ISTHMIA, istle-rii-a, Greek national games, named from being celebrated on the isthmus of Corinth, and instituted 1326 B.C. to com memorate the burial of Melicerta (q. v.). After being for a time interrupted, they were rein stituted by Theseus in honour of Neptune (Poseidon). They were celebrated every third or fifth year ; but, after the destruction of Corinth by the Romans, the Sicyonians con ducted the celebration. Combats of every kind were exhibited, the prizes being crowns of pine leaves ; but later it was usual to give a crown of dry parsley. The Isthmian were next in importance to the Olympic games.
any isthmus, but chiefly applied to the Isthmus of Carina, connecting Peloponnesus with northern Greece.
ISTRIA, a district at the west of Illyricum, in the north of the Adriatic. Its people were piratical, and subjected to Rome only about 050 B.C.
ITALIA, a country of central Eu rope, bounded N. by the Alps, E. by am Adriatic, \V. by the Tyrrhene Sea, S. byo
th Mediterranean. It resembles in conformation man's leg, and was anciently known also- as Saturnia, Hesfieria, A zcsania,Tyr rlania, and called Italia from an immigrant king I talus from Arcadia, or from 7TaAog(vitrilus), an ox. The country is traversed by the Apennines, which throw several arms east and west, and from which several streams descend. Its best ports are on the west side, so that Italy " looked west," as Greece, on the contrary, "looked east :" hence the first Roman de velopment was westwards. The southern part was early colonized from Greece, and was therefore also known as Magna Grwcia. Its districts were,— Etruria. Umbria, Picenum, Sabini, Marsi,Vestini, Peligni, hlarrucini, Fren tani, Latium, Campania, Samnium, Apulia, Calabria, Lucanla, Ertatii ; they fell, one after another, before 28o B.C., under the dominion of Rome. The northern part of Italy was known as Gallia Cisalpina.