2 Lakes Is Bistonis. Compsatus. Between Stryme and Maroneia was the lake Ismaris, EUROPE. and near Dicaea was the lake Bistonis, into which CHAP. VI. the rivers Travus and Compsatus emptied themselves.1 Abdera was peopled by the Teians, after maris and their own city on the coast of Asia Minor had been Rivers Trataken by Harpagus. It had however been first vus and founded by Timesius of Clazomenae, who was afterwards driven out by the Thracians, but in spite of this was honoured as a hero by the Teians. In the subsequent flight of Xerxes after the battle of Salamis, he made an alliance of friendship with the Abderites, and presented them with a golden scimeter and a gold-embroidered tiara; and the Abderites said, what appeared incredible to Herodotus, that at this place he loosened his girdle for the first time after leaving Athens. Abdera was situated nearer to the Hellespont than the Strymon and Eïon, whence, as they say, he embarked. tus. The Persian army did not pass by any lake near River NesAbdera, but in the neighbourhood of the city was the river Nestus, which flows into the sea. From this place the army marched by several continental cities. Near one of these, named Pistyrus, was a Pistyrus. lake 30 stadia in circumference, abounding in fish, but with brackish waters; yet the sumpter beasts, who alone drank of it, were sufficient to exhaust it.5 Cicones. Dersaei. Satrae. forts, The Thracian nations through which Xerxes Pacti. passed, were the Paeti, Cicones, Bistones, Sapaei, Bistones. Dersaei, Edoni, and Satrae. Then he passed the Sapaci Pierian forts, one of which was called Phagres, and Edoni. the other Pergamus, marching close to them, and Pierian keeping on his right the vast and lofty mountain of Mount PanPangaeus, whose gold and silver mines were worked gaeus. by the Pieres and Odomanti, and especially by the Pieres. Satrae. Northward of Pangaeus were the Paeo- Paeones. nes, Doberes, and Paeoplac. The country which Paeoplae. surrounded this mountain was called Phyllis, and District of 1 vii. 109. 2 i. 168. 3 viii. 120. Abdera was at some distance to the east of the river Nestus. Herodotus says Karà Abdera. In another place, (vii. 126,) however, he speaks of it as flowing through Abdera. Odomanti. Doberes. Phyllis. 5 vii. 109. 6 vii. 110. 7 vii. 112. EUROPE. extended westward to the river Augites, which CHAP. VI. falls into the Strymon, and southwards to the Strymon itself, which the Magi propitiated by the sacrifice of white horses. From this river a violent north wind was called "a wind from the Strymon.2" 3 River Au gites. Paeonia, its extent. nes. Scapte mon. 4 8 All The Paeones dwelt on its banks, and amongst Siro-paeo- others, the race of Siro-paeones," so called from their city of Siris. The revenues which Pisistratus drew from the river Strymon,' and the rich mines of Scapte Hyle, must also be noticed in reference to this district. The Paeones on the Strymon professed to be descended from the Teucri of Troy, but the name has a very wide signification, for Herodotus Above Cres- also mentions the Paeones dwelling above Crestonica and over Mount Orbelus and the lake Prasias." the above-mentioned races then, together with the Agrianes, which are drawn upon our map within these limits, may be regarded as so many sub-divisions of the Pacones. The Siro-Paeones, the Paeoplae, and other Paeonian tribes as far as Lake Prasias, were transported into Asia by Mardonius, but those upon Mount Pangaeus, including the Doberes, the Agrianes, the Odomanti, and the people dwelling on the lake, were not completely subdued.10 tonica, and on Mount Orbelus and Lake Prasias. Agrianes. River Strymon bridge. "Nine Ways." Xerxes now came to Eïon," where a large store of provisions had been laid up for his army,12 and which was governed by Boges, the same Persian who afterwards, when besieged, threw all his treasures into the Strymon, and himself into a fire, rather than capitulate. The Strymon was already bridged over by the royal command," and the army approached it by the town called the "Nine Ways" of the Edonians, where, having heard the name, the Magi buried alive nine of the sons and nine of the daughters of 1 vii. 113. 13 2 The ancients understood the north wind by the words, a blast from Strymon, or a blast from Thrace, because Thrace was a cold country, and was looked upon as the abode of Boreas. 3 viii. 118. 4 V. 13 vii. 107. 5 v. 15. 10 6 viii. 115. 7 i. 64. 11 vii. 113. 5 3 Myrcinus, the inhabitants.' Herodotus gives no account of EUROPE. this place, which was originally so called from the CHAP. VI. many roads which met there. It was subsequently called Amphipolis, and was one of the most important positions in this part of Thrace. This was the same city, though not there named by Herodotus," that Aristogoras of Miletus endeavoured to besiege, but both he and his army were cut off through a breach of faith on the part of the Thracians. In the country of Edonia lay Myrcinus, where Histiaeus Edonia. obtained permission from Darius to found a city," but was afterwards recalled whilst building its walls, as the neighbourhood presented too many facilities for revolt, being thickly populated by both Hellenes and Barbarians, and possessing abundance of timber for ship-building, wood for oars, and valuable silver mines. Also in the same neighbourhood was the city of Datus, where the Athenians, after the battle Datus. of Plataea, fought for the gold mines. At some distance beyond the Strymon the Persians passed an Hellenic city called Argilus, situated on the coast Argilus. towards the west. This district and the country above it was called Bisaltia. Proceeding from Bisaltia. thence, and keeping the bay near the temple of Poseidon on the left, the army marched through what was called the plain of Syleus, and passing by the Plain of Hellenic city of Stageirus, arrived at Acanthus. Acanthus. This road, along which King Xerxes and his army marched, was not subsequently disturbed or cultivated by the Thracians, but regarded by them with great veneration even down to the time of Herodotus. Xerxes enjoined the Acanthians to show hospitality, and presented them with a Medic dress." Here Artachaces of the Achaemenidae race died of disease. He had superintended the excavation of the canal at Athos, and was the tallest of all the Persians, and had the loudest voice of any man. He was now buried with great pomp, and the whole army raised up a mound for his sepulchre, and the Acanthians, 6 Syleus. 1 vii. 114. 4 v. 23. 2 v. 126. Comp. Thucyd. iv. 102, 5 ix. 75. 6 vii. 115. 3 v. 11. 7 vii. 116. EUROPE. in obedience to an oracle, sacrificed to him as a hero, CHAP. VI. and invoked him by name.' Miscellane Brygians. of Scapte Hyle. pedon. Selybria. 5 Notices of the following people and localities in ous notices Thrace are also to be found in Herodotus :-The of Thrace. Thracian Brygians, who were enslaved by MardoGold mines nius. Scapte Hyle, where the Thracians possessed a gold mine which produced 80 talents annually.' Cape Sar- Cape Sarpedon, where the fleet of Xerxes was orderPerinthus. ed to wait. The cities of Perinthus and Selybria, Aegospota on the Hellespont. Aegospotami, or the goat-river, where Artayctes was captured. Tyrodiza of the Perinthians, and Leuce Acte, in both of which places provisions were stored up for the army of Xerxes." Bisanthe, on the Hellespont. The Hellespontines in general are also noticed. They were Ionian and Dorian colonists, and contributed 100 ships to the navy of Xerxes, and were equipped like the Hellenes." mi. Tyrodiza. Leuce Acte. Bisanthe. Hellespontines. Northern little known Its seven rivers. 8 Northern Thrace is but little described by HeroThrace, but dotus. We learn that it was watered by seven rivers, viz. the Athrys, Noes, Artanes, Scios, Tibisis, Auras, and Atlas. Of these the Scios flowed from the foot of Mount Rhodope, and after dividing Mount Haemus in the middle discharged itself into the Ister. The other six flowed down the northern slope of Haemus, and likewise fell into the Ister." The town of Istria, colonized by the Milesians, was situated at the Ister mouth." Herodotus also casually mentions that pillars were erected in Thrace by Sesostris.' Istria. Pillars of Sesostris. 12 The Thracians had various names according to and customs their respective regions, but they all observed the same customs, excepting the Getae, the Trausi, and those Thracians who dwelt above the Crestonaeans.13 of the Thracians. Peculiar tenets of the Getae. Belief in the immortality of the soul. The Getae were the most valiant and the most just of all the Thracians. They believed in the immortality of the soul, inasmuch as they imagined that they did not actually die, but that the soul of the deceased went to the deity Zalmoxis, and some CHAP. VI. of them thought that he was the same as Gebeleizis, EUROPE. or "he who gives repose." Every fifth year they selected one of themselves by lot to go to Zalmoxis Their deity and tell him what they required. Their mode of Zalmoxis." sending the messenger was as follows. Some of them were placed together holding three lances with the points upward. Others then seized the appointed ambassador by the hands and feet, and swinging him backwards and forwards, tossed him upon the points of the lances. If he died of the wounds they considered that the deity, Zalmoxis, would prove propitious; if he did not die they decided that the messenger was a bad man, and selected another. These Getae considered that there was no other deity but theirs, and in storms of thunder and lightning they shot their arrows towards heaven, and threatened the god.' count of his teach Herodotus was informed by the Greeks who dwelt Greek acabout the Hellespont and Pontus Euxinus, that this Zalmoxis. Zalmoxis was originally a slave of Pythagoras, the son of Mnesarchus, in Samos; but that, having obtained his liberty and acquired great riches, he returned to his own country. Here he found the Thra- Effects of cians living in a wretched and very uncivilized state, ings on the and being acquainted with the more refined manners Thracians. of the Ionians, and having enjoyed familiar intercourse with the Greeks, and especially with Pythagoras, who was not the meanest sage in Hellas, he built a saloon, in which he received and entertained the principal persons of the country, and taught them that neither he, nor any of his guests, nor their posterity for ever, should die, but should go into a place where they would live eternally and enjoy every kind of blessing. Meanwhile he prepared for His subterhimself a subterraneous dwelling, and at length sud- dwelling denly disappeared from amongst the Thracians and and re-aplived in this under-ground abode for three years; but in the fourth year, and whilst the people were still lamenting his supposed death, he re-appeared, 1 iv. 94. raneous pearance. |