Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography Volume I Part 1.djvu/48

 is stQl called JUaretimo, 2. The soathemmost and nearest to Lilybaenm, is called, both by Ptolemj and Plmj, Aeouba (^Aiyovffd) ; but the latter erroneously confounds it wi^ Aethusa. It is the largest of the threei on which account its name was sometimes eictended to the whole group (eU KoXo^fuvai Alyov- acu, Pol. i. 44) ; it is now called Favignana, and has a codsiderable population. 3. The northern- most and smallest of ^e group, nearly opposite to Drepanum, is called by Ptolemy (^piarrla), but is pit^Mbly the same with the of Pliny, a name erroneously supposed by Steph. B. (s. V. BooKiyya) to be that of a city c^ SicUy. It is now called Levanzo. (Ptol. ill. 4. § 17 Plin. iii.8.s. 14; Smyth's Sicily, pp.244--247.)

These islands derive au historical celebrity from the great naval victory obtained by 0. Lutadus Gatulns over the Carthaginians in b. c. 241, which put an end to the First Punic War. Hanno, the Carthaginian admiral, had previous to the battle taken up his station at the island of Hiera, and endeavoured to take advantage cf a fair wind to run straight in to Drepanum, in order to relieve the army uf Hamilcar Barca, then blockaded on Mount Exyx; but he was intercepted by Catulus, and com- pelled to engage oa disadvantageous terms. The consequence was the complete defeat of the Cartha- ginian fleet, of which 50 ships were sunk, and 70 taken by the enemy, with nearly 10,000 prisoners. (Pol. 1. 60, 61; Died. mv. Exc H. p. 609; Liv. Epit. xix.; Ores. iv. 10; Flor. ii. 1; Eutrop. ii. 27; Com. Nep. Hamilc. I ; Mela, ii. 7 ; SH. Ital. i. 61.)

The bland of Aegusa has been supposed by many writers to be the one described by Homer in the Odyssey (ix. 116) as lying opposite to the land of the Cyclopes, and abounding in wild goats. But all such attempts to identify the localities described in the wanderings of Uljnsses may be safely dismissed as untenable.

 AEGEIRA (Alytipa: Eth. Alytipdriis^ fern. A<7cif)aTtT), a town of Achaia, and one of the 12 Achaean dties, situated between A^ae and Pellene, is described by Polybius as opposite Mount Parnas- sus, situated upon hills strong and difficult of ap- proach, seven stadia from the sea, and near a river. This river was probably the Crius, which flowed into the sea, a little to the W. of the town. Ac- cording to Pausanias the upper city was 12 stadia from its port, and 72 stadia from the oracle of Heracles Buraicus. (Herod. L 146; Strab. viii. p. 386; Pol. ii. 41, iv. 57; Pans. vu. 26. § 1; Plin. iv. 6.) Pausanias (/. c.) relates that Aegdra occu- jned the site of the Homeric ('TjrtpTjcirif IIM 573,xv.254; Strab. p.383: Eth/rirfpnauvs), and that it changed its name during the occupation of the country by the lonians. He adds that the ancient name still continued in use. Hcnce^we find that Icarus of Hyperesia was proclaimed victor in the 23rd Olympad. (Pans. iv. 15. § 1.) On the decay of the neighbouring town of Aegae its inhab- itants were transferred to Aegeira. (Strab. p. 386.) In the first year of the Social war (b.c. 220) Aegeira was surprised by a party of Aetolians, who had set sail from the opposite town of Oeantheia in Locris, but were driven out by the Aegiratans after they had obtained possession of the place. (Pol. iv. 57, 58.) The most important of tiie public build- ings of Aegeira was a temple of Zeus. It also con- tained a very ancient temple of Apollo, and temples of Artemis, of Aphrodite Urania, who was worshipped in the town above all other divinities, and of the Syrian goddess. (Pans. viL26.) Theportof Aegein Leake places at Mavra LUharia^ i. e., the Black Rocks, to the left of which, on the summit of a hill, are some vestiges of an ancient d^, which most have been Aegeira. At the distance of 40 stadia from Aegeira, through the mountains, there was a fortress called Phelloe (4cAA<(i}, near Zakhuli)^ abounding in springs of water. (Pans. vii. 26. § 10; Leake, Morea^ vol. iii. p. 387, seq.)

 AEGEIRUS. [.]

 AEGIAE or AEGAEAE (AiVeu, Pans, ill 2L § 5 ; Alyoiai, Strab. p. 364: Limm)^ a town of La^ conia, at the distance of 30 stadia frtnn GythluiDf supposed to be the same as the Homeric Angeise. (Avyciof, U. ii. 583; comp. Steph. B. b.v.) It possessed a temple and lake of Neptune. Its site is placed by the French Commission at lAmnL, so called from an extensive marsh in the valley of the eastern branch of the river uf Pauavd, (Leake, Pdopo»- nesiaca^ p. 170.)

 AEGIALEIA, AEGIALUS. [.]

 AE'GIDA, a town of Istria, mentioned only by Pliny iii. 19. s. 23), which appears to have been in his time a place of little importance; but from an inscription cited by Cluverius (Ital. p.210) it appears that it was restored by the emperor Justin II. who bestowed on it the name of . This inscription is preserved at Capo d'Istria, now a considerable town, situated on a small island joined to the mainland by a causeway, which appears to have been termed, and was probably the site of the Aegida of Pliny.

 AE'GILA (ra ATyiXa), a town of Laconia with a temple of Demeter, of uncertain cite, but placed by Leake on the gulf of Skutari. (Paus. iv. 17. § 1; Leake, Morea, vol. i. p. 278.)

 AEGI'LIA (A^y*Ai«). 1. Or (h At- yiKoSf Theoo*. L 147 : Eth. AiytXx^ds), a demos in Attica bd(mging to the tribe Antiochis, situated on the western coast between Lamptra and Sphettus. It was celebrated for its figs. (At^tXidcs hrx^^^t Athen. p. 652, e. ; Theocr. Z. c.) It is placed by Leake at TzurelUf the site of a ruined village on the shore, at the foot of Mt Eljrmbo. (Strab. p. 398 ; Haxpocrat, Steph. B. s. v. ; Leake, Demi, p. 61.)

2. Or (Ai7{A6ia), a small i^sland off the western coast of Euboea, and near the town of Styra, to which it belonged. Here the Persians left the captive Eretrians, before they crossed over to Marathon, b. c. 490. (Herod, vi. 101, 107.)

3. Or {^1yia : Cerigottd), a small island between Cythera and Crete. (PluL CUom. 31 ; Steph. B. 8, V. ; Plin. iv. 12. s. 19.)

<section end="AEGILIA" /> <section begin="AEGILIPS" />AEGILIPS. [.]

<section end="AEGILIPS" /> <section begin="AEGIMURUS" />AEGIMU'RUS {hiyliJLOfios : Zotoamour or Zembra), a lofty island, surrounded by dangerous difls, off the coast of Africa, at the month of the gulph of Carthage. (Liv. xxx. 24; Strab. pp. 123, 277, 834.) Pliny calls it Aegimori Aiae (v. 7); and there is no doubt that it is Sie same as the Arae of Virgil (Aen. i. 108).

<section end="AEGIMURUS" /> <section begin="AEGINA" />AEGI'NA (ATyiyo: Eth, Alytv^rnis, AeginSta, Aeginensis, fern. Alyivrrris: Adj. Alyiycuos, Alyanj- rut6sj Aegineticus : Eghina),aai island in the Saronic gulf, surrounded by Attica, Megaris, and Epidauros, from each of which it was distant about 100 stadia. (Strab. p. 375) It contains-about 41 square Englii^ miles, and is said by Strabo (I c.) to be 180 stadia in circumference. In shape it is an irregular triangle. Its western half consists of a plain, which, though <section end="AEGINA" />