The chief feature in the mountain system of the Peloponnesus is a range or series of ranges forming a circle round the valley of Arcadia in the interior, having a number of branches pro ceeding outward from it in different directions, dividing the rest of the Peloponnesus into sev eral other valleys. The loftiest part of the montainous circle round Arcadia is that lying to the north, with the peak of Cyllene (Ziria), 7,789 feet high, at its eastern extremity, and Erymanthus (Olonos), 7,297 feet high, at its western. The southern part consists rather of a series of heights than a chain of mountains. The highest range which branches off from the circle around Arcadia, and, indeed, the highest range in the Peloponnesus, is Mount Taygetus (Pentedactylon), which strikes southward, sep arating the ancient divisions of Messenia and Laconia and terminating in the promontory of Tmnarum (now Cape Matapan). The other chains are of no importance. The only rivers in the Peloponnesus of any consequence are the Eurotas (Iri), draining Laconia on the south east; the Pamisus (Pirnatza), draining Messe nia on the southwest; the Alpheus (Ruphia), draining Arcadia and Elis; and the. Peneus (Gastuni) draining Elis on the west.
The rock most largely developed in the mountains of Greece is limestone, which often assumes the form of the finest marble. Granite and gneiss are found only in the north, in the eastern ramifications of the Pindus. Tertiary formations prevail in the northeast of the Pelo ponnesus; and in the northwest, along the shores of Elis, are considerable tracts of al luvium. Volcanic rocks are not seen on the mainland, but form considerable masses in some of the islands. Attica was rich in silver and marble. The quarries of Pentelicus and the mines of Laureium were famous. Gold and serpentine were found in Siphnos; there was tin in Ceos and copper near Chalcis in Eubcea. In many of the islands iron abounded.
Divisions.— On the northwest of the main land of Greece was the mountainous region of Epirus, which was never more than half Greek; and to the east of that district, separated from it by a chain of Pindus, lay Thessaly, a re gion of fertile plains. To the south, lay a series of small independent states. Reckoned from west to east, there were Acarnania, Doris and Locris, Phocis with Mount Parnas sus, the seat of the Muses and the sacred Del phi, regarded by the Greeks as the navel of the earth; Bceotia, with Helicon, another mountain sacred to the Muses, and with the cities of Thebes and Platza; Megaris, containing the city of Megara; and Attica with its capital Athens, Piraeus, the port of Athens, and the city of Eleusis, the seat of the mysterious wor ship of Demeter. In the middle of the Pelopon nesus was Arcadia, with the towns of Man tinea, Tegea and Megalopolis, the last founded by Epammondas. In the north lay Sicyon and Corinth, the latter situated on the isthmus con necting the Peloponnesus with the rest of Greece; and to the west of that Achaia. To the southwest of Achaia lay the rich province of Elis, with the plain and sacred grove of Olym pia, celebrated on account of the Olympic games, which were held there every fotirth year. To
the south of Elis in the southwest corner of the Peloponnesus, lay the province of Messenia, with the famous stronghold of Ithome, tone of the horns of the Peloponnesus," the fort of Pylos, and later the capital town of Messene, founded by Epaminondas 369. Separated from Messenia by the range of Taygetus was the province of Laconia, occupying the southeast corner of the Peloponnesus and containing the renowned city of Sparta, long the rival and ultimately the conqueror of Athens. Lastly, to the north of Laconia, the east of Arcadia and the south of Sicyon, lay the province of Argo lis, with the capital Argos, and the cities of Mycenae and Tiryns, all remarkable for the re mains of gigantic works of masonry, commonly known as Cyclopean works.
The islands of Greece are partly scattered over the /Egean Sea and partly contained in the Ionian Sea on the southivest of the main land. The Greeks applied the names Cyclades and Sporades to two groups of islands in the 1Egeari, the former name (from kuktos, a cir cle) to those which they believed to form a circle round the sacred island of Delos, and the latter (from a Greek root meaning scattered, sporadic) to those which were scattered over various parts of the sea. Some islands were sometimes said to be in the one group and some times in the other, and several were sometimes excluded from both. The following, however, are the principal of those which may most prop erly be considered as belonging to the Cyclades: Andros, Tenos, Naxos (now Naxia), Paros (celebrated for its marble), Amo Anaphe, Thera (now Santorin), Pholeganr; (now Polykandro), Sicinos, Ios (now Nio), Melos, Syros and Gyaros (Jura), Siphnos, Seriphos, Cythnos and Ceos. The name Spo rades may be applied to all the other islands in the JEgean. The Sporades will thus include the following islands on the northeast of the mainland of Greece: Eubcea (Negropont), the largest of all the Greek islands, separated from the continent only by the narrow strait of Eu ripus and containing the ports of Chalcis and• Eretria ; Sciathos, Scopelos, Halonesus (Kili dromi), Eudemia (Sarakino) and Scyros; the following off the coasts of Thrace and Asia Minor: Lemnos, Thasos, Imbros and Samo thrace (in very remote times the seats of a mysterious religous worship) Lesbos (with the flourishing and luxurious town of Mitylene), Chios, Samos, Cos, etc.; and the following in the Saronic Gulf, or between it and the Gulf : Salamis (now Salamis or Koluri), Afgina, Calauria (Poros), Hydrea (Hydra) and Pityussa (Spetsae). The islands in the Ionian Sea are Corcyra (Corfu), celebrated in the most ancient times for its wealth and cul ture, and at a later period colonized by Cor inthians; Paxos, Leucas or Leucadia (Santa Maura), at one time connected with the main land; the arocky" Ithaca (now vulgarly called Ithaki), the home of Ulysses; Cephallenia (Cephalonia), Zacynthus (Zante) and Cythera (Cerigo), one of the seats of the worship of the goddess Aphrodite.