopus are some ruins, which Koss considers to be those of Celeae (KfAeaQ, where De- meter was worshipped. (Paus. ii. 14. § 1.) Leake supposed Phlius to be represented by some ruins on the western side of the mountain, now called Poly- Jenf/o; but these are more correctly assigned by Koss to the ancient city of Araethyrea; and their distance from those already described corresponds to the 30 stadia which, according to Strabo, was the distance from Araethyrea to Phlius. On Mt. Tricaranum are the remains of a small Hellenic fortress called Paleohastron, which is pro- bably the fortress erected by the Argives on this moimtain. (Xen. Hell. vii. 2. §§ 1, 5, 11, 13; Dem. Megal. p. 206; Harpocrat. s. v. TpiKapavov- Steph. B. s. V. TptKcipava.^ Thyamia, which the Sicyonians fortified, as already narrated (Xen. Hell. vii. 2. § 1), is placed by Eoss on the lofty hill of Spiriti, the northern prolongation of Tricaranum, between the villages Stimdnga and Skrapdni; on the summit are the remains of a large round tower, probably built by the Franks or Byzantines. In the southern part of the Phliasia is the Dio.scurion (AiofT/coi^pio;'), which is mentioned only by Polybius (iv. 67, 68, 73), and which lay on the road from Corinth over the mountain Apelauron into the Stym- phalia. (Leake, J/orea, vol. iii. p. 339, seq. ; Ross, Reisen im Peloponnes, p. 25, seq.; Curtius, Peto- ponnesos, vol. ii. p. 470, seq.) M^VP OF THE NEIGHBOURHOOD OF PHUUS. A. Phlius. B. Araethyrea or Arantia. C. Mount Tricaranum. D D. The Asopus. 1 . Ruins, perhaps of Celeae. 2. The gate leading to Corinth. 3. Palcokastron on Mount Tricaranuilli 4. The way to Nemea. PHLYA. [Attica, p. 332, b.]