Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography Volume II.djvu/702

 686 PYLUS. mentions Messenla as his birthplace (Panath. § 72); and PherecyJes (cip. Schol. ad Horn. Od. xi. 289) and Enstathius {ad Od. iii. p. 1454) describes the Messenian Pylus as the oity founded by Peleus. This was also the opinion of Diodorus (xv. 66), and of many others. In opposition to tlielr views, Strabo, following the opinion of the 'Oia-qpiKdoTepoi, argues at great length that the Triphylian Elis was the city of Nestor. (Strab. viii. pp. 3.39, seq., 348, seq.) He maintains that the description of the Alpheius flowing through the land of the Pylians (II. V. 545), which, as we have already seen, was the only argument which the Eleians could adduce for their claim, is applicable to the Triphylian Pylus ; whereas the poet's mention of Nestor's ex- ploits against the Epeians {11. xi. 670, seq.) is fatal to the supposition of tiie Messenian city being his residence. Nestor is described as making an incursion into the country of the Epeians, and re- turning thence with a large quantity of cattle, which lie safely lodges by night in the Xeleian city. Tiie third day the Epeians, having collected their forces on the Alpheius, Nestor marched forth from Pylus, and at the end of the first day halted at the Minyeius (subsequently called the Anigrus), where he passed the night ; starting from thence on the following morning, he arrived at the Alpheius at noon. Strabo argues that neither of these events could have taken place if Nestor had marched from so distant a city as the one at Coryphasium, while they might easily have happened if the Neleian city had been situated at the Triphylian Pylus. Again lie argues from the Odyssey that the Neleid Pylus could not have been on the sea- coast, since Teie- machus, after he had disembarked at the temple of Poseidon and had proceeded to Pylus, sent a courier to his ship to fetch his companions (Od. iii. 423) ; and on his return from Sparta to Pylos, he desired Pisistratus to turn off to the sea-side, that he might immediately embark, as he wished not to be de- tained in the city by Nestor. (Od. xv. 199, seq.) These arguments, as well as others, adduced by Strabo, have convinced K. 0. Miiller (Orchomenos, p. 357, seq.), Thirlwall (Hist, of Greece, vol. i. p. 96), and several modem scholars ; but Leake, Curtius, and others have adhered, with much greater probability, to the more common view of antiquity, that the Neleian Pylus was situated at Coryphasium. It has been shown that Pylus was frequently used by Homer to signify the Neleid kingdom, and not simply the city, as indeed Strabo himself had admitted when arguing against the claims of the Eleian Pylus. Moreover, even if it should be admitted that the account of Nestor's exploits against the Epeians agrees better with the claim of the Triphylian Pylus, yet the narrative of the journeys of Teleinachus is entirely opposed to this claim. Telemachus in going from Pylus to Sparta drove his horses thither, without changing them, in two days, stopping the first night at Pherae (Od. iii. 485) ; and he returned from Sparta to Pylus in the same manner. (Od. xv. 182, seq.) Now the Messenian Pylus, Pherae, and Sparta, lie in a direct line, the distince from Pylus to Pherae being about 35 miles by the road, and from Pherae to Sparta about 28 miles. On the other hand, tiie road from the Triphylian Pylus to Sparta would have been by the valley of the Alpheius into that of the Eurotas ; whereas Pherae would have been out of the way, and the distance to it would have been much mere than a day's journey. Besides which, PYRASUS. the position of the Messenian Pylus, the most striking upon the whole vestern coast of Pelopon- nesus, was far more likely to have attracted the Thessalian wanderers from lolcos, the worshippers of the god Poseidon, than a site which was neither strong by nature nor near the coast. But although we may conclude that the Messenian Pylus was the city of Nestor, it may admit of doubt whether the city itself existed on the promontory Coryphasium from the earliest times. 'The Greeks rarely built a city in the earliest period immediately upon the coast, and still more rarely chose a site so badly supplied with water as Coryphasium, of which the Athenians experienced the inconvenience when they defended it in the Peloponnesian War. There seems much probability in the account of Strabo (viii. p. 359) that the ancient Messenian Pylus was situated at the foot of Mt. Aegaleos, and that upon its destruction some of its inhabitants settled at Coryphasium. If then we suppose the city of Nestor to have stood a little way inland, and Coryphasium to have been its port-town, the narrative of Tele- machus' return becomes perfectly clear. Not wishing to lose time at the royal residence, he drives straight to the port and goes quietly on board. Hence, one of Strabo's most serious objections to the Messenian Pylus disappears. Strabo was justified in seeking for a separate site for the city and the port, but he seems to have forgotten the existence of the Old Pylus inland, which he had himself mentioned. (Leake, 3Iorea, vol. i. p. 416, seq.; Curtius, Pe- loponnesos, vol. ii. p. 174, seq.) PYRAEI, a people in Illyria (Plin. iii. 23. s. 26 ; Mela, ii. 3. § 12), perhaps the same as the Pleraei of Strabo. [Pleraei.] PYRA'MIA. [AiiGos, p. 202, a.] PY'KAMUS (nupa^os), one of the great rivers of Asia Minor, which has its sources in Cataonia near the town of Arabissus. (Strab. i. p. 53, xiv. p. 675.) For a time it passes under ground, but then comes forward again as a navigable river, and forces its way through a glen of Mount Taurus, which in some parts is so narrow that a dog can leap across it. (Strab. xii. p. 536.) Its course, which until then had been south, now turns to the south-west, and reaches the sea at Mallns in Cilicia. This river is deep and rapid (Tzetz. ad Lycoj)h. 440); its average breadth was 1 stadium (Xenoph. Anab. i. 4. § 1), but it carried with it such a quan- tity of mud, that, according to an ancient oracle, its deposits were one day to reach the island of Cyprus, and thus unite it with the mainland. (Strab. I. c. ; Eustath. ad Dionys. 867.) Stephanus B. (s. v.") states that formerly this river had been called Leu- cosyrus. (Comp. Scylax, p. 40; Ptol. v. 8. § 4; Plin. V. 22; Pomp. Mela, i. 13; Curtius, iii. 7; Arrian, Anab. ii. 5. § 8.) Its modem name is Seihun or Jechun. [L. S.] PYRANTHUS (nipavBos : Eth. nvpavdios), a small town in Crete, near Gortyn, probably the modern Pyrathi. (Steph. B. s. v. ; Pashley, Crete, vol. i. p. 291.) PYRASUS (Uipa(TOs, Strab. Steph. B. s.v.; Ylvppaaos, Horn : Eth. Wvpaaaios), a town of Phthiotis in Thessaly, mentioned by Homer along with Phylace and Iton, and described by him as Ylippaaov avde- fi6tvTa, AiifjLTjTpos Tffievos. (II. ii. 695.) Pyrasus was situated on the Pagasaean gulf, at the distance of 20 stadia from Thebes, and possessed a good harbour (thhifjuvos, Strab. ix. p. 435). It had disappeared in the time of Strabo. Its name was