Volume 1

A dictionary of Greek and Roman geography / by various writers ; edited by William Smith.

Date:
1873
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A dictionary of Greek and Roman geography / by various writers ; edited by William Smith. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    54/1140 (page 32)
    is still called Maretimo. 2. The southernmost and nearest to Lilybaeum, is called, both by Ptolemy and Pliny, Aegusa (At7o0o-a); but the latter erroneously confounds it with Aethusa. It is the largest of the three, on which account its name was sometimes extended to the whole group (ai KaXov/xevai Aiyov- aai, Pol, i. 44); it is now called Favignana, and has a considerable population. 3. The northern- most and smallest of the group, nearly opposite to Drepanura, is called by Ptolemy Phorbantia (4»opgai/Tia), but is probably the same with the Bucinna of Pliny, a name erroneously supposed by Steph. B. (s. V. BovKivva) to be that of a city of Sicily. It is now called Levanzo. (Ptol. iii. 4. § 17 Plin. iii. 8, s. 14; Smyth’s Sicily, pp. 244—247.) These islands derive an historical celebrity from the great naval victory obtained by C. Lutatius Catulus over the Carthaginians in B. c. 241, which put an end to the First Punic War. Hanno, the Carthaginian admiral, had previous to the battle taken up liis station at the island of Hiera, and endeavoured to take advantage of a fair wind to run straight in to Drepanum, in order to relieve the army of Hamilcar Barca, then blockaded on Mount Eryx; but he was intercepted by Catulus, and com- pelled to engage on disadvantageous terms. The consequence was the complete defeat of the Cartha- ginian fleet, of which 50 ships were sunk, and 70 taken by the enemy, with nearly 10,000 prisoners, (Pol. 1. 60, 61; Diod. xxiv. Exc. H. p. 509; Liw Epit. xix.; Oros. iv. 10; Flor. ii. 1; Eutrop. ii. 27; Corn. Nep. IJamilc. 1; Mela, ii. 7; Sil. Ital. i. 61.) The island of Aegusa has been supposed by many writers to be the one described by Homer in the Odyssey (ix. 116) as lying opposite to the land of the Cyclopes, and abounding in wild goats. But all such attempts to identify the localities described in the wanderings of Ulysses may be safely dismissed aa untenable. [E. H. B.] AEGEIRA (Afyetpa: Etk. Alyeipdr-qs, fern. Alyeipdris), a town of Achaia, and one of the 12 Achaean cities, situated between Aegae and Pellene, is described by Polybius as opposite Mount Parnas- sus, situated upon hills strong and difficult of ap- proach, seven stadia from the sea, and near a river. This river was probably the Crius, which flowed into the sea, a little to the W. of the town. Ac- cording to Pausanias the upper city was 12 stadia from its port, and 72 stadia from the oracle of Heracles Buraicus. (Herod, i. 146; Strab. viii. p. 386; Pol. ii. 41, iv. 57; Pans. vii. 26. § 1; Plin. iv. 6.) Pausanias (/. c.) relates that Aegeira occu- pied the site of the Homeric Hyperesia {’Tirepriair}, //.ii. 573, XV. 254; Strab. p.383: Eth/Tircp-naiexjs), and that it changed its name during the occupation of the country by the lonians. He adds that the ancient name still continued in use. Hence we find that Icarus of Hyperesia was proclaimed victor in the 23rd Olympiad. (Pans. iv. 15. § 1.) On the decay of the neighbouring town of Aegae its inhab- itants were transferred to Aegeira. (Strab. p. 386.) In the first year of the Social war (b. c. 220) Aegeira was surprised by a party of Aetolians, who had set sail from the opposite town of Oeantheia in Locris, but were driven out by the Aegiratans after they had obtained possession of the place. (Pol. iv. 57, 58.) The most important of the public build- ings of Aegeira was a temple of Zeus. It also con- tained a very ancient temple of Apollo, and temples of Artemis, of Aphrodite Urania, who was worshipped in the town above all other divinities, and of the Syrian goddess. (Pans. vii. 26.) The port of Aegeira Leake places at Mavra LithaHa, i. e., the Black Rocks, to the left of which, on the summit of a hill, are some vestiges of an ancient city, which must ' have been Aegeira. At the distance of 40 stadia from Aegeira, through the mountains, there was a i fortress called Phelloe (4>eAA<ii7, near ZaJchuli), \ abounding in springs of water. (Pans. vii. 26. § 10; , Leake, Morea, vol. iii. p. 387, seq.) AEGEIRUS. [Aegiroessa.] AEGIAE or AEGAEAE (^Alyiai, Pans. iii. 21. , § 5 ; Alyaiai, Strab. p. 364: Limni), a town of La- conia, at the distance of 30 stadia from Gythium, supposed to be the same as the Homeric Augeiae. (^Avycial, II. ii. 583; comp, Steph. B. s. v.) It possessed a temple and lake of Neptune. Its site is placed by the French Commission at Limni, so called from an extensive marsh in the valley of the eastern branch of the river of Passavd. (Leake, Pelopon- nesiaca, p. 170.) AEGIALEIA, AEGIALUS. [Achaia.] AE'GIDA, a town of Istria, mentioned only by Pliny iii. 19. s. 23), which appears to have been in his time a place of little importance; but from an inscription cited by Cluverius (^Ital. p. 210) it appears that it was restored by the emperor Justin II. who bestowed on it the name of Justi- NOPOLis. This inscription is preserved at Capo d'Istria, now a considerable town, situated on a small island joined to the mainland by a causeway which appears to have been termed Aegidis In- sula, and was probably the site of the Aegida of Phny. [E. H. B.] AE'GILA (to AXyiKa), a town of Laconia with a temple of Demeter, of uncertain site, but placed by Leake on the gulf of Skutdri. (Paus. iv. 17, § 1; Leake, Morea, vol. i. p. 278.) AEGI'LIA (AtytAlo). 1. Or Aegilus (p Af- 71A0S, Theocr, i. 147: Eth. AlyiXi^.us'), a demus in Attica belonging to the tribe Antiocliis, situated on the western coast between Lamptra and Sphettus. It was celebrated for its figs. (At^zAtSes zV^dSes, Athen. p. 652, e.; Theocr. 1. c.) It is placed by Leake at Tzurela, the site of a ruined village on the shore, at the foot of Mt. Elymbo. (Strab. p. 398 : Harpocrat., Steph. B, s. v. ; Leake, Demi, p. 61.) 2. Or Aegileia (Az’7zAezo), a small island off | the western coast of Euboea, and near the town of Styra, to which it belonged. Here the Persians left ; the captive Eretrians, before they crossed over to i Marathon, b. c. 490. (Herod, vi. 101, 107.) ' 3. Or Aegila ( XyiXa : Cerigotto'), a small ! island between Cytheraand Crete, (Plut. Cleom. 31; | Steph. B. s.v.', Plin. iv. 12. s. 19.) AEGILIPS. [Ithaca.] AEGIMU'RUS (^Alyipopos : Zowamour or ■ Zemhra'), a lofty island, surrounded by dangerous 1 cliffs, off’ the coast of Africa, at the mouth of the 1 gulph of Carthage. (Liv. xxx. 24; Strab. pp. 123, j 277, 834.) Pliny calls it Aegimori Arae (v. 7); j and there is no doubt that it is the same as the Arae | of Virgil (^Aen. i. 108). [P. S.] \ AEGI'NA (Azyzz/a: Etk. Alyivrirrjs, Aegineta, j Aeginensis, fern. AlyivrjTis: Adj. Alyivaios, Aiyiv-q- 1 tik6s, Aegineticus: Eghina'),an island in the Saronic j gulf, surrounded by Attica, Megaris, and Epidaurus, from each of which it was distant about 100 stadia. (Strab. p. 375) It contains about 41 square English miles, and is said by Strabo (?. c.) to be 180 stadia in circumference. In shape it is an irregular triangle. Its western half consists of a plain, which, though