Page:The geography of Strabo (1854) Volume 2.djvu/168

160 STRABO. CASATJB. 451. is a rugged and sterile tract, extending as far as OEtgea, to the territory of the Athamanes, and the mountains and na- tions following next in order, and which lie around towards the north. 4. There is in ^Etolia a very large mountain, the Corax, 1 which is contiguous to (Eta. Among the other mountains, more in the middle of the country, is the Aracynthus, 2 near which the founders built the modern Pleuron, having aban- doned the ancient city situated near Calydon, which was in a fertile plain country, when Demetrius, surnamed JEtolicus, laid waste the district. Above Molycreia 3 are Taphiassus 4 and Chalcis, 5 moun- tains of considerable height, on which are situated the small cities, Macynia and Chalcis, (having the same name as the mountain,) or, as it is also called, Hypochalcis. Mount Curium is near the ancient Pleuron, from which some supposed the Pleuronii had the appellation of Curetes. 5. The river Evenus rises in the country of the Bomianses, a nation situated among the Ophienses, and an .ZEtolian tribe like the Eurytanes, Agraei, Curetes, and others. It does not flow, at its commencement, through the territory of the Cu- retes, which is the same as Pleuronia, but through the coun- try more towards the east along Chalcis and Calydon ; it then makes a bend backwards to the plains of the ancient Pleuron, and having changed its course to the west, turns again to the south, where it empties itself. It was formerly called Ly- cormas. There Nessus, who had the post of ferryman, is said to have been killed by Hercules for having attempted to force Deianeira while he was conveying her across the river. 6. The poet calls Olenus and Pylene .ZEtolian cities, the former of which, of the same name as the Achaean city, was razed by the JEolians. It is near the new city Pleuron. The Acarnanians disputed the possession of the territory. They transferred Pylene to a higher situation, and changed its name to Proschium. Hellanicus was not at all acquainted with the history of these cities, but speaks of them as still ex- isting in their ancient condition, but Macynia and Molycria, which were built subsequent to the return of the Heracleidae, 1 M. Coraca. 2 M. Zigos. 3 Xerolimne. 4 Kaki-scala. 5 Varassova.