Pliny the Elder, The Natural History, BOOK IV. AN ACCOUNT OF COUNTRIES, NATIONS, SEAS, TOWNS, HAVENS, MOUNTAINS, RIVERS, DISTANCES, AND PEOPLES WHO NOW EXIST OR FORMERLY EXISTED., CHAP. 11. (7.)

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CHAP. 11. (7.)—ATTICA.

At the narrow neck of the Isthmus, Hellas begins, by our people known as Græcia. The first state that presents itself is Attica, anciently called Acte¹. It touches the Isthmus in that part of it which is called Megaris, from the colony of Megara², lying on the opposite side to Pagæ³.

These two towns are situate at the spot where the Peloponnesus projects to the greatest distance; being placed, one on each side, upon the very shoulders of Hellas as it were. The Pagæans, as well as the people of Ægosthena⁴, belong to the jurisdiction of Megara. On the coast there is the port of Schœnos⁵, the towns of Sidus⁶ and Cremmyon⁷, the Scironian Rocks⁸, six miles in length, Geranea, Megara, and Eleusis⁹. Œnoë¹⁰ and Probalinthos also formerly existed here; the ports of Piræus and Phalerum¹¹ are distant from the Isthmus fifty-five miles, being united to Athens, which lies in the interior, by a wall¹² five miles in length. Athens is a free city, and needs¹³ not a word more from us in its commendation; of fame it enjoys even more than enough. In Attica there are the Fountains of Cephisia¹⁴, Larine, Callirrhoë Enneacrunos¹⁵, and the mountains of Brilessus¹⁶, Ægialeus, Icarius, Hymettus¹⁷, Lycabettus¹⁸, and the place where Ilissus¹⁹ stood. At the distance of forty-five miles from the Piræus is the Promontory of Sunium²⁰. There is also the Promontory of Thoricos²¹; Potamos²², Steria²³, and Brauron²⁴, once towns, the borough of Rhamus²⁵, the place where Marathon²⁶ stood, the Thriasian²⁷ plain, the town of Melite²⁸, and Oropus²⁹ upon the confines of Bœotia.

1 From the Greek ἀκτὴ, "the sea-shore."

2 It still retains its ancient name.

3 Or Pegæ. It lay on the borders of the Corinthian Gulf, being, as Pliny says, the utmost point of the Peloponnesus on that side, as Megara was on the Saronic Gulf. According to Kruse, Psato occupies its site, but according to Lapie, Alepochori. The former is most probably correct.

4 On the Corinthian Gulf. Porto Ghermano occupies its site.

5 On the Saronic Gulf, to the north of Cenchreæ. The present Porto Cocosi occupies its site.

6 Now Leandra, according to Ansart.

7 Or Crommyon. It was the chief place on the Saronic Gulf, between the Isthmus, properly so called, and Megara. Its rains are thought to be those seen near the chapel of Saint Theodorus. It was said to have been the haunt of the wild boar killed by Theseus.

8 So called from being the scene of the ravages of the robber Sciron. They are now called Kaki Scala.

9 Famous as the principal seat of the worship of the goddesses Demeter and Persephone. Its remains are to be seen at the modern Lefsina.

10 Pera Chora marks its site. It was a member of the Tetrapolis of Attica, and Probalinthos another.

11 Ulrichs, the best authority, places the port of Phalerum at the east corner of the great Phaleric Bay, in the vicinity of Tripirghi, or the Three Towers. The three harbours of the Piræus are the present Phanari, Stratiotiki or Paschalimani, and Drako or Porto Leone.

12 The Piræus was united to the city by two walls, called the "Long Walls," forty stadia in length. The length of the Phaleric wall was thirty-five stadia.

13 It is to be regretted that such was his opinion. He could have well spared space for a description of it.

14 The city of Cephisia, still called Kivisia, was one of the twelve cities of Cecrops. The fountain of transparent water is still to be seen here.

15 Or the "Nine Springs." It was the only source of good water for drinking purposes in Athens. This spring is still called by its ancient name. Of Larine nothing seems to be known.

16 This is thought to have been the ancient name of the mountain afterwards known as Pentelicus, so famous for its marble, now called Mendeli or Penteli.

17 The northern or Greater Hymettus is now called Telo-Vuni, the southern or Lesser Mavro-Vuni.

18 On the N.E. of Athens, now called the Hill of Saint George.

19 Probably on the river of the same name.

20 Now Capo Colonna.

21 North of Sunium and the modern bay of Panorimo. Thoricus was one of the Demi of Attica.

22 This was the name of two Demi, though probably one place. It lay on the east coast to the north of Thoricus. Its harbour was probably the modern Dhaskalio; and the town is placed by Leake at the ruins called Paleokastro, to the south of the village of Dardheza.

23 On the east coast, between Prasiæ and Brauron.

24 One of the twelve ancient cities of Cecrops, on the eastern coast. Its name is supposed to be preserved in those of the villages Vraona and Paleo Vraona.

25 A Demus belonging to the tribe Æantis. It was famous for its temple of Nemesis, the goddess of retribution. The present Obrio Castro occupies its site.

26 Memorable for the defeat of the Persians by the Athenians, B.C. 490. The site of the ancient town of Marathon is thought not to have been at the modern village of Marathon, but a place called Vrana, to the south of it.

27 The eastern part of the Eleusinian plain was thus called, from the Demus of Thria. Its exact site is uncertain.

28 Melite was a Demus of the tribe Cecropis, of Athens, west of the inner Ceramicus.

29 Now Oropo, on the eastern frontiers of Bœotia and Attica, near the Euripus. It originally belonged to the Bœotians.

The Natural History. Pliny the Elder. John Bostock, M.D., F.R.S. H.T. Riley, Esq., B.A. London. Taylor and Francis, Red Lion Court, Fleet Street. 1855.

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Commentary references to this page (2):
- W. W. How, J. Wells, A Commentary on Herodotus, 7.108
- W. W. How, J. Wells, A Commentary on Herodotus, 9.75
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Pliny the Elder, The Natural History
John Bostock, M.D., F.R.S., H.T. Riley, Esq., B.A., Ed.

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CHAP. 11. (7.)—ATTICA.

Pliny the Elder, The Natural History John Bostock, M.D., F.R.S., H.T. Riley, Esq., B.A., Ed.

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CHAP. 11. (7.)—ATTICA.

Pliny the Elder, The Natural History
John Bostock, M.D., F.R.S., H.T. Riley, Esq., B.A., Ed.