Strabo, Geography
H.C. Hamilton, Esq., W. Falconer, M.A., Ed.

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[3]

Among the places enumerated by Homer in the Catalogue of the Ships, Messa, they say, is no longer to be found; and that Messoa is not a part of Laconia, but a part of Sparta itself, as was the Limnæum near Thornax. Some understand Messē to be a contraction of Messene, for it is said that this was a part of Laconia. [They allege as examples from the poet, the words ‘cri,’ and ‘do,’ and ‘maps,’¹ and this passage also;

“ The horses were yoked by Automedon and Alcimus,²

”

Il. xix. 392.

instead of Alcimedon. And the words of Hesiod, who uses βべーたοおみくろんͅῖ for βべーたοおみくろんͅιいおたθしーたνにゅー̀ and βριαοͅὸνにゅー; and Sophocles and Io, who have ῥᾳ for ῥᾴδでるたιいおたιいおたνにゅー; and Epicharmus, λらむだῖ for λίαν, and συρακὼ for σしぐまυうぷしろんοおみくろんͅαあるふぁ- κουσαι; Empedocles also has ὂψぷさい for ὄψις ῾μία γίγνεται ἀμφτέρων ὄψぷさい or ὄψις;) and Antimachus, δήμητρός τたうοおみくろんιいおた ᾿ελυσινίης ἱεいぷしろんρろーὴ ὄψぷさい, and ἄλらむだφふぁいιいおた for ἄλφιτον; Euphorion has ἧλらむだ for ἧλος; Philetes has δμωίδες εいぷしろんἰς ταλάρκὸνにゅー ἄγουσιν ἔρろーιいおた for ἔοおみくろんͅιいおたοおみくろんνにゅー Aratus, εいぷしろんἰς ἄνεμον δでるたὲ τたうὰ πηδά for τたうὰ πηδάλια; Simmias, Dodo for Dodona.]³

Of the rest of the places mentioned by the poet, some are extinct; of others traces remain, and of others the names are changed, as Augeiæ into Ægææ: [the city] of that name in Locris exists no longer. With respect to Las, the Dioscuri are said to have taken it by siege formerly, whence they had the name of Lapersæ, (Destroyers of Las,) and Sophocles says somewhere, ‘by the two Lapersæ, by Eurotas, by the gods in Argos and Sparta.’