Greece

Sources from old books

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

GREECE, VVHICH CONTAINETH THESE CHIEFE COVNTRIES, ALBANIA, MACEDON, EPIRE, ACHAIA, and MOREA. (Book Greece) GREECE followes which is a famous Country of Europe, and the Fountaine and mother of learning. The Inhabi∣tants did call it Hellas. But these that doe now inhabite it doe call it Romechi, and the Turkes Haromeli. Leunclavius calleth it Rumelia: and the 70. Interpreters Ihobel, and Iava. But Greece hath severall bounds assignd it. It reacheth properly from Ep•e by the River Achelous. On the East it hath the Aegean Sea: and thus Greece is properly bounderd. Which Pliny doth intimate, who saith, that Greece beginneth from the Istmus, and againe he saith, that Gre•ce is joyned to Peloponesus with a short neck of ground. Some∣times also Pel•ponesus and Thessalia are comprehended in Greece. So L. Aemilius Paulus, when he travaild thorow Greece, he went to Delphos thorow Thessaly, from thence to Lebadia, then to Chalcides, afterward to Aulides, and from thence to Athens, then to Corinth, Sicyon, Argos, Epidaurus, Lacedemon, Megalopolis, Olympia: and so having travelled thorow Greece, he returned to Amphipolis. Homer calleth the Phtiotae onely Graecians. Herodotus maketh a difference betweene the Thra∣cians and Pelasgans. But now we call Greece all the Country, which lyeth Westward, and is washed with the Jonian Sea, on the South with the Libian Sea: on the East with the Aegean; on the North it is parted from Thrace, Mysia, and Dalmatia. This Country did hereto∣fore excell other parts of Europe, both for the temper of the climate, and fertility, and Heards of Cattell. This is that Country which flourished along time, and was a famous Empire for Learning, Arts, and warlike Discipline. It was first free, but while it affected Sove∣•••nty over others, it was it selfe brought into servitude, for now it is under the Turkes Dominion. And heretofore Cyrus, afterward Xerxes, and other Kings of Persia did vexe it. Afterward the Macedons governd it, and then the Romanes, after the division of their Empire it was subject to Constantinople, untill the Gothes, the Bulgarians, and Sarazens did waste and destroy it, and now last of all the Turke hath brought it all into miserable servitude, except some Ilands which are subject to the Venetian, namely, Cor•yra, Cephalenia, Zacynthus, Crete, and other little Ilands. Greece had heretofore many flourishing Cit∣ties, as Athens, La••demon, Delphos, Argis, Mycenis, Corinth, and many o∣thers, the most of which are ruinate, and decayd. Here are 32. great Rivers, as Strymon, Chabrius, Eched•us, A•••s, •rigo•, Lydius, Alia•m•n, Pha•ybus, Feneus, Spe•chius, Pa•yassus, Apsus, Lous, Celidnus, Thyamus, A•h•∣r•n, ••a•h•hus, A•h•lous, Ev••us, Ilissas, As•pus, Ism•nus, Cephisus, •oag••us, •••us, Sus, Peneus, Alphejus, Selas, Pa•ysius, Eurotas, and •nachus. The Sea• are called the Jonian Sea, from Ionia who was a Queene in the farthest parts of Italy, as Soli•us affirmeth: or as Archidamus thinketh, from I•nius a King of the Illyrians, or from the Jonians who were drownd in passing that Sea. It was called before the Cronian and Rhaean Bay, and the Cretian from the Ile Creete, as ancient Writers doe witn••se, it is now called Mar di Candia, or the Gandian Sea. There is also the Carpathiam Sea, so called from the Iland Carpathus, which lyeth by the Easterne Promontory of Creete. The Aegaean Sea, as Fe∣st•• and others doe write, was so called from Aegeus the Father of The∣l•us, who cast himselfe into it. I omit other opinions. Valerius Flaceus calleth it Aego•, and Aegeon, Thu•ydides calleth it the Greeke Sea, and the •ropeans doe call it by a Greeke name Archipelagus: The Turkes call it the white Sea. The Romanes did heretofore call this Sea by two names as Pliny witnesseth, namely, all that which touched Mace∣d•n and 〈◊〉, the Macedonian Sea; and that which touched Greece, the Graecian Sea: Ptolemy calls it Myrtoum, or the Myrtoan Sea, being a p••• of the Aegean, which beareth on Caria a Country of Asia the less•: C•staldus calleth it Mar d• Mandria. Strabo, Pliny, and others doe place it betweene Pel•ponesus, and Attica. It was so called from Myr∣thus the Sonne of Mercury, who as Solinus and Isodorus report was cast into this Sea by O•n•maus, or as Pliny thinketh, from a small Iland, si∣tuate not farre from the Towne Carystum. The most doe call it the Icarian Sea, from the fable of Icarus. It is now called Mar di Nicaria, as Cast•ldus writeth. It hath also divers Mountaines, as Bertiscus, A∣thos, Olympus, Ossa, Pelion, Citerius, Othris, Oeta, Pindus, Aroceraunij, Stimphe, Calidromus, Carax, Pa•nassus, Hel••on, Cithaeron, Himettus, Stimph•lus, Pho∣loe, Cr••us, Zarex, Minthe, Taigetus, and others. Moreover Athens fa∣mous for Arts and Disciplines was in Greece. So that Diodorus Siculus calleth it the common Schoole. Cicero Lib. 4. Epist. Famil. calleth it the famousest University of Europe, whether Romanes and other Na∣tions did repaire to study Philosophy and the Greeke tongue. Cicero doth often commend Greece for Arts, Eloquence▪ good wits, and plen∣tifull speech, so that the Romanes got the knowledge of Philosophy, and other Arts and Sciences from them. And Flaccus singeth thus.

Graijs ingenium, Graijs dedit ore rotundoMusa loqui. — The Muses gave the Graecians wit.And eloquence of speech to it.

GREECE hath yeelded these famous Schollers, Nus•us the Poet, Solon, Socrates the Prince of Philosophers, Xenophon, Plato, Isocrates, Demosthenes, Thucidides, and many others. Concerning the Graecians religion, Idolatry raigned amongst them, so that they had an infinite number of Gods and Goddesses. Augustine Lib. 3. of the Citty of God, affirmeth according to Varros opinion, that the Romans and Graecians together had above 3000. gods, of which there were 300. Iupiters. Every one had his Lar or Houshold god. And they had Tutelary gods for every affection of the minde, and for defence and protection from danger, and every god had distinct and peculiar Ceremonies, Prayers, Priests, Sacrifices, and Offerings. The com∣mon people doe not now keepe their ancient fashions. For they let their haire grow long, and doe onely cut the forepart of their haire, and doe weare a double thicke Hat. They use but little houshold stuffe as the Turkes: neither doe they lye on Fether-beds, but on Flock-beds, or Beds stuffed with Wooll or Toe. They never mingle any wine with water, and women are not present at their drinking feasts and meetings, neither doe they sitt downe at Banquets. But the Heathenish Greekes have an ancient custome in bewailing the dead. The Greeke Christians doe differ in Religion from the Romanes, and doe call themselves the Easterne Church. They have foure Patriarks, the Patriarches of Constantinople, of Alexandria, of Hierusalem, and An∣noch. These are created by the Metropolitan Bishops, as the Popes are by the Cardinals, and they are famous for their sanctimonious, ho∣ly, modest, and religious life. Their yeerely revenue is 400. crownes, which is begged in the Churches which are under their government. For the Clergie men have no Inheritance. They may marry one wife, but no more, they acknowledge onely two Sacraments, Bap∣tisme and the Lords Supper. They communicate in both kindes, both in Bread and Wine. They hate Purgatory, and detest graven Images, and doe not shave their haire. But the richer Graecians, and men of Authority, doe weare Princely apparell. Those that are under the Venetians doe goe in habit like to Venetians. Those that are under the Turkes, doe goe like Turkes. The Governour of Greece is called V•omeli Beglerbey, that is, King of the Romane Princes, for hee gover∣neth all those Countries which the Turke hath in Europe, which are subject to Constantinople. Hee hath 40. Sangiacks, under him, who are Captaines of the Horse troopes chosen out of the Spachoglans, and they are Governours in the chiefe Citties of the Provinces, to keepe them in peace and obedience, and they have 150. Sobasci Cimmeriotae, or more, who are Vice-governours under them of lesser Townes. Un∣der these Sangiacks there are 30000. Spachi, every one of which main∣taineth 3. or 4. Horses for service. And these Spachi are distributed thorow the Flamboler, that is, the bands, which doe containe 200.300, 400. or 500. Horsemen. The chiefe of the Sangiacks is the Governour of Modena, who is President also of all Morea, who upon the Begler∣beys command is to bring forth a thousand Horse, who are bound to serve him for wages. Also the Governour of Bosna bringeth 900. Horse, and the Governour of Thessalonia bringeth forth 500. Horse, an hundred whereof he hath alwaies in a readinesse, the rest hee sends when the Turke demands it. There are also under this Beglerbey, 20000. Horsemen who are subject to the Sangiacks, who are called the Tymariots, because they have stipends out of the Tymar, which is the Emperours Exchequer. And also 40000. Akengi, or Acconti, that is, Scouts or light Horsemen, who being free from any taxes or contributions, doe serve without wages, and are supplyd with victuals by the chiefe Citties thorow which they passe. There are also many Feudataries who are called Mosselin, out of which there are sometime raised 60000 Horsemen, and a great number of Footemen. It would be tedious to rehearse all matters, neither doe we intend it, where∣fore we returne to the more speciall parts of Greece.