Morea

Sources from old books

1635. Historia mundi: or Mercator's atlas. London. by Gerhard Mercator.

SO much concerning the chief Countries of Greece, which are in the Continent: Morea and Candia are next to be unfolded. The former Ptolemy, Strabo, and Steph. doe call Peloponnesus, it is a Peninsula, but now it is happily called Morea from the incursions of the Moores. Heretofore as Apolloderus and Pliny doe witnesse, it was called Apia and Pelasgia. Strabo delivers that it was Argos, and afterward Argos Achaicum: and Orosius Lib. 1. cap. 11. saith that it was called Achaja. And also Apulejus in his 6. Booke of the golden Asse. Eustathius did also call it Pelopia, and Stephanus Inachia. And in Eusebius Chronicle it is called Aegialia. It was called Pelopon•esus from Pelops a barbarous man, who comming out of Asia raigned here. For Pelopis signifies an Iland, whereas it is not an Iland, but a Peninsula▪ and as Mela writeth it is most like to a Plantine leafe, being as broad as long. The Perimeter or compasse of it is 4000. Furlongs, unto which Artemedorus addeth 400. It is joyned to the continent by an Isthmus or necke of Land, the breadth whereof is 40. Furlongs. Many have vainely attempted to cut thorow this narrow tongue of ground, as Demetrius, C. Caesar, Caligula, Nero, and others: but being frustrated of their purpose, they made a wall there which they called Hexamilium. Amurath the Turke threw it downe, and the Venetians re-edified it in the yeere 1453. in 15. dayes space, but the Turkes afterward did raze it downe to the ground. In this Isthmus there was heretofore the Temple of Neptune, where the Isthmian sports and Playes were celebrated. Pel ponnesus hath on the East the Cretian Sea: on the West the Jonian or Hadriatick Sea: on the North it hath the Corinthian and Saronick Bay, betweene which is the Isthmus: on the South it hath the Mediterranean Sea. This Peninsula is the Castle and chiefe part of all Greece, and Pliny saith that it is not inferiour to any Country. For it hath plenty, and abundance of all things which serve rather for pleasure or necessity. It hath fruitful Plaines and Hills, and it is full of Bayes and Havens which doe make many Promontories. The Elians, the Messenians, the Achivi, the Sicyonians, the Corinthians, the Laconians, the Argives, and the Arcadians did heretofore inhabite Pel•ponnesus. And this part of Greece was famous heretofore thorow the whole world for the Commonwealths of the Myceneans, Argives, Lacedemonians, Si•vonians, Eliensians, Arcadians, Pylions, and Messenions, out of which there came many famous Princes, as Agamemnon, Menelaus, Ajax, and others. For this Country in regard of the situation, and Maiesty thereof did governe all the other parts of Gree•e. But now all Pel•ponnesus is under the Turkes Dominion, as also the rest of Greece, although it were valiantly defended by some Earles of Greece, whom they call 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, or Lords, and also by the Venetians. But now a Sangiack doth governe 〈◊〉 •rea under the Turke, who is more potent than all the rest, who •••deth at Modonum, and at the Beglerbeys of all Greeces command hee i• to bring a thousand Horse into the Field at his owne cost and charges. This Sangiack is called by the Barbarians Morabegi, whose yeerely revenewes in this Province 700000. Aspers, that is, 14. thousand Crownes. But it appeareth in Ptolemy and other Authors, that all this Country was devided into 8. Provinces, which are Corinth, Argia, Lacon•a, Messenia, Elis, Achaja, Sicyonis, and Arcadia. Corinth is seated in the Isthmus, it was so denominate from the chiefe Citty which was first called Ephyre. Cicero doth worthily call it the light of Greece. It hath a Haven on either side, the one whereof looketh toward Asia, the other toward Italy, so that the convenient situation made it soone grow famous, and the Isthmian Playes which were celebrated here. Acrocorinthe was seated on a Mountaine 3. Furlongs and a halfe high, and under it was Corinth 40. Furlongs in compasse. On the top of the Mountaine there was a temple dedicated to Venus: neere which was the Fountaine Pyrene, which did first spring up as the Poets report, from a stroke of Pegasus his hoofe, who was the winged Horse of the Muses. This Citty was raz'd by L. Mummius, because they had discourteously entertained the Romane Embassadours, after it had beene builded 952. yeeres by Aletes the Sonne of Hippotes, as you may finde it in Pater•u•us. Argia followeth, which Ortelius calleth Romania. The Citties of this Country are Mycenae, where Agamemnon had his Palace, whence Ovid calleth it Agamemnons Mycenae, it was famous for the ancient temple of Iuno, whence Iuno was called Argiva. They report that the Cyclops did wall it about. Not farre from hence was the Lake Lerna, where Hercules kild the Lernaean Hydra, or rather did scatter and kill the Theeves that did rob in those parts. The Citty Argo• was built as some report by Argus. Nauplia now called Neapolis is a strong Citty of Romania, Epidaurus is in the innermost part of the Saronian Bay, a Citty famous for Esculapius temple. Next to Argia is Laconia. The Metropolis or Mother Citty whereof is Sparta, which was also called Lacedaemon, and now Misithra: it was heretofore a great potent Citty, being not fortified with walls, but by the valour of the Cittizens, neither doth Pomponius praise it for magnificent Buildings, but for Licurgus his Lawes and Discipline, in which it contended with Athens, as Thucidides noteth in his 8. Booke. Leuctra may be knowne out of Plutarch by that sad and tragicall History of Scedasus Daughters. There is also Epidaurus which is now called Malvasia. Messenia reacheth from the Mountaine Taygetus and the River Panijsus even to Alpheus. The chiefe Citty of it is Messene situate by the Sea, it is now called Mattegia. Aristomenis was the Country where renowned Messenius was borne, who as Pausanias reporteth, being ripped open after he was dead, had a hairy Heart. There is also Methone, now called Modon, where the Turkish Sangiack did sometimes keepe his residence. Corone is now called Coron. Pilus was the Country, where Homers eloquent Nestor who lived three ages, was borne. And Ciparissi is now called Arcadia. Elis is situate betweene Messenia, Achaja, and Arcadia. The Citties are Elis thorow the middle whereof Peneus and Alpheus did runne, famous for Iupiters temple. Olympia was famous for the solemne Graecian Playes, which were called Olympian games, and for the sumptuous Temple of Iupiter Olympius, which by the offrings and gifts of potent Princes and other men grew so great and beautifull, that there was no Church in all Greece that could compare with it for magnificence and riches, for Iupiter was religiously reverenced here. Cipselus the Tyrant of Corinth did consecrate and sett up a golden Iupiter at Olympia of massie gold. Afterward Phidius the Athenian did sett up a great Image of Iupiter of Gold and Ivory, being 60. foote high, which worke was reprehended by other Artificers, because the Image was not proportionable to the Temple. For whereas this Iupiter sate in an Ivory Throne, and yet touched the top of the Church with his head, it must needs come to passe that if this Ivory god being weary of sitting would rise up at any time, that hee must throw downe the top of the Church. There is also Pisa. Achaja which Ptolemy calleth Propria, reacheth from the Promontory Araxus, even to the Sicyonian, from whom it is devided by the River Sus, on the South it hath the Mountaine Stymphalus, on the North the Corinthian Bay. There are also the Citties Dyme, which they now call Charenza, whence they call the Araxean Promontory Capo di Chiarenza: there is also the famous Citty Patrae which is now called Patras. The Citty Aegium in former time was called Vostiza or Bostizan, and it was raced by the Turkes. Aegira was heretofore a chiefe Citty, being seated on a rugged steepe Hill, which is now ruinate, and called Xilocastro. And in the Crissaean Bay there are Helice, Bura, and Pellene. Si••nia is situate betweene Achaja and Asopus: the chiefe Citty thereof is Sicion, the ancientest of all the Greeke Citties, and built in Abrahams time, being full of Churches, Altars, Statues, and Images. There was also Phlius, which happily is that which they now call Vasilicon. There remaineth Arcadia which is a Mediterranian Country in Peloponnesus, being every where encompas'd with the Sea.* 1.1 In this Country there is the Citty Megalopolis, where Polibius a grave and wise Writer was borne. It is now called Leontari. There is also Stimphalus, whence the Stymphalian Lake, and the Stymphalian Birds. There are also Lilaea, Mantinea, and Psophis. But the chiefe Citties of all Peloponnesus, Ovid Lib. 6. Metamorph. hath thus briefly described and Epitomized.

Finitimi Proceres coeunt, urbesque propinquaeOravere suos ire ad solatia reges:Argosque & Sparte, Pelopejadesque Mycenae,Et nondum torvae Calidon invisa Dianae,Orchomenosque ferax, & nobilis aere Corinthus,Messeneque ferox, Patraeque humilesque Cleovae,Et Melea Pilos, nec adhuc Pitheia Tr•ezen,Quaeque urbes aliae bimari clauduntur ab Isthmo.

The neighbouring Princes met: the Citties neereIntreate their Kings the desolate to cheereRenown'd Mycenae, Sparta, the Argive StateAnd Calydon, not yet in Dian's hate;Fertile Orchomenos, Corinthus, fam'dFor high-priz'd Brasse, Messene, never tam'd;Cleovae, Patrae, Pylos, Nelius crowne;And Throezen, not as then Pitheus Towne,With all that two-sea'd Isthmus Straites include:And all without, by two-sea'd Isthmus view'd. The most famous Rivers are Asopus, which Theverus calleth now Arbon, also Penejus, which Thevetus and Niger call Igliaco: there is also Alpheus which the Inhabitants call Rophea, and as Niger saith Orphoa: the Italian Marriners call it Carbon: and 140. streames and Rivulets doe runne into this River. There is also Panisus which Niger calleth Stromio, but Castaldus and Mercators tables call it Pirnaza, which is the greatest River of all Peloponesus. The water whereof doth heale (as it is reported) all diseases belonging to Children and Infants. Eurotas is now called by Stephanus and others Basilopotamo, but Niger calleth it Iris; whose bankes are full of Bay-trees: and Inachus, which S•phianus and others doe now call Planizza, but Niger calleth it Iris, whose bankes have also great store of Bay-trees. I omit the other Rivers. The Mountaines are Stimphalus the highest Mountaine of Arcadia, which Dominicus Niger calleth Poglici. Xitias Niger calleth it Pholos, Mela Cillenius, Strabo Cyllene, it is the highest Mountaine in all Arcadia. There is also the Mountaine which Mela calls Menalius, Ptolemy Cronium. Also Grevenos, which Niger calleth Zarex, and Gemistus Zaraca. That which Ptolemy and Strabo call Minthe, Niger calleth Olonus. Pausanias calleth it Evan, from Evoe, a noise which Bacchus his Priests did use: because it is reported that Bacchus and those women that followed him did use this acclamation or cry. That which Pliny, Pausanias, Vibius, and Stephanus do call Taigotus is a Mountaine of Peloponesus in Laconia, neere unto the River Eurota. From the top whereof there is so faire a prospect, that you may behold all the Peninsula, and every famous Citty in it. This Mountaine doth breed many wilde beasts, being consecrate to Bacchus, Apollo, Diana, and Ceres. In Morea there are these Bishopricks: the Archbishop of Corinth, under whom is Argivensis: The Archbishop Patracensis, under whom are the Bishops Coloniensis, Mothonensis, Coronensis, Amiclensis, and Androvillensis.