Histories

Herodotus

Herodotus. Godley, Alfred Denis, translator. Cambridge, MA; London: Harvard University Press; William Heinemann, Ltd., 1920-1925 (printing).

To the west[*](Herodotus' points of the compass are wrong throughout in his description of +Thermopylae [22.5583,38.8] (Perseus) Thermopylae; the road runs east and west, not north and south as he supposes; so “west” here should be “south” and “east” “north.” “In front” and “behind” are equivalent to “west” and “east” respectively.) of +Thermopylae [22.5583,38.8] (Perseus) Thermopylae rises a high mountain, inaccessible and precipitous, a spur of Oeta; to the east of the road there is nothing but marshes and sea. In this pass are warm springs for bathing, called the Basins by the people of the country, and an altar of Heracles stands nearby. Across this entry a wall had been built, and formerly there was a gate in it.

It was the Phocians [*](It is to be noted that in 480 the pass of +Thermopylae [22.5583,38.8] (Perseus) Thermopylae was no longer in Phocian territory.) who built it for fear of the Thessalians when these came from +Nomo Thesprotias [20.333,39.5] (department), Epirus, Greece, Europe Thesprotia to dwell in the Aeolian land, the region which they now possess. Since the Thessalians were trying to subdue them, the Phocians made this their protection, and in their search for every means to keep the Thessalians from invading their country, they then turned the stream from the hot springs into the pass, so that it might be a watercourse.