Page:The geography of Strabo (1854) Volume 2.djvu/33

 B. vni. c. in. 27. ELIS. PYLUS. 25 he calls the country of the Pylians, but nowhere does the Alpheius touch Messenia, nor the Hollow Elis. 1 It is in this district that we have the native country of Nestor, which we call the Triphylian, the Arcadian, and the Lepreatic Pylus. For we know that other places of the name of Pylus are pointed out, situated upon the sea, but this is distant more than 30 stadia from it, as appears from the poem. A messenger is sent to the vessel, to the companions of Telemachus, to invite them to a hospitable entertainment. Telemachus, upon his return from Sparta, does not permit Peisistratus to go to the city, but diverts him from it, and prevails upon him to hasten to the ship, whence it appears that the same road did not lead both to the city and to the haven. The departure of Telemachus may in this manner be aptly understood : " they went past Cruni, and the beautiful streams of Chalcis ; the sun set, and all the villages were in shade and darkness ; but the ship, ex- ulting in the gales of Jove, arrived at Pheae. She passed also the divine Elis, where the Epeii rule ;" 2 for to this place the direction of the vessel was towards the north, and thence it turns to the east. The vessel leaves its first and straight course in the direction of Ithaca, because the suitors had placed an ambush there, " In the strait between Ithaca and Samos, And from thence he directed the vessel to the sharp-pointed islands, vrjaoiffi Ooyai ;" 3 the sharp-pointed (dcu) he calls 0oca. They belong to the Echinades, and are near the commencement of the Corinthian Gulf and the mouths of the Achelous. After having sailed past Ithaca so as to leave the island behind him, he turns to the proper course between Acarnania and Ithaca, and disem- barks on the other side of the island, not at the strait of Cephallenia, where the suitors were on the watch. 27. If any one therefore should suppose that the Eleian Pylus is the Pylus of Nestor, the ship would not properly be said, after setting off thence, to take its course along Cruni and Chalcis, as far as the west, then to arrive by night at Phese, and afterwards to sail along the territory of Eleia, for 1 In the discussion which follows, Strabo endeavours to prove, that the Pylus of Nestor is the Pylus of Triphylia, and not the Pylus of Mes- senia. 2 Od. xv. 295. 3 Od. iv. 671 ; xv. 298.