Page:History of Greece Vol II.djvu/349

 OLYMPIC FESTIVAL. 333 some miles on the right bank of the Pamisus, and a considerable distance to the north of the modern Coron. Now if Korone had then been comprehended in Messenia, Oxythemis would have been proclaimed as a Messenian, like the seven winners who preceded him ; and the fact of his being proclaimed as a Koronsean, proves that Korone was then an independent community, not under the dominion of the Dorians of Stenyklerus. It seems clear, therefore, that the latter did not reign over the whole territory commonly known as Messenia, though we are unable to assign the proportion of it which they actually possessed. The*Olympic festival, in its origin doubtless a privilege of the neighboring Pisatans, seems to have derived its great and gradu*- vlly expanding importance from the JEtolo-Eleian settlement in Peloponnesus, combined with the Dorians of Laconia and Mes- senia. Lykurgus of Sparta, and Iphitus of Elis, are alleged to have joined their efforts for the purpose of establishing both the collection; especially No. 1583, in which a citizen of that town is proclaimed as victoriou.5 at the festival of the Charitesia at Orchomenus: compare Nos. 1587-1593, in which the same ethnical name occurs. The Boeotian Inscrip tions attest in like manner the prevalence of the same etymological law in forming ethnical names, for the towns near Koroneia : thus, Chardneia makes Xaipuvevf, Lebadeia. Aepadevf, Elateia, 'E/larevc, or 'EAaretet'f The Inscriptions afford evidence perfectly decisive as to the ethnical title under which a citizen of Koroneia in Bceotia would have caused himself to be entered and proclaimed at the Olympic games ; better than the evidence of Herodotus and Thucydides, who both call them Kopuvaioi (Herodot. v. 79; Thucyd. iv. 93) : Polybitis agrees with the Inscription, and speaks of the Kopuveif, Ae/3a<5f, Xaipuvslf (xxvii. 1). 0. MUller himself admits, in another place ( Orchomcnos, p. 480J, that the proper ethnical name is Kopu- veuf. The reading of Strabo (ix. p. 41 1 ) is not trustworthy : see Grosskard, ad loc.; compare Steph. Byz. Kopuveia and KoptJvrj. In regard to the formation of ethnical names, it seems the general rule, that a town ending in 77 or at, preceded by a consonant, had its ethnical deriv- ative in aiof ; such as ZKIUVT], Topuvrj, Kvurj, 0;)/?af, 'Atf^vat ; while names ending in eta had their ethnicon in ere, as 'A/le^avtJpeta, 'Apaacia, 2e/lrvKe<, A.vaipuxia (the recent cities thus founded by the successors of Alexander are perhaps the best evidences that can be taken of the analogies of the language), MeAd/iTreia, MeAtma, in addition to the Boeotian names of towns above quoted. There is, however, great irregularity in particular cases, and the number of towns called by the same name created an anxiety to vary he ethnicon for er.ch : see Stephan. Byz. v. 'HpuAeta.