MÆOTIS PALUS, a lake of Sarmatia Europæa, still known by the same name, and reaching from Crim Tartary to the mouth of the _Tanais_ (the _Don_). MÆSIA, a district of the ancient Illyricum, bordering on Pannonia, containing what is now called _Bulgaria_, and part of _Servia_. MAGNESIA: there were anciently three cities of the name; one in Ionia, on the Mæander, which, it is said, was given to Themistocles by Artaxerxes, with these words, _to furnish his table with bread_; it is now called _Guzel-Hissard_, in Asiatic Turkey: the second was at the foot of Mount Sipylus, in Lydia; but has been destroyed by earthquakes: the third Magnesia was a maritime town of Thessaly, on the Egean Sea. MAGONTIACUM, a town of Gallia Belgica; now _Mentz_, situate at the confluence of the Rhine and the Maine. MARCODURUM, a village of Gallia Belgica; now _Duren_ on the _Roer_. MARCOMANIANS, a people of Germany, between the Rhine, the Danube, and the Neckar. They removed to the country of the Boii, and having expelled the inhabitants, occupied the country now called _Bohemia_. See Manners of the Germans, s. 42. MARDI, a people of the Farther Asia, near the Caspian Sea. MARITIME ALPS. See ALPS. MARSACI, a people in the north of Batavia, inhabiting the sea-coast. MARSI, a people of Italy, who dwelt round the Lacus Fucinus. Another people called Marsi, in Germany, to the south of the Frisii, in the country now called _Paderborne_ and _Munster_. MASSILLIA, a town of Gallia Narbonensis, formerly celebrated for polished manners and learning; now _Marseilles_, a port town of Provence. MATTIACI, a branch of the Catti in Germany. Their capital town was MATTIUM, supposed now to be _Marpourg_ in _Hesse_. MAURITANIA, a large region of Africa, extending from east to west along the Mediterranean, divided by the emperor Claudius into _Cæsariensis_, the eastern part, and _Tingitana_, the western. It had Numidia to the east, and Getulia to the south; and was also bounded by the Atlantic ocean, the straits of Gibraltar, and the Mediterranean to the north. The natives were called Mauri, and thence the name of _Mauritania_; now _Barbary_. MEDIA, a country of the Farther Asia, bounded on the west by Armenia, on the east by Parthia, on the north by the Caspian Sea, on the south by Persia. _Ecbatana_ was the capital. MEDIOLANUM, now _Milan_ in Italy. MEDIOMATRICI, a people of Gallia Belgica; now the diocese of _Metz_. MELITENE, a city of Cappadocia. MEMPHIS, a city of Egypt, famous for its pyramids. MENAPII, a people of Belgia; now _Brabant_ and _Flanders_. MESOPOTAMIA, a large country in the middle of Asia; so called, because it lies, [Greek: mesae potamon], between two rivers, the Euphrates on the west, and the Tigris on the east. MESSENA, or MESSANA, an ancient and celebrated city of Sicily, on the strait between that island and Italy. It still retains the name of _Messina_.