Page:The geography of Strabo (1854) Volume 2.djvu/63

 B. vin. c, vi. 13, 14. ARGOLIS. 55 13. It is said that Asine as well as Hermione was inhabited by Dryopes ; either Dryops the Arcadian having transferred them thither from the places near the Spercheius, according to Aristotle ; or, Hercules expelled them from Doris near Parnassus. Scyllaeum near Hermione has its name, it is said, from Scylla, daughter of Nisus. According to report, she was enamoured of Minos, and betrayed to him NisaBa. She was drowned by order of her father, and her body was thrown upon the shore, and buried here. Eiones was a kind of village which the Mycenaei depopu- lated, and converted into a station for vessels. It was after- wards destroyed, and is no longer a naval station. 14. Tro3zen is sacred to Neptune, 1 from whom it was formerly called Poseidonia. It is situated 15 stadia from the sea. Nor is this an obscure city. In front of its harbour, called Pogon, 2 lies Calauria, a small island, of about 30 stadia in compass. Here was a temple of Neptune, which served as an asylum for fugitives. It is said that this god exchanged Delos for Calauria with Latona, and Taanarum for Pytho with Apollo. Ephorus mentions the oracle respecting it : " It is the same thing to possess Delos, or Calauria, The divine Pytho, or the windy Taenarum." There was a sort of Amphictyonic body to whom the con- cerns of this temple belonged, consisting of seven cities, which performed sacrifices in common. These were Hermbn, Epi- daurus, -ZEgina, Athenas, Prasiae, Nauplia, and Orchomenus Minyeius. The Argives contributed in behalf of Nauplia, and the Lacedaemonians in behalf of Prasice. The veneration for this god prevailed so strongly among the Greeks, that the Macedonians, even when masters of the country, never- theless preserved even to the present time the privilege of the asylum, and were restrained by shame from dragging away the suppliants who took refuge at Calauria. Archias even, with a body of soldiers, did not dare to use force to De- 1 Poseidon, or Neptune. This god, after a dispute with Minerva respect- ing this place, held by order of Jupiter, divided possession of it with her. Hence the ancient coins of Troczen bear the trident and head of Minerva. 2 Ilwywj/, pogon or beard. Probably the name is derived from the form of the harbour. Hence the proverb, " Go to Trcezen," (nXevatiag tig addressed to those who had little or no beard.