The Geography of Strabo, Volume 2 (of 3): Literally Translated, with NotesStrabo
History
The Geography of Strabo, Volume 2 (of 3): Literally Translated, with Notes
Strabo
Geography -- Early works to 1800
4. After Crommyon, rising above Attica, are the rocks called Scironides,
which afford no passage along the sea-side. Over them, however, is a
road which leads to Megara and Attica from the Isthmus. The road
approaches so near the rocks that in many places it runs along the edge
of precipices, for the overhanging mountain is of great height, and
impassable.
Here is laid the scene of the fable of Sciron, and the Pityocamptes, or
the pine-breaker, one of those who infested with their robberies the
above-mentioned mountainous tract. They were slain by Theseus.
The wind Argestes,[282] which blows from the left with violence, from
these summits is called by the Athenians Sciron.
After the rocks Scironides there projects the promontory Minoa, forming
the harbour of Nisæa. Nisæa is the arsenal of Megara, and distant 18
stadia from the city; it is joined to it by walls on each side.[283]
This also had the name of Minoa.
5. In former times the Ionians occupied this country, and were also in
possession of Attica, before the time of the building of Megara,
wherefore the poet does not mention these places by any appropriate
name, but when he calls all those dwelling in Attica, Athenians, he
comprehends these also in the common appellation, regarding them as
Athenians; so when, in the Catalogue of the Ships, he says,
“And they who occupied Athens, a well-built city,”[284]
we must understand the present Megarenses also, as having taken a part
in the expedition. The proof of this is, that Attica was, in former
times, called Ionia, and Ias, and when the poet says,
“There the Bœoti, Iaones,”[285]
he means the Athenians. But of this Ionia Megaris was a part.
6. Besides, the Peloponnesians and Ionians having had frequent disputes
respecting their boundaries, on which Crommyonia also was situated,
assembled and agreed upon a spot of the Isthmus itself, on which they
erected a pillar having an inscription on the part towards Peloponnesus,
“THIS IS PELOPONNESUS, NOT IONIA;”
and on the side towards Megara,
“THIS IS NOT PELOPONNESUS, BUT IONIA.”
Although those, who wrote on the history of Attica,[286] differ in many
respects, yet those of any note agree in this, that when there were four
Pandionidæ, Ægeus, Lycus, Pallas, and Nisus; and when Attica was divided
into four portions, Nisus obtained, by lot, Megaris, and founded Nisæa.
Philochorus says, that his government extended from the Isthmus to
Pythium,[287] but according to Andron, as far as Eleusis and the
Thriasian plain.
Since, then, different writers give different accounts of the division
of the country into four parts, it is enough to adduce these lines from
Sophocles where Ægeus says,
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