There are two passes across the mountains from Corinth into the Megaris, which are spoken of under Megaris. Through the range of Cithaeron and Parnes there are three principal passes, all of which were of great importance in ancient times for the protection of Attica on the side of Boeotia. The most westerly of these passes was the one through which the road ran from Thebes and Plataeae to Eleusis; the central one was the pass of Phyle, through which was the direct road from Thebes to Athens; and the eastern one was the pass of Deceleia, leading from Athens to Oropus and Delium. A more particular account of these important passes is given below. [See Nos. 43, 48, 61.] The highest points of Mt. Parnes lie between the passes of Phyle and Deceleia: one of the summits rises to the height of 4193 feet. From this range of mountains there descend several other ranges into the interior, between which there lie four plains of greater or less extent. On the NW. boundary of Attica a range of mountains runs down to the south, terminating on the west aide of the bay of Eleusis in two summits, formerly called Cerata (τά Κέρατα, Strab. ix. p.395) or the Horns now Kandili: this range forms the boundary between Attica and Megaris. Another mountain range, extending from Parnes to the south, terminates on the eastern side of the bay of Eleusis, and at the narrow strait which separates the island of Salamis from the mainland: it bore the general name of Aegaleos, and parts of it were also called Poecilum and Corydallus. [Aegaleos.] Between the range of Cerata and that of Aegaleos lies the Eleusinian and Thriasian Plain. Eastward of this plain lies the Athenian Plain, frequently called simply The Plain (τό Πέδιον). It is bounded on the west by Aegaleos, as has been already mentioned. Through this range of mountains there is an important pass leading from the Eleusinian into the Athenian plain. It is a narrow rocky opening between Mt. Corydallus, and is now called the pass of Dhafni: through it the Sacred Way from Eleusis to Athens formerly ran. Further north, towards Acharnae, are some openings in the heights, where are found ruins of a rampart, seven feet high, and five feet and a half thick, built along the crest of the hills: the summit of the wall forms a commanding platform towards the Eleusinian plain. (Leake, p. 143.) On the west the Athenian plain is bounded by a range of mountains, which also descends from Parnes. The northern part of this range appears to have been anciently called Brilessus (Thuc. ii. 23), and subsequently Pentelicus (τό Πεντελικύν όρος, Paus. i. 32. § 1; Mons Pentelensis, Vitruv. ii. 8), now Mendeli or Penteli. The first Greek writer who applies the name of Pentelicus to this mountain is Pausanias; but as Strabo (ix. p. 399) speaks of Pentelic marble, we may infer with Leake that the celebrity of the marble quarried in the demus of Pentele, upon the side of Mt. Brilessus, had |
Hymettus, the highest point of which is 3506 feet, is separated by a remarkable break into two parts, the northern or greater Hymettus, now called Telo-Vuni, and the southern or leaser Hymettus, which formerly bore also the name of Anhydrus (Άνυδρος, Theophr. de Sign. Pluv. p. 419, Heine.) or the Waterless, now called Mavro-Vuni The latter terminates in the promontory Zoster. The hill of Lycabettus, in the neighbourhood of Athens, is spoken of elsewhere. [See p. 303, b.] Sometimes both the Eleusinian and Athenian plains are included under the general name of The Plain; and the coast of these two plains was more specifically called Acte, (Strab. ix. p. 391.) North-east of the Athenian plain, between Parnes, Pentelicus, and the sea, is a mountain district, known by the name of Diacria (Διακρία) in antiquity. Its inhabitants, usually called Diacreis or Diacrii (Διακρείς, Διακρίαι), were sometimes also termed Hyperacrii (Ύπερακρίαι, Herod, i. 59), apparently from their dwelling on the other side of the mountain from the city. The only level part of this district is the small plain of Marathon, open to the sea. At the north-eastern extremity of this district, west of Cape Kálamo, there rises an eminence 2038 feet in height, which is probably the ancient Phelleus (Φελλεύς), a name which came to be used by the Athenians for any rocky heights adapted for the pasture of goats. (Aristoph. Nab. 71, Acharn. 272; Isaeus, de Ciron. Hered. p. 227, Reiske; Harpooat., Suid., s. v. Φελλέα; Hesych. s. v. Φελλος.) South-east of the Athenian plain is an undulating district, anciently called Mesogaea (Μεσόγαια) or the Midland district; and now Mesoghia. It is bounded by Pentelicus on the north, Hymettus on the west, the sea on the east, and the hills of Paralia on the south. Paralia or Paralus (Παραλία, Παραλος), i. e. the Sea-coast district, included the whole of the south of Attica, extending from the promontory Zoeter on the west, and from Brauron on the east, to Sunium. It was a hilly and barren district, but contained the rich silver-mines of Laurium. (Thuc ii. 55 ; Steph, B., Suid. s. v.) It appears, then, that Attica is distributed into five natural divisions. 1. The Eleusinian or Thriasian Plain. 2. The Athenian Plain. 3. The Diacria or Highlands, including the Plain of Marathon. 4. The Mesogaea or Midland District. 5. The Paralia or Sea-coast District. This geographical distribution gave rise also to political divisions, as we shall see presently. The small plain of Oropus, lying north of Paroes upon the Euboean channel, generally belonged to Attica, though physically separated from it, and properly a part of Boeotia. [Oropus.] The area of Attica is about 700 square miles, not including the island of Salamis, which is about 40 more. The length of the west coast from Cerata or the Horns to Sunium is about 60 miles, and the length of the east coast is about the same. (There is a good account of the physical features of Attica in the Penny Cyclopaedia, vol. iii. p. 59.) III. Rivers, — The rivers of Attica are little better than mountain torrents, almost dry in summer, and only full in winter, or after heavy rains. The |
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