Page:History of Greece Vol II.djvu/481

 CONQUESTS CF SPARTA FROM ARGOS. 4(55 Of Corinth and Sikyon it will be more convenient to speak when we survey what is called the Age of the Tyrants, or Des- pots ; and of the inhabitants of Achaia (who occupied the south- ern coast of the Corinthian gulf, westward of Sikyon, as far aa Cape Araxus, the north-western point of Peloponnesus), a few words exhaust our whole knowledge, down to the time at which we are arrived. These Achaeans are given to us as representing the ante-Dorian inhabitants of Laconia, whom the legend affirms to have retired under Tisamenus to the northern parts of Pelo- ponnesus, from whence they expelled the preexisting lonians and occupied the country. The race of their kings is said to have lasted from Tisamenus down to Ogygus, 1 how long, we do not know. After the death of the latter, the Achaean towns formed each a separate republic, but with periodical festivals and sacrifice at the temple of Zeus Homarius, affording opportunity of settling differences and arranging their common concerns. Of these towns, twelve are known from Herodotus and Strabo, Pellene, ^Egira, ^Egas. Bura, Helike, JEgium, Rhypes, Pa- trae, Pharae, Olenus, Dyme, Tritasa. 2 But there must originally have been some other autonomous towns besides these twelve ; for in the 23d Olympiad, Ikarus of Hyperesia was proclaimed as victor, and there seems good reason to believe that Hyperesia, an old town of the Homeric Catalogue, was in Achaia. 3 It is affirmed that, before the Achaean occupation of the country, the lonians had dwelt in independent villages, several of which were dsnce, inasmuch as it is composed for, and supposed to be sung by Theiseus, a native of Argos. Had there been any jealousy then subsisting between Argos and Kleonse on the subject of the presidency of this festival, Pindar would never, on such an occasion, have mentioned expressly the Kleonseans as presidents. The statements of the Scholia on Pindar, that the Corinthians at one time celebrated the Nemean games, or that they were of old celebrated at Sikyon, seem unfounded (Schol. Pind. Arg. Nem., and Ncm. x. 49). 1 Polyb. ii. 41. 2 Herodot. i. 145 ; Strabo, viii. p. 385. 3 Pansan. iv. 15, 1 ; Strabo, viii. p. 383 ; Homer, Iliad, ii. 573. Pausanias seems to have forgotten this statement, when he tells us that the name of Hyperesia was exchanged for that of JEgeira, during the time of the Ionian occupation of the country (vii. 26, 1 ; Steph. Byz. copies him, v. AZyr/pa). It is doubtful whether the two names designate the same ph.ce, no; Joe* Strabo conceive that they did. VOL. ii. 20* 30oc