Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography Volume I Part 1.djvu/320

 aos ATHENAE. Melanippos, the son of Theseus, was buried (Harpocrat. s. v. McAovfinrcioi'); the temple of Athena Aristobula, built by Themistocles near his own house (Plut. Them. 22); the house of Callias (Plat. Parmen. p. 126, a.; Schol. ad Aristoph. Ran. 504); the house of Phocion, which still existed in Plutarch's time (Plut. Phoc. 18); and a building, called the "House of the Melitians," in which tragedies were rehearsed. (Hesych. Phot. Lex. s. v. MtXirimf o7icos.) This is, perhaps, the same theatre as the one in which Aesohines played the part of Oenomaus, and which is said to have been situated in Collytus (Harpocrat. s. v. "l^oyfipoy; Anonym. Vit. Aesch.); since the distroct of Melite, as we have already observed, subsequently included the demus of Collytus. It is probable that this theatre is the one of which the remains of a great part of the semicircle are still visible, hewn oat of the rock, on the western side of the hill of Pnyx. The Melitian Gate at the SW. corner of the city were so called, as leading to the district Melite. [See p. 263, b.] Pliny (iv. 7. s. 11) speaks of an "oppidum Melite," which is conjectured to have been the fortress of the Macedonians, erected on the hill Museium. [See p. 284, a.]

3. Scambonidae (SicafiCwvlSai), a demus belonging to the tribe Leontis. In consequence of a passage of Pausanias (i. 38. § 2) Müller placed this demus near Eleusis; but it is now admitted that it was one of the city demi. It was probably included within the district of Melite, and occupied the Hills of the Nymphs and of Pnyx. Its connexion with Melite is intimated by the legend, that Melite derived its name from Melite, a daughter of Myrmex, and the wife of Hercules; and that this Myrmex gave his name to a street in Scambonidae. (Harpocrat. s. v. MtKitui; Hesych., s. v. MvpfiriKos i.rpoat6s; comp. Aristoph. Thesm. 100; and Phot Lex.) This street, however, the "Street of Ants," did not derive its name from a hero, but from its being crooked and narrow, as we may suppose the streets to have been in this hilly district. Scambonidae, also, probably derived its name from the same circumstance (from ir§caf»i6sf "crooked.")

4. Collytus (KoWvt6s, not KoAvrr<fs: Eth. KoXXvrus a demus belonging to the tribe Aegeis, and probably, as we have already said, sometimes included under the general name of Melite. It appears from a passage of Strabo (i. p. 65) that Collytus and Melite were adjacent, but that their boundaries were not accurately marked, a passage which both Leake and Wordsworth have erroneously supposed to mean that these places had precise boundaries. (It is evident, however, that Collytus and Melite are quoted as an example of fiii 5rr«y iucpiSAy 5fH»v.) Wordsworth, moreover, remarks that it was the least respectable quarter in the whole of Athens: but we know, on the contrary, that it was a favourite place of residence. Hence Plutarch says (de Exsil. 6, p. 601), "neither do all Athenians inhabit Collytus, nor Corinthians Craneium, nor Spartans Pitane," Craneium and Pitane being two favourite localities in Corinth and Sparta respectively. It is described by Himerius (ap. Phot. Cod. 243, p. 375, Bekker), as a ore Mnro's (which does not mean a narrow street, but simply a street, comp. Diod. xii. 10; Hesych. s. v.), situated in the centre of the city, and much valued for its use of the market {hyopas xp^^ rifjuAfuifos)^ by which words we are probably to understand that it was conveniently situated for the use of the market. ATHENAE. Forchhammer places Collytus between the hills of Pnyx and Museium, in which case the expression of its being in the centre of the city, must not be interpreted strictly. The same writer also supposes <rr€iww6s not to signify a street, but the whole district between the Pnyx and the Museium, including the slopes of those hills. Leake thinks that Collytus bordered upon Diomeia, and accordingly places it between Melite and Diomeia; but the authority to which he refers would point to an opposite conclusion, namely, that Collytus and Diomeia were situated on opposite sides of the city. We are told that Collytus was the father of Diomus, the favourite of Hercules; and that some of the Melitenses, under the guidance of Diomus, migrated fron Melite, and settled in the spot called Diomeia, from their leader, where they celebrated the Metageitnia, in memory of their origin. (Plut. de Exsil. l. c.; Steph. B. s. v. AiSfieia; Hesych. s. v. AiofUius.) This legend confirms the preceding account of Collytus being situated in Melite. We have already seen that there was a theatre in Collytus, in which Aeschines played the part of Oenomaus; and we are also told that he lived in this district 45 years. (Aesch. Ep. 5.) Collytus was also the residence of Timon, the misanthrope (Lucian, Timon, 7, 44), and was celebrated as the demus of Plato.

5. Cydathenaeum (KuSo^^raiov : Eth. KuMHi- vattTs), a demus belonging to the tribe Pandionis. (Harp. Suid. Steph. Phot) The name is apparently compounded of Kvdos "glory," and 'Atfipaios, and is hence explained by Hesychius (s. v.) as Mo^os 'A9ifnuor. It is, therefore, very probable, as Leake has suggested, that this demos occupied the Theseian city, that is to say, the Acropolis, and the parts adjacent to it on the south and south-east (Leake, p. 443; Müller, Dor. vol. ii. p. 72, transl.)

6. Diomeia (Ai^ueia : Eth. Aioftciy ), a demus belonging to the tribe Aegeis, consisting, like Cerameicus, of an Outer and an Inner Diomeia. The Inner Diomeia comprised the eastern part of city, and gave its name to one of the city-gates in this quarter. In the Outer Diomeia was situated the Cynosarges. (Steph., Suid. s. v. Ai6fA*un Hesych. s. v. Auifuis; Steph., Hesych. s. v. Kw6- a-apytt; Schol. ad Aristoph. Ran. 664; Plut. de Exsil. l. c.) The Outer Diomeia could not have extended far beyond the walls, since the demns Alopece was close to Cynosarges. and only eleven or twelve stadia from the walls of the city. (Herod. v. 63; Aesch. c. Tim. p. 119, Reiske.)

7. Coele (Ko(Ai}), a demus belonging to the tribe Hippothoontis. It lay partly within and partly without the city, in the valley between the Museium and the hills on the southern side of Ilissus. In this district, just outside the Melitian gate, were the sepulchres of Thucydides and Cimon. [For authorities, see p. 263.]

8. Ceiriadae (KttpdZai), a demus belonging to the tribe Hlppothoontis. (Harpocrat, Suid., Steph. B., Hesych. s. v.) The position of this demus is uncertain; but Sauppe brings forward many arguments to prove that it was within the city walls. In this district, and perhaps near the Metroum, was the BdpaBpoVy into which criminals were cast (For authorities, see Sauppe, pp. 17, 18.)

9. Agrae Q'Aypai)^ was situated south of the Ilissus, and in the SE. of the city. Respecting its site, see p. 300, b. It does not appear to have been a separate demus, and was perhaps included in the demus of Agryle, which was situated south of it.