Book 8
3.24
I have already8. 3. 8. inquired into Homer’s words concerning Coele Elis and Buprasium. Concerning the country that was subject to Nestor, Homer speaks as follows: “And those who dwelt in Pylus and lovely Arene and Thryum, fording-place of the Alpheius, and well-built Aepy, and also those who were inhabitants of Cyparissëeis and Amphigeneia and Pteleus and Helus and Dorium, at which place the Muses met Thamyris the Thracian, and put a stop to his singing while he was on his way from Oechalia from Eurytus the Oechalian.”Hom. Il. 2.591It is Pylus, then, with which our investigation is concerned, and about it we shall make inquiry presently. About Arene I have already spoken.Section 19 above. The city which the poet now calls Thryum he elsewhere calls Thryoessa: “There is a certain city, Thryoessa, a steep hill, far away on the Alpheius.”Hom. Il. 11.711He calls it “fording-place of the Alpheius” because the river could be crossed on foot, as it seems, at this place. But it is now called Epitalium (a small place in Macistia). As for “well-built Aepy,” some raise the question which of the two words is the epithet and which is the city, and whether it is the Margalae of today, in Amphidolia. Now Margalae is not a natural stronghold, but another place is pointed out which is a natural stronghold, in Macistia. The man, therefore, who suspects that the latter place is meant by Homer calls the name of the city “Aepy”“Sheer,” “steep.” from what is actually the case in nature (compare Helus,“Marsh.” Aegialus,“Shore.” and several other names of places); whereas the man who suspects that “Margala” is meant does the reverse perhaps. That is, calls it “Euctitum” (Well-built), making the other words the epithet. Thryum,“Rush.” or Thryoessa, they say, is Epitalium, because the whole of this country is full of rushes, particularly the rivers; and this is still more conspicuous at the fordable places of the stream. But perhaps, they say, Homer called the ford “Thryum” and called Epitalium “well-built Aepy”; for Epitalium is fortified by nature. And in fact he speaks of a “steep hill” in other places: “There is a certain city, Thryoessa, a steep hill, far away on the Alpheius, last city of sandy Pylus.”Hom. Il. 11.711
