Page:The geography of Strabo (1854) Volume 2.djvu/11

 B. TIII. c. i. 3. GREECE. 3 probably the reason, although they were a small nation, why they remained a distinct people with a distinct dialect. It was not in the parts only on the other side of the isthmus, that the ^Eolian nation was powerful, but those on this side also were formerly ^Eolians. They were afterwards inter- mixed first with lonians who came from Attica, and got pos- session of JEgialus, 1 and secondly with Dorians, who under the conduct of the Heracleidae founded Megara and many of the cities in the Peloponnesus. The lones were soon expelled by the Achaei, an .ZEolian tribe ; and there remained in Pelo- ponnesus the two nations, the ^Eolic and the Doric. Those nations then that had little intercourse with the Dorians used the ^Eolian dialect. (This was the case with the Arcadians and Eleians, the former of whom were altogether a mountain tribe, and did not share in the partition of the Peloponnesus ; the latter were considered as dedicated to the service of the Olympian Jupiter, and lived for a long period in peace, principally because they were of .ZEolian descent, and had admitted into their country the army of Oxylus, about the time of the return of the Heracleidas. 2 ) The rest used a kind of dialect composed of both, some of them having more, others less, of the -ZEolic dialect. Even at present the inhabitants of different cities use different dialects, but all seem to Dorize, or use the Doric dialect, on account of the ascendency of that nation. Such then is the number of the Grecian nations, and thus in general are they distinguished from each other. I shall resume my account of them, and describe each nation in their proper order. 3. According to Ephorus, Acarnania is the commencement of Greece on the west, for it is the first country which lies contiguous to the Epirotic nations. As this author follows the coast in his measurements^ and begins from thence, con- sidering the sea the most important guide of topographical description, (for otherwise he might have placed the beginning of Greece in Macedonia and Thessaly,) so ought I, observing 1 The word ^Egialus (AiyiaXbg) signifies sea-shore. The name was given to this part of the Peloponnesus (afterwards called Achaia) from the towns being situated generally along the coast. Others, however, give a different explanation to the word. 2 1113 before the Christian era. G. B 2