143.) On the west the Athenian plain is bounded by a range of mountains, which also descends from Parnes. 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. Corydallus, and is now called the pass of Dhafni: through it the Sacred Way from Eleusis to Athens formerly ran. Through this range of mountains there is an important pass leading from the Eleusinian into the Athenian plain. It is bounded on the west by Aegaleos, as has been already mentioned. Between the range of Cerata and that of Aegaleos lies the Eleusinian and Thriasian Plain.Įastward of this plain lies the Athenian Plain, frequently called simply The Plain ( τὸ Πέδιον). 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. p.395) or the Horns, now Kandili: this range forms the boundary between Attica and Megaris. boundary of Attica a range of mountains runs down to the south, terminating on the west side of the bay of Eleusis in two summits, formerly called Cerata ( τὰ Κέρατα, Strab. Parnes lie between the passes of Phyle and Deceleia: one of the summits rises to the height of 4193 feet.įrom this range of mountains there descend several other ranges into the interior, between which there lie four plains of greater or less extent. 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.Ī more particular account of these important passes is given below. 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. There are two passes across the mountains from Corinth into the Megaris, which are spoken of under MEGARIS. It thus appears that Megaris naturally forms a part of the peninsula: it was one of the four ancient divisions of Attica, but was afterwards separated from it. These two chains of mountains, together with the central one of Cithaeron, completely protect the peninsula of Attica from the rest of Greece. The modern name of Parnes is Noziá that of Cithaeron, or at least of its highest point, is Elaté, derived from its fir-trees. through Megaris under the name of the Oenean mountains, and terminating at the Scironian rocks on the Saronic gulf and the other, called Parnes, running in a general easterly direction, and terminating on the sea coast above the promontory Rhamnus. From the latter there were two chief branches, one extending SW. The most important part of this range, immediately south of Thebes and Plataeae, and near the Corinthian gulf, was called Cithaeron. It is separated from Boeotia by a range of lofty, and in most places inaccessible, mountains, which extend from the Corinthian gulf to the channel of Euboea. It was bounded on the east by the Aegaean sea, on the west by Megaris and the Saronic gulf, and on the north by Boeotia. 3.14.5.) Some modern scholars think that Attica has nothing to do with the word Acte, but contains the root Att or Ath, which we see in Ath-enae.Īttica is in the form of a triangle, having two of its sides washed by the sea, and its base united to the land. 11.) Its name, however, was usually derived by the ancient writers from the autochthon Actaeus or Actaeon, or from Atthis, daughter of Cranaus, who is represented as the second king of Athens. It is stated by several ancient writers that the country was originally called Acte. Attica would thus be a corruption of Actica ( Ἀκτική), which would be regularly formed from Acte. The name of Attica is probably derived from Acte ( Ἀκτή), as being a projecting peninsula, in the same manner as the peninsula of Mt. γῆ), one of the political divisions of Greece.
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