A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography: Abacaenum-Hytanis

51. Deceleia (Aɛkéλeta) was situated near the entrance of the eastern pass across Mount Parnes, which leads from the north-eastern part of the Athenian plain to Oropus, and from thence both to Tanagra on the one hand, and to Delium and Chalcis on the other. It was originally one of the twelve cities of Attica. (Strab. ix. p. 397.) It was situated about 120 stadia from Athens, and the same distance from the frontiers of Boeotia: it was visible from Athens, and from its heights also might be seen the ships entering the harbour of Peiraeeus. (Thuc. vii. 19; Xen. Hell. i. 1. § 25.) It was by the pass of Deceleia that Mardonius retreated from Athens into Boeotia before the battle of Plataeae (Herod. ix. 15); and it was by the same road that the grain was carried from Euboea through Oropus into Attica. (Thuc. vii. 28.) In B.C. 413 Deceleia was occupied and fortified by the Lacedaemonians under Agis, who kept possession of the place till the end of the war; and from the command which they thus obtained of the Athenian plain, they prevented them from cultivating the neighbouring land, and compelled them to bring the corn from Euboea round Cape Sunium. (Thuc. ii. 27, 28.) The pass of Deceleia is now called the pass of Taty. Near the village of this name there is a peaked height, which is a conspicuous object from the Acropolis: the exact site of the demus is probably marked by a fountain, near which are many remains of antiquity. (Leake.)

52. ÓEUM DECELEICUM (Olov A€кEXEIKÓν), of unknown site, but near Deceleia, so called to distinguish it from the Oeum Cerameicum. (Harpocrat.; Suid.) [No. 17.]

53. SPHENDALE (Zpevdáλn), a demus, at which Mardonius halted on his route from Deceleia to Tanagra. (Herod. ix. 15; Steph.; Hesych.) "Hence it appears to have stood not far from the church of Aio Merkúrio, which now gives name to the pass leading from Deceleia through the ridges of Parnes into the extremity of the Tanagraean plain. But as there is no station in the pass where space can be found for a demus, it stood probably at Malakása, in a plain where some copious sources unite to form the torrent, which joins the sea one mile and a half east of the Skala of Apostólus." (Leake.) In the territory of Sphendale there was a hill, named Hyacinthus. (Suid. s. v. Пapеévoi, where Zpevdaλéwv should be read instead of Σφενδονίων.)

54. OROPUS (Apwwós), was originally a Boeotian town, and though afterwards included in Attica, was not an Attic demus. This place, together with its harbour Delphinium, and Amphiaracium, in its neighbourhood, is spoken of separately. [OROPUS.]

55. PSAPHIS (Yapís), originally a town of the Oropia, but subsequently an Attic demus, lay between Oropus and Brauron, and was the last demus in the north-eastern district of Attica. (Strab. ix. p. 399.)

56. RHAMNUS ('Pauvos), south of Psaphis, on the coast of the Euripus, requires a separate notice on account of its celebrated temples. [RHAMNUS.]

57. APHIDNA ("Apidva), one of the twelve anrient cities of Attica, lay between Deceleia and Rhamnus. It is also spoken of separately.

58, 59, 60. TITACIDAE (Titakíðui), PERRHIDAE (Пeppidai), and THYRGONIDAE (Oupywvidai), were probably all in the neighbourhood of Aphidna. These three demi, together with Aphidna, are said to have been removed from the Aeantis to another tribe. (Harpocr. s. v. Ovpywvida.) Perrhidae is described

as a demus in Aphidna (Hesych. Phavor. duos v 'Apidrais); and that Titacidae was in the same locality may be inferred from the story of the capture of Aphidna by the Dioscuri in consequence of the treachery of Titacus. (Herod. ix. 73; Steph. 8. v. TiTakidai.)

61. TRINEMEIA (Tpivéμeia), at which one of the minor branches of the Cephissus takes its rise, and therefore probably situated at the modern village of Buyáti. (Strab. ix. p. 400; Steph. B. s. v.)

62, 63, 64, 65. MARATHON (Mapałwv), PROBALINTHUS (Προβάλινθος), TRICORYTHUS (Τρικόρυos), and OENOE (Oivón), four demi situated in the small plain open to the sea between Mt. Parnes and Mt. Pentelicus, originally formed the Tetrapolis, one of the twelve ancient divisions of Attica. whole district was generally known under the name of Marathon, under which it is described in this work. [MARATHON.]

The

66. EPACRIA ('Eraкpla), one of the twelve ancient districts of Attica (Strab. ix. p. 397), and subsequently, as appears from an inscription, a demus near Plotheia and Halae Araphenides. (Böckh, Inser. No. 82.) As the name of a district, it was probably synonymous with Diacria. (Etym. M. 'Eлакρíа; Steph. Enuaxidaι.) An ancient grammarian describes the district of Epacria as bordering upon that of the Tetrapolis of Marathon. (Bekker, Anecd. i. p. 259.) Finlay and Leake place the town of this name at Pikérmi, upon the south-eastern heights of Pentelicus, "where a strong position on a perennial stream, added to some vestiges of buildings, and several inscriptions, are proofs of an Hellenic site."

67. SEMACHIDAE (Enμaxídai), described by Philochorus (ap. Steph. s. v.) as a demus in the district of Epacria, but its exact site is uncertain. (Hesych.; Phot.)

68. PLOTHEIA (Пλάbela) appears to have belonged to the district of Epacria, and to have been not far from Halae Araphenides. (Harpocr.; Suid.; Steph.; Phot.; Böckh, Inser. No. 82.)

69, 70. PHEGAEA (❤nyaía), the name of two demi of uncertain site. (Steph.; Harpocr.; Suid.; Etym. M.; Phot.; Hesych.) It is probable, however, that Stephanus speaks of one of these demi, under the name of PHEGEUS, when he describes Halae Araphenides as lying between Phegeus near Marathon and Brauron. (Steph. s. v. 'Aλaí.)

71. HECALE (Exάλŋ), probably near Marathon, since this demus is said to have obtained its name from a woman who hospitably received Theseus into her house, when he had set out to attack the Marathonian bull, which was ravaging the Tetrapolis. It contained a sanctuary of Zeus Hecaleius. (Philochor. ap. Plut. Thes. 14; Suid. s. vv. 'Exáλn, KwAiás, 'Emaúλia; Steph. s. vv. 'Exáλŋ, 'Iamís, Tpiveueîs; Schol. ad Aristoph. Acharn. 127.)

72. ELAEUS ('Exatûs, Steph.; Bekker, Anecd. i. p. 249), of uncertain site, but placed by Leake at Liósia, a village two mi es to the west of Aphidna, because he considers this name a corruption of Elaeus; but this is not probable.

D. THE DEMI OF PARALIA AND MESOGAEA.

Mount Hymettus, which bounded the Athenian plain on the south, terminated in the promontory of ZOSTER (Zwoтhp), opposite to which was a small island called PHAURA (Þaûpa). At Zoster, upon the sea, stood four altars, sacred respectively to Athena, Apollo, Artemis, and Leto. (Strab. ix

p. 398; Paus. i. 31. § 1; Steph. s. v. Zwoтhp.) | "The hill of Zoster terminates in three capes; that in the middle is a low peninsula, which shelters in the west a deep inlet called Vuliasméni.” (Leake.) The island Phaura is now called Fleva or Flega.

73. ANAGYRUS ('Avayupoûs), situated on the western coast, a little north of the promontory Zoster, on the site of the modern Vári. [ANAGYRUS.]

74. CHOLLEIDAE (Xoλλeidai, XoλAídas, Harpocr.; Suid.; Steph.; Schol. ad Aristoph. Acharn. 404), is supposed to have been near the Nymphaeum, or Grotto of the Nymphs, situated at the southern end of Mt. Hymettus, and about three miles from Vári by the road. From the inscriptions in this cave, we learn that it was dedicated to the nymphs and the other rustic deities by Archedenius of Pherae (not Therae, as is stated by some modern writers), who had been enrolled in the demus of Cholleidae. Hence it is inferred that the grotto was, in all probability, situated in this demus. A full and interesting description of the grotto is given by Wordsworth (p. 192, seq.; comp. Leake, p. 57.).

75. THORAE (@opaí), a little south of Anagyrus. (Strab. ix. p. 398; Harpocr.; Steph.; Etym. M.) 76, 77. LAMPTRA (Aάμπтра, in inscr.; Aάurpа, in Strab. &c.), the name of two demi, Upper Lamptra (Aάμжтра каlúжep0ev), and Lower or Maritime Lamptra (Λάμπτρα ὑπένερθεν οι παράλιος). These places were between Anagyrus, Thorae, and Aegilia. (Strab. I. c.) Upper Lamptra was probably situated at Lamoriká, a village between three and four miles from the sea, at the south-eastern extremity of Mt. Hymettus; and Lower Lamptra on the coast. At Lamptra the grave of Cranaus was shown. (Paus. i. 31. § 2; Steph.; Hesych.; Harpocr.; Suid.; Phot.)

78. AEGILIA (A¡yıλía), south of Lamptra, spoken of separately. [AEGILIA.]

temple on its summit, is noticed separately. [SuNIUM.] Northward of the promontory of Sunium, and stretching from Anaphlystus on the west coast to Thoricus on the east coast, was Mt. Laurium, which contained the celebrated silver mines. [LAURIUM.]

82. THORICUS (Oopirós), north of Sunium on the east coast, was a place of importance, and also requires a separate notice. [THORICUS.] Midway between Sunium and Thoricus was the harbour PANORMUS (Пávоpuos, Ptol. iii. 15. § 8), now named Panórimo. Parallel to the east coast, and extending from Sunium to Thoricus, stretches the long narrow island, called Macris or Helena. [HELENA.]

83, 84. AULON (Avλúv) and MARONEIA (Mapúveia), two small places of uncertain site, not demi, in the mining district of Mt. Laurium. [LAURIUM.]

85. BESA (Boa), situated in the mining district, midway between Anaphlystus and Thoricus (Xen. Vect. 4. §§ 43, 44), and 300 stadia from Athens. (Isaeus, de Pyrrh. Her. p. 40, Steph.). Xenophon (1. c.) recommended the erection of a fortress at Besa, which would thus connect the two fortresses situated respectively at Anaphlystus and Thoricus. Strabo (ix. p. 426) says that the name of this demus was written with one s, which is confirmed by inscriptions.

86. AMPHITROPE ('Aμpitpówn), north of Besa and in the district of the mines, placed by Stuart at Metropisti. (Böckh, Inscr. No. 162; Steph.; Hesych.)

87, 88. POTAMUS (Пoтauós or Пoтaμol), the name of two demi, as appears from an inscription quoted by Ross (p. 92), though apparently only one place. It lay on the east coast north of Thoricus, and was once a populous place: it was celebrated as containing the sepulchre of Ion. (Strab. ix. pp. 398, 399; Paus. i. 31. § 2, vii. i. § 2; Plin. iv. 79. ANAPHLYSTUS ('Avápλvσtos), now called 7. s. 11; Suid.; Harpocr.) Its harbour was proAnávyso, situated between the promontories of As-bably the modern Dhaskalió; and the demus itself typalaea and Sunium, a little south of the former. is placed by Leake at the ruins named Paleokastro It is also spoken of separately. [ANAPHLYSTUS.] or Evreókastro, situated on a height surrounded by Opposite the promontory of Astypalaea is a small torrents two miles to the south-west of Dhaskalio, island, now called Lagonisi or Lágussa, in ancient a little to the south of the village Dárdheza. The times ELEUSSA ('Eλeoûσσa, Strab. 1. c.). Astypa-port Dhaskalió was probably, as Leake observes, the laea and Zoster were the two chief promontories on one which received the Peloponnesian fleet in B. C. the western coast of Attica. 411. (Thue. viii. 95.)

Strabo (1. c.) speaks of a PANEIUM (Пaveîov), or Grotto of Pan, in the neighbourhood of Anaphlystus. It is no doubt the same as the very beautiful and extensive cavern above Mt. Elymbo in the Paralian range, of which the western portion bears the name of Pani.

80. AZENIA ('Anvía), the only demus mentioned by Strabo (l. c.) between Anaphlystus and Sunium. (Harpocr.; Hesych.; Steph.; Bekker, Anecd. i. p. 348.) It was probably situated in the bay of which Sunium forms the eastern cape. Opposite this bay is a small island, now called Gaidharonisi, formerly the Island or Rampart of Patroclus (ПaTpókλov Xápač or vñσos), because a fortress was built upon it by Patroclus, who commanded on one occasion the ships of Ptolemy Philadelphus. (Strab. 1. c.; Paus. i. 1. §1; Steph. s. v. Пaтрóкλoυ vñσos.) Ten miles to the south of this island, at the entrance of the Saronic gulf, is Belbina, now St. George, which was reckoned to belong to Peloponnesus, though it was nearer the coast of Attica. [BELBINA.]

81. SUNIUM (Zouviov), situated on the southern promontory of Attica, which was also called Sunium,

89. PRASIAE (Пparía), on the east coast, between Potamus and Steiria, with an excellent harbour, from which the Theoria or sacred procession used to sail. Here was a temple of Apollo, and also the tomb of Erysichthon, who died at this place on his return from Delos. (Strab. ix. p. 399; Paus. i. 31. § 2; Thuc. viii. 95; Liv. xxxi. 45.) The ruins of the demus are seen on the north-east side of the bay. The harbour, now called Porto Rafti, is the best on the eastern coast of Attica, and is both deep and capacious. The entrance of the harbour is more than a mile in breadth; and in the centre of the entrance there is a rocky islet, upon which is a colossal statue of white marble, from which the harbour has derived its modern name, since it is commonly supposed to bear some resemblance to a tailor (þáørns) at work. The best description of this statue is given by Ross, who remarks that it evidently belongs to the Roman period, and probably to the first or second century after the Christian era. (Ross, Reisen auf den Griech. Inseln, vol. ii. p. 9; comp. Leake, p. 72; Wordsworth, p. 217.) We also learn

rocky promontory with ruins of the middle ages | village of Keratià, as we may infer from an inscripupon it, which promontory Ross supposes to be the tion discovered at this place. (Paus. i. 31. § 1; CORONEIA of Stephanus (s. v. Kopúveia). Dem. c. Macart. p. 1071; Harpocr.; Phot.; Suid.; Steph.)

90. STEIRIA (Zreipia, Steph.; Hesych.; Suid.; Plin. iv. 7. s. 11), on the east coast, between Prasiae and Brauron. (Strab. ix. p. 399.) Wordsworth says that it is an hour's walk from Prasiae to Brauron, and that on the way he passed some ruins, which must be those of Steiria. Stiris in Phocis is said to have been founded by the inhabitants of this demus. (Paus. x. 35. § 8.) The road from Athens to Steiria and the harbour of Prasiae was called the reipiaкh dãós. (Plat. Hipparch. p. 229.) Steiria was the demus of Theramenes and Thrasybulus.

91. BRAURON (Bpaupúv), one of the twelve ancient cities, but never mentioned as a demus, though it continued to exist down to the latest times. It was situated on or near the eastern coast of Attica, between Steiria and Halae Araphenides, near the river Erasinus. (Strab. viii. p. 371, ix. p. 399.) Its name is apparently preserved in that of the two villages, called Vraóna and Paleó Vraóna, situated south of the Erasinus. Brauron is celebrated on account of the worship of Artemis Brauronia, in whose honour a festival was celebrated in this place. (Herod. vi. 138.) Here Orestes and Iphigeneia were supposed to have landed, on their return from Tauris, bringing with them the statue of the Taurian goddess. (Paus. i. 33. § 1, iii. 16. § 7; Eurip. Iphig. in Taur. 1450, 1462; Nonnus, Dionys. xiii. 186.) This ancient statue, however, was preserved at Halae Araphenides, which seems to have been the proper harbour of Brauron, and therefore the place at which the statue first landed. Pausanias (i. 33. § 1), it is true, speaks of an ancient statue of Artemis at Brauron; but the statue brought from Tauris is expressly placed by Callimachus (Hymn. in Dian. 173), and Euripides (Iphig. in Taur. 1452) at Halae; and Strabo (ix. p. 399) distinguishes the temple of Artemis Tauropolus at Halae Araphenides from the temple of Artemis Brauronia at Brauron. There was a temple of Artemis Brauronia on the Acropolis, containing a statue of the goddess by Praxiteles. (Paus. i. 23. § 7.)

92. HALAE ARAPHENIDES ('Aλal 'Apapηvídes), so called to distinguish it from Halae Aexonides [No. 39], lay on the east coast between Brauron and Araphen, and was the proper harbour of Brauron, from whence persons crossed over to Marmarium in Euboea, where were the marble quarries of Carystus. (Strab. ix. p. 399, x. p. 446.) Hence Halae is described by Euripides (Iphig. in Taur. 1451) 23 γείτων δειράδος Καρυστίας. The statue of the Taurian Artemis was preserved at this place, as has been already shown. [No. 91.]

93. ARAPHEN (Apaøny), on the east coast, north of Halae and Brauron, the name of which is probably preserved in the village of Rafina, situated near the mouth of the river of that name. (Harpocr.; Suid.; Steph.; Bekker, Anecd. i. p. 338.)

95. MYRRHINUS (Muppiroûs) lay to the east of Prasiae or Porto Raphti, at Méronda, as appears from inscriptions found at this place. Artemis Colaenis was worshipped at Myrrhinus (Paus. i. 31. § 4; Schol. ad Aristoph. Av. 874); and in one of the inscriptions at Méronda mention is made of a temple of Artemis Colaenis. (Böckh, Inser. No. 100.) (See also Strab. ix. p. 399; Steph.; Phot.) 96 PHLYA (Þλúa, Þλvá), the site of which cannot be determined, though there can be little doubt that lay in the Mesogaea from the position which it occupies in the list of Pausanias. It must have been a place of importance from the number of temples which it contained, and from its frequent mention in inscriptions. (Paus. i. 31. § 4, iv. 1. § 5; Plut. Them. 1; Athen. x. p. 424; Harpocr.; Suid.; Steph.; Phot.)

97, 98. PAEANIA (Пaιavía), divided into Upper and Lower Paeania, was situated on the eastern side of Hymettus, near the modern village of Liogesi. It was the demus of Demosthenes. (Paus. i. 23. § 12; Harpocr.; Suid.; Phot.; Ross, in Annal. dell' Inst. Arch, vol. ix. p. 5, foll.)

99. PHILAIDAE (Þiλaidai) appears to have been near Brauron, since it is said to have derived its name from Philaeus, the son of the Telamonian Ajax, who dwelt in Brauron. Philaïdae was the demus of Peisistratus. (Plut. Sol. 10; Plat. Hipparch. p. 228; Paus. i. 35. § 2; Herod. vi. 35.)

100. CEPHALE (Kedah) appears, from the order in which it occurs in the list of Pausanias (i. 31. § 1), to have been situated south or east of Hymettus, perhaps in the neighbourhood of Brauron and Vraóna, where Ross found an inscription containing the name of this demus. Cephale possessed a temple of the Dioscuri, who were here called the Great Gods. (Paus. l. c.; Harpocr.; Suid.; Phot.; Schol. ad Aristoph. Av. 417.)

101. SPHETTUS (ZONTTÓs), one of the twelve ancient cities, and subsequently a demus. Its position has given rise to much dispute. Leake places it in the northern part of the Mesogaea, and thinks that Spata may be a corruption of Sphettus. That it was situated either in the Mesogaea or the Paralia is certain from the legend, that Pallas, who had obtained these districts, marched upon Athens from Sphettus by the Sphettian Way. (Plut. Thes. 13; Philochor. ap. Schol. ad Eurip. Hipp. 35.) Now we have seen good reasons for believing that Pallas must have marched round the northern extremity of Hymettus [see above, No. 32]; and consequently the Sphettian road must have taken that course. Although the Sphettian road cannot therefore have run along the western coast and entered Athens from the south, as many modern writers maintain, Sphettus was probably situated further south than Leake supposes, inasmuch as Sphettus and Anaphlystus are

We learn from Strabo (ix. p. 399) that the demi in the Mesogaea were very numerous; and his state-represented as sons of Troezen, who migrated into ment is confirmed by the great number of remains of ancient buildings which occur in this district. (Wordsworth, p. 226). But the names of only a few have been preserved, which we can assign with certainty to the Mesogaea; and the position of many of these is doubtful.

94. PROSPALTA (Прóσжаλтα) lay in the interior, between Zoster and Potamos, at the modern

Attica; and, seeing that Anaphlystus was opposite Troezen, it is inferred that Sphettus was probably in the same direction. (Paus. ii. 30. § 9; Steph. s. vv. Ανάφλυστος, Σφηττός.)

102. CYTHERRUS (Kúonppos, Inscr.; Kúbnpos, Kúenpov, Strab. ix. p. 397; Harpoc.; Suid.; Steph.; Phot.), one of the twelve ancient cities, and afterwards a demus. Its position is quite uncertain.

Leake conjectures that its territory as one of the twelve cities may have occupied the southern end of the inland country, on the supposition that the territory of Sphettus occupied the northern half of this district. Ross however conjectures, from a passage of Pausanias (vi. 22. § 7), that Cytherus may have been near Gargettus. Pausanias states that the nymphs of the river Cytherus in Elis were called Ionides from Ion, the son of Gargettus, when he migrated from Athens to Elis.

(The best works on the demi are by Leake, The Demi of Attica, London, 1841, 2nd ed., and Ross, Die Demen von Attika, Halle, 1846; from both of which great assistance has been derived in drawing up the preceding account. The other most important works upon the topography of Attica are Grotefend, De Demis sive Pagis Atticae, Gott. 1829, Finlay, in Transactions of the Royal Society of

Literature, vol. iii. p. 396, seq. and Remarks on the Topography of Oropia and Diacria, 12mo. Athens, 1838; Κ. Ο. Müller, art. Attika, in Ersch and Grüber's Encyclopädie, vol. vi., translated by Lockhart, London, 1842, Wordsworth, Athens and Attica, London, 1836; Kruse, Hellas, vol. ii.; Leake, Northern Greece, vol. ii.; Stuart's Antiquities; and the Travels of Dodwell, Gell, Brönsted, Fiedler, and Mure.)

In the following alphabetical list of the demi, the first column contains the name of each demus; the second that of the demotes; the third that of the tribe to which each demus belonged during the time of the ten tribes; and the fourth that of the tribe when there were twelve or thirteen tribes. Of the demi in this list, which have not been spoken of above, the site is unknown.

E. ALPHABETICAL LIST OF THE DEMI.

Αγγελῆθεν, Αγγελεύς

2, 3. Αγκυλή καθύπερθεν and Αγκυλῆθεν,