the gulf of Corinth, designated the Peloponnesus, divided geographically as Central and Southern Greece, lying between the thirty-ninth parallel and a line thirty-five minutes north of the thirty-sixth parallel, north latitude. Central Greece is bounded on the south by the gulf of Corinth, the Corinthian isthmus, and the Saronic Gulf; by Epirus and Thessaly on the north; by the Ægean sea on the east, and the Ionian on the west. The states within this territory are Acarnania, Ætolia, Locris, Phocis and Boeotia, all forming the northern boundary of the gulf of Corinth; Malis, Locris, and Doris, the latter being the smallest of all, and the only state which does not border on the sea; Megara, which joins the isthmus of Corinth, and Attica which forms a peninsula jutting into the Egean sea which washes the eastern shores and the Saronic gulf on the south and west. The island of Euboea, also, separated from Locris, Boeotia, and Attica by the crooked channel of Euboea, forms part of the territory of Central Greece. The four principal cities in Euboea are Histiæa on the north, Carystus on the south, and Eretria and Chalcis on the Euripus or narrow part of the channel in the centre. In Attica is Athens and the sacred town of Eleusis. In Boeotia is Thebes, Tanagra, Delium, Platæa, Charonea (the birthplace of Plutarch), Coronea and Orchomenus (distinguished from a town of the same name in Arcadia). Delphi and Crissa are in Phocis; Naupactus is in Locris on the gulf of Corinth, as distinguished from Locris on the gulf of Malis. Heraclea, Stratus, Thyrrheum and Anactorium are in Acarnania, as is also the peninsula of Actium, memorable in Roman times as the locality of the naval engagement which sealed the fate of Antony and Cleopatra. Thermopyla is in Locris on the gulf of Malis. Megara is on the isthmus in Megara. GEOGRAPHY OF ANCIENT HELLAS 3 Southern Greece, or the Peloponnesian peninsula, embraces six states. On the north are Achaia, Argolis and Elis; Arcadia is in the centre. The southern part of the peninsula embraces Laconia on the east and Messenia on the west. Patras is in Achaia. Olympia, Elis and Pylos are in Elis. Corinth, Sicyone, Argos, Mycene, Tiryns, Nauplia, Epidaurus and Troezen are in Argolis. Mantinea, Tegea, Orchomenus and Megalopolis are in Arcadia. In Laconia is the lovely hollow Lacedæmon (Sparta), Amyclæ and Prasiæ. In Messene is the capital bearing the same name. Pheræ (the modern Calamata), Mount Ithome, and the Boar's Grave, famous in the Messenian Wars. On its western coast is the bay of Pylos (now the bay of Navarino) and the island of Sphacteria, on which Cleon captured the flower of the Spartan army in the first decade of the Peloponnesian War. Greece is all mountains, gulfs and bays. It is said. that no place in Greece is more than forty miles from the sea. The island of Salamis, in the Saronic Gulf, is a chain of hills or low mountains. The Attic plain is surrounded by a chain of mountains called respectively Parnes, Pentellicus and Hymettus. The Citheron range forms its boundary with Boeotia. Mount Icarius and the Gerania Mountains cover Megara. The principal mountains in Laconia which form in part the valley of the Eurotas are the Taygetus and Parnon ranges, but the entire Peloponnesus is covered with mountains. It is said that Arcadia is perhaps the most mountainous of its six states. Central Greece also is all mountains. Delphi is on Mount Parnassus. Helicon, the seat of the muses, is in Boeotia; Mount Eta forms the wall on the gulf of Malis, at the foot of which, between its base and the sea, is the pass of Thermopyla, where Leonidas perished. Euboea is covered with mountains. The famed Olympus, Ossa and Pelion are in Thessaly. The notable rivers are the Eurotas and the Alpheus in Peloponnesus, the Cephissus in Attica, the Achelous, which forms the boundary between Acarnania and Etolia, the Euenus in the latter state, the Asopus in Boeotia, the Cephissus in Northern Locris and the Sperchius in Malis. Greece has the most sinuous, irregular and crooked shore line of any country in the world, occasioned by the fact that its shores are everywhere indented with gulfs and bays innumerable. The peninsula is almost cut in two, by the gulf of Corinth on the west and the Saronic gulf on the east. Other indenting seas are the gulfs of Argolis, Laconia, Messenia, Cyparissius, Patras (Lepanto), Ambracicus, Malis, Pagasæus, and the channel of Euboea. The width of the isthmus of Corinth at its narrow point is a little more than four miles. A canal has been cut across this neck, joining the gulf of Corinth with the Saronic gulf, and the Peloponnesus, since the construction of this waterway is no longer a peninsula, but an island. The contiguous territory on the north, besides Epirus and Thessaly, is the peninsula of Magensia, which forms the eastern boundary of that state, and Dolopes, which in like manner forms part of the southern boundary of both Epirus and Thessaly. In the latter state the river Peneus flows in a northeasterly direction across the country into the Thermaic gulf, or sea of Thrace. About fifteen miles from its mouth it enters the valley between the mountain ranges of Ossa and Olympus. This picturesque territory, known as the Vale of Tempe, has inspired poetic fancy on account of its varied scenery, which includes some of the most charming and beautiful landscapes in Northern Hellas. The Vale of Tempe is the only opening into Thessaly through which an army can pass with its equipment and baggage. The walls of the mountains and the narrow defiles rendered it important from a military GEOGRAPHY OF ANCIENT HELLAS 5 standpoint. It is seventy-six miles north of the pass of Thermopyla, which forms the gateway into Locris and Central Greece. The contiguous territory on the north is Macedonia, from which projects into the Ægean or sea of Thrace the three-pronged Chalcidian peninsula. To the east stretches ancient Thrace, extending from the eastern borders of Macedonia to the Propontis (sea of Marmora) and the Euxine (Black sea). The Ægean separates Hellas from Asia Minor, in which are located the states of the Asiatic Greeks, namely, Æolis, Ionia and Caria. Among its principal cities were Halicarnassus, the birthplace of Herodotus, Miletus, Priene, Magnesia, Ephesus, Smyrna and Phocæa. South of the Hellespont and north of Lesbos was Troas, in which was Ilium, where Priam established his kingdom. It may be observed that prior to the Balkan War Macedonia and Thrace were embraced in the Empire of Turkey as well as Asia Minor. Part of the territory known in antiquity as Epirus and Illyria are now in the states of Bosnia, Herzegovina, Montenegro and Servia. The states of Bulgaria, Roumania and Eastern Roumelia were earlier known as Thrace, and north of the Ister (Danube), the country was designated Scythia. CHAPTER II PRIMITIVE INHABITANTS OF PRE - HISTORIC ITH the possible exception of the Israelites, who trace their genealogy direct to Adam, the supposed father of the human race, what knowledge we have concerning the people who first inhabited the Grecian peninsula, like our knowledge with respect to the primitive inhabitants of every country on the globe, rests upon tradition, upon legend and fable. The theory obtains, among modern scholars, that as early as B. C. 3000, which according to the Hebrew chronology would ante-date the flood, the date of which is presumed to be B. C. 2438, emigrants from Western Asia came into Europe, and overspread the Balkan peninsula. Part of this foreign population, it is said, centuries later, pushed southward, overran the Hellenic peninsula, and settled in Epirus, Thessaly, Central Greece and the Peloponnesus. For want of a better name, these newcomers are designated Pelasgians, whose genesis, and ethnological position is extremely uncertain. They are usually spoken of as a nomadic race, composed of shepherds and hunters. We are told that they dwelt in tents, or huts, from which the smoke escaped through a hole at the top, and were divided into tribes, and that from these tribes were descended the Hellenic race. The contribution of the Hellenes to art, poetry, and philosophy, which distinguished them from other nations of antiquity, and which has been |