Page:The geography of Strabo (1854) Volume 1.djvu/57

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CHAP. II. § 20.
INTRODUCTION.
43

it takes a turn to the south-west, and projects into the ocean, and from this point it seems to the inhabitants of Thasos, Lemnos, Imbros, Samothracia,[1] and the surrounding sea, that the west winds blow.[2] So in regard to Attica, they seem to come from the rocks of Sciros,[3] and this is the reason why all the westerly winds, the north-west more particularly, are called the Scirones. Of this Eratosthenes was not aware, though he suspected as much, for it was he who described this bending of the land [towards the south-west] which we have mentioned. But he interprets our poet in an absolute sense, and then taxes him with ignorance, because, says he, “Zephyr blows from the west, and off Spain, and Thrace does not extend so far.” Does he then think that Homer was not aware that Zephyr came from the west, notwithstanding the careful manner in which he distinguishes its position when he writes as follows:

“The east, the south, the heavy-blowing Zephyr,
And the cold north-wind clear.”[4]

Or was he ignorant that Thrace did not extend beyond the Pæonian and Thessalian mountains.[5] To be sure he was well acquainted with the position of the countries adjoining Thrace in that direction, and does he not mention by name both the maritime and inland districts, and tells us of the Magnetæ,[6] the Malians,[7] and other Grecian [territories], all in order, as far as Thesprotis;[8] also of the Dolopes[9] bordering on

  1. ↑ The modern names of these places are Thaso, Stalimene, Imbro, and Samothraki.
  2. ↑ Strabo, as well as Casaubon in his notes on this passage, seems to have made an imperfect defence of Homer. The difficulty experienced, as well by them as Eratosthenes, arose from their overlooking the fact that Macedonia was a part of Thrace in Homer’s time, and that the name of Macedon did not exist.
  3. ↑ These rocks were situated between the city of Megara and the isthmus of Corinth.
  4. ↑ And the south-east and the south rushed together, and the hard-blowing west, and the cold-producing north. Odyssey v. 295.
  5. ↑ The western part of Thrace, afterwards named Macedonia; having Pæonia on the north, and Thessaly on the south.
  6. ↑ The Magnetæ dwelt near to Mount Pelion and the Pelasgic Gulf, now the Bay of Volo.
  7. ↑ These people dwelt between Mount Othrys, and the Maliac Gulf, now the Gulf of Zeitun.
  8. ↑ The maritime portion of Epirus opposite Corfu.
  9. ↑ In the time of Homer the Dolopes were the neighbours of the
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