Page:The geography of Strabo (1854) Volume 2.djvu/13

B. vui. c. IT. 1, 2. GREECE. THE PELOPONNESUS. CHAPTER II. 1. THE Peloponnesus resembles in figure the leaf of a plane tree. 1 Its length and breadth are nearly equal, each about 1400 stadia. The former is reckoned from west to east, that is, from the promontory Chelonatas through Olympia and the territory Megalopolitis to the isthmus ; the latter from south to north, or from Malise though Arcadia to JEgium. The circumference, according to Polybius, exclusive of the circuit of the bays, is 4000 stadia. Artemidorus however adds to this 400 stadia, and if we include the measure of the bays, it exceeds 5600 stadia. We have already said that the isthmus at the road where they draw vessels over-land from one sea to the other is 40 stadia across. 2. Eleians and Messenians occupy the western side of this peninsula. Their territory is washed by the Sicilian Sea. They possess the coast also on each side. Elis bends towards the north and the commencement of the Corinthian Gulf as far as the promontory Araxus, 2 opposite to which across the strait is Acarnania; the islands Zacynthus, 3 Cephallenia, 4 Ithaca, 5 and the Echinades, to which belongs Dulichium, lie in front of it. The greater part of Messenia is open to the south and to the Libyan Sea as far as the islands Thyrides near Taenarum. 6 Next to Elis, is the nation of the Achaei looking towards the north, and stretching along the Corinthian Gulf they terminate at Sicyonia. Then follow Sicyon 7 and Corinth, extending as far as the isthmus. Next after Messenia are between the fourth and fifth, and so on in order until we come to the Pe- loponnesus, properly so called, which is thus the least of the peninsulas. Strabo himself seems to admit the term peninsula to be improperly ap- plied to these subdivisions, by first describing Greece to be divided into two great bodies, viz. that within and that without the Isthmus of Cor- inth. 1 For the same reason, at a subsequent period, it obtained the name of Morea, in Greek (Mopea) which signifies mulberry, a species or variety of which tree bears leaves divided into five lobes equal in number to the five principal capes of the Peloponnesus. See book ii. ch. i. 30. 2 Cape Papa. 3 Zante. * Cephalonia. Theaki. 6 Cape Matapan. 7 Basilico.