Page:The geography of Strabo (1854) Volume 2.djvu/107

 B. ix. c. ii. 15, 16. BCEOTIA. 99 so that Nisa could not stand in this passage, unless by Nisa Homer meant Isus, for there was a city Nisa, in Megaris, from whence Isus was colonized, situated at the base of Cithaaron, but it exists no longer. 1 Some however write Kpevcrdv re Zadtrjv, " The sacred Creusa," meaning the present Creusa, the arsenal of the Thespieans, situated on the Crissean Gulf. Others write the passage <$apae re a6lag, " The sacred Pharse," Pharse is one of the four villages,, (or Tetracomiae,) near Ta- nagra, namely, Heleon, Harma, Mycalessus, Pharae. Others again write the passage thus, Nuo-dv re ZaQeqv, " The sacred Nysa." Nysa is a village of Helicon. Such then is the description of the sea-coast opposite Eubrea. 15. The places next in order, in the inland parts, are hollow plains, surrounded everywhere on the east and west by mountains ; on the south by the mountains of Attica, on the north by those of Phocis : on the west, Cithasron inclines, ob- liquely, a little above the Crisasan Sea ; it begins contiguous to the mountains of Megaris and Attica, and then makes a bend towards the plains, and terminates near the Theban territory. 16. Some of these plains become lakes, by rivers spreading over or falling into them and then flowing off. Some are dried up, and being very fertile, are cultivated in every pos- sible way. But as the ground underneath is full of caverns and fissures, it has frequently happened, that violent earth- quakes have obstructed some passages, and formed others un- der-ground, or on the surface, the water being carried off, either by subterranean channels, or by the formation of lakes and rivers on the surface. If the deep subterranean passages are stopped up, the waters of the lakes increase, so as to inun- date and cover cities and whole districts, which become un- covered, if the same or other passages are again opened. The same regions are thus traversed in boats or on foot, according 1 This passage is very corrupt. H 2