Page:History of Greece Vol V.djvu/96

 72 mSTOEY OP GREECE. was then called the Maliac gulf, into which the river Spercheiys poured itself, — after a course from west to east between the lint} of Mount Othrys to the north, and Mount QEta to the south, — near the town of Antikyra. The lower portion of this spacious and fertile valley of the Spercheius was occupied by the various tribes of the Malians, bordering to the north and east on Achaea Phthiotis : the southernmost Malians, with their town of Trachis^ occupied a plain — in some places considerable, in others very narrow — inclosed between mount (Eta and the sea. From Trachis the range of CEta stretched eastward, bordering close on the southern shore of the Maliac gulf: between the two lay the memorable pass of Thermopylse.i On the road from Trachis to Thermopylae, immediately outside of the latter and at the mouth t-fthe little streams called the Phenix and the Asopus, was placed the town of Anthela, celebrated for its temples of Amphiktyon and of the Amphiktyonic Demeter, as well as for the autumnal assemblies of the Amphiktyonic council, for whom seats were provided in the temple. Immediately near to Anthela, the northern slope of the mighty and prolonged ridge of QEta approached so close to the gulf, or at least to an inaccessible morass which formed the edge of the gulf, as to leave no more than one single wheel track between. This narrow entrance formed the western gate of Thermopylae. At some little distance, seemingly about a mile, to the eastward, the same close conjunction between the mountain and the sea was repeated, — thus forming the eastern gate of Thermopylse, not far from the first town of the Lokrians, called Alpeni. The space between these two gates was wider and more open, but it was distinguished, and is still distinguished, by its abundant flow of thermal springs, salt and sulphureous. Some cells were her^ prepared for bathers, which procured for the place the appella- tion of Chytri, or the Pans : but the copious supply of mineral water spread its mud and deposited its crust over all the adja- cent ground ; and the Phocians, some time before, had designc.dly endeavored so to conduct the water as to render the pass utterly '' The word Pass commonly conveys the idea of a path inclosed between raountains. In this instance it is employed to designate a narrow passage, having mountains on one side only, and water (or marsh ground) on the Cither