Page:The geography of Strabo (1854) Volume 2.djvu/90

82 STRABO. CASAUB. 393. pointed king of the Athenians, after having overcome in single combat, Xanthus, the king of the Boeotians. When Attica became populous by the accession of fugitives, the Heraclidae were alarmed, and invaded Attica, chiefly at the instigation of the Corinthians and Messenians ; the former of whom were influenced by proximity of situation, the latter by the circumstance that Codrus, the son of Melanthus, was at that time king of Attica. They were, however, defeated in battle and relinquished the whole of the country, except the territory of Megara, of which they kept possession, and founded the city Megara, where they introduced as inhabit- ants Dorians in place of lonians. They destroyed the pillar also which was the boundary of the country of the lonians and the Peloponnesians. 8. The city of the Megarenses, after having experienced many changes, still subsists. It once had schools of philoso- phers, who had the name of the Megaric sect. They suc- ceeded Euclides, the Socratic philosopher, who was by birth a Megarensian, in the same manner as the Eleiaci, among whom was Pyrrhon, who succeeded Phaedon, the Eleian, who was also a Socratic philosopher, and as the Eretriaci succeeded Mene- demus the Eretrean. Megaris, like Attica, is very sterile, and the greater part of it is occupied by what are called the Oneii mountains, a kind of ridge, which, extending from the Scironides rocks to Boeotia and to Cithaeron, separates the sea at Nisaea from that near Pagaa, called the Alcyonian Sea. 9. In sailing from Nissea to Attica there lie, in the course of the voyage, five small islands. Then succeeds Salamis, which is about 70, and according to others, 80, stadia in length. It has two cities of the same name. The ancient city, which looked towards ^Egina, and to the south, as JEschylus has described it ; " JEgina. lies towards the blasts of the south : " it is uninhabited. The other is situated in a bay on a spot of a peninsular form contiguous to Attica. In former times it had other names, for it was called Sciras, and Cychreia, from certain heroes ; from the former Minerva is called Sciras ; hence also Scira, a place in Attica ; Episcirosis, a religious rite ; and Scirophorion, one of the months. From Cychreia