Achaia

Sources from old books

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

There remaineth in this Table Achaja, which is a Country of Greece. Ptolemy calleth it Hellades. Pliny in his Epistles calleth it Maera-Graecia, or meere Greece. It is bounderd on the North with Thessalia, neere the River Sperchus, the Maliacan Bay, and the Mountaine Ceta, on the West with the River Achelous, beyond which the Country of •pire beginneth: on the East it bendeth somewhat Northward, and is washed with the Aegean and Mirtoan Sea, even to the Promontory Sunium, which is now called Cape delle Colonne: On the South it hath Peloponesus, over against it, which is joyned unto it by our Isthmus. I finde in Writers that here are 9. Countries which are D•rus neere Parnassus. Aetolia by the River Evenus. This latter is plaine and fruitfull toward the North, but r•gged and barren towards the South. It hath many ancient Citties, one of the chiefe whereof was Ca••d••, which is now ruinated with the rest. Ev•nus a most cleare transparent River doth flow thorow this Country, which afterward runneth into the Sea. The Country of the Locrians and Opuntians was rugged, the chiefe Citty whereof is Amphissa, There is also in this Country Naupactus, which some doe place in Aetolia. Phocis is by the Mountaine Pernassus. The Citty thereof is Delphos, where there was the sumptuous Church and famous Oracle of Apollo. Beotia lyeth among the Mountaines, in a moist moorish place, but fat and very fruitfull. There is also the Citty Asera at the foote of the Mountaine Helicon, where Hes•d was borne. And Orchomenus famous for Tiresias Oracle. Also Thebes which as Pliny witnesseth, was sometimes equall to Athens, where many famous men were borne, but now these Townes lye buried in their owne ruines. There is also Cheronaea where Plutarch was borne. Also Plataea memorable for a famous victory which the Graecians obtained under the conduct of Pausanias, against Mardonius. Tanagra was a most superstitious Citty. And Aulis where the Greekes assembled themselves before their comming to Troy. Attica is a barren wooddy Country. The chiefe Citty is Athens, which needs no commendation to make it famous. Euripides calls it the Grace of Greece, or the Compendium and Epitome of Greece. Cicero doth much praise this Citty, in his Oration for Lucius Flaccus, Lib. 2. of Lawes, and in his Dialogue de Partitione. There was also Marathon well knowne by Miltiades his famous victory. And Eleusis famous for Ceres sacrifices, which were therefore called Eleusinian. Stephanus calleth Megaris a rugged Country. The chiefe Citty hereof is Megara seated by the Isthmus from whence the Country was so called. The most famous Rivers of Achija are Ismenus a River of Baeotia, which watereth the Citty of Thebes. Also Cnopus which Strabo calls Asopus. Homer surnames it flowry Cnopus. Also Evenus which before as Apollodorus and Strabo doe witnes, was called Lycormas. It is a River of Aetolia. The most famous Mountaines are Parnassus, which Lucan Lib. 4. calleth Mons Phoebo Bromioque sacer, A Mountaine sacred to Apollo and Bacchus. Which Claudian and Lucretius doe situate in the middle of the World. There is also Helicon which Pliny calleth Musis natale, the Muses birth place. The Mountaine Hymettus is famous for Honey, Marble, and all things medicinable. There is also Citheron, which Lactantius calleth so from Cithara a Harpe, because this Instrument was often playd on in this place, and Poets Verses were frequently sung here. There are these Bishopricks in this Country. The Archbishoprick Philippensis, under whom are Citrensis, and Veriensis: Also the Archbishop Laricensis, under whom are Dinutriensis, Almurensis, Cardicensis, Stdoniensis, Dinucensis. The Archbishop Neopatensis, under whom is Lariaetensis. The Archbishop Thebanensis, Iorocemensis, Castoriensis, The Archbishop Athenensis, under whom are Thermopylensis, Davaliensis, Salonensis, Nigropontensis, Molgarensis, Roonensis, Eginnensis. The Archbishops Corcyrensis, and Duracensis.