The two principal rivers of Theasaly into which the smaller streams fall are the Peneue and the Spercheine. The I'eneus (now called the Salymbria) rises in the north-west of Themaly under l'inchts, between the lower ridges of whioh and the outliers of the Cambnnittn range its upper valleys are confined. Near Meteors, not far from the rocky Ithome of Homer, its basin opens somewhat towards the south. At Tricot it makes a turn to the east, and its valley expands into a vast plain toward., the Reprint-east, on the right of the river, though it is still confined by the hills on the left, till within about 10 miles from Leriesa, where there is a considerable flat on the north, the soil of which Is said to be alluvial. After leaving Trice,* the course is generally north-east, and passing along the Vale of Tempe, the only outlet for the waters of Thelmaly, it empties Reel( into the tEgan Sea. It is a very small stream, sluggish and shallow, except after the melting of the snows, when it sometimes floods the surronnding plains. The Marsh, or Lake Nesonis, on the road between LariMa and °ennuis, la said to be caused by the floods of the river. The principal tribu tary of the Peneus on the north is the Titaresins, now the Saranta Pores, which joins the Panetta a little above the Vale of Tempe. The waters of the two rivers did not however mingle; those of the Titeresioa being impregnated with a fat unctuous substance, which floated like oil on the surface. (Strabo, ix., p. 441.) This river was also called the Enrage, and supposed to be a branch of the Styx, one of the rivers of the Infernal Regions. At the present day the inhabit ants of its banks are remarkable for their healthy complexion, while the Peneus is surrounded by a sickly population. Its waters also are said to be dear and dark-coloured, while those of the Peneus are muddy and white. On the south, the affluents of the Peneus were the fatnisue, the Onoehonus, the Enipeus, and the Apidanus. Hero dotns describes the Apidanus as one of the largest rivers of Achaia, but still inadequate to the supply of the Persian army with water.
The second great river of Thessaly was tho Spercheius, now the Hellada. It flows from Tympbrestua, a branch of Pindus, and after winding through a long narrow vale between the ridges of Othrys and (Eta, it falls into the 3laliao Gulf. It was much celebrated by the ancient poets, and Homer mentions it as belonging to the territory of Achilles round the Maliac Gulf. Its bed and mouth have under gone many changes from the deposit of alluvial matter.
The plains of Thessaly were amongst the most fertile and produc tive of Greece in wine, oil, and grain, but more especially in grain, of which it exported a considerable quantity. The Thessalians conse quently became very rich, and luxurious in their mode of life (' Athen.,' xii. 624). Thessaly was also famous for its cavalry, the best in Greece; its plains supplied abundance of forage for horses.
The lands of Thessaly were not cultivated by the Thessalians themselves, but by a subject population, the Penesta-, who were the descendants of the tEolian Bmotians, who did not emigrate when their country was conquered by the Thessalians, but surrendered themselves to the conquerors on condition that they should remain in the country and cultivate the land for the new owners of the soil, paying, by way of rent, a portion of its produce. Many of them were richer than their lords. (Athentrua, vi. p. 264.) They sometimes accompanied their masters to battle, and fought on horseback as their knights or vassals. They formed a considerable portion of the population, and frequently attempted to emancipate themselves.
Thessaly is now included in the Turkish eyelet of Selanik or Sall> niki. Its chief products are corn, cotton, olive-oil, and silk. The
chief towns are Lariasa, Trikhals, Volo, and Ambelakia.
Larissa stands on rising ground on the right bank of the Peueus, in SO' 37' N. lat., 21' 23' E. long., about 20 miles from the sea, and has about 30,000 inhabitants. It occupies the site of the ancient Larissa, and has been through all historical times a place of consider able importance. The Turks call it Yeni-Sheher. It is the sent of an archbishop and the residence of a pasha. The population numbers about 30,000. There are no ancient remains hero ; the walls are about 3 miles round.
7rikhusla is a large straggling town, about 40 miles W. from Larissa, with several churches, mosques, and synagogues, and 12,000 inhabit ants, who manufacture cotton and woollen atufi's, and trade in corn with Albania and Epirus.
Tole, on the north shore of the Gulf of Vole, to which it gives name, is a small place with about 2000 inhabitants. In the gulf is the Wand of Trikeri, which gives name to the Trikeri Channel, con necting the /Evan with the Gulf of Vole, and Zitun to the north of Enbma.
AmGelolia, N.E. of Larissa, in the vale of Tempe, has about 4000 inhabitants, who have some cotton manufactures.
Ilistory.-1lnmer (` Iliad,' II. 710) describes Theasaly as divided into several independent principalities and kingdoms, and enumerates the chiefs to whom they were subject at the time of the Trojan war. Soon after a new constitution was adopted. The different states agreed to unite In one confederate body, under a president or Tagus, elected by the members of the confederacy. Strabo (ix. 429) informs us that this confederacy was the most considerable as well as the most ancient society of the kind established in Greece. It is deserving of remark that the majority of the Amphictyonic states were either Theasalian or connected with Thessaly. Except during a very short period, nnder Jason of Pberse, Thestsaly never assumed that rank among tho states of Greece to which it was by its position and extent entitled. In the Persian Invasion under Xerxes the Thessalians, being left to their own resources by the Greeks, submitted to the invaders, to whom they proved active and zealous allies. The Athenian general Myronides marched into Thessaly to restore Orestes, son of Echecratides, to his throne, and advanced as far as Pharsalus ; but he was checked in hie progress by the Thessallans, who were superior in cavalry, and ho was forced to retire, without having accomplished the objects of his expedition. In the Peloponnesian war the Thessalians did not 119 a nation take any part In nc. 394 they leagued themselves with the Bmotians and their allies against Sparta. The Thassaliane, with their cavalry, endeavoured to harass and obstruct Ageailaus on his march through their country from ARIA. His skilful manceuvrca however thwarted their designs, and Agesilans gained considerable credit by defeating on their own ground, with horsemen of his own training, the most renewed cavalry of Greece. Towards the close and after the end of the Peloponnesian war, most of the Theasalian cities acknow ledged the ascendancy of Pharaalus or Pheres, the latter of which was, about ac. 400, under the dominion of Lycophron. This prince endeavoured to extend his power over all Theasaly ; and Xenophon (' Hellen.; ii. 4) mentions a victory which he gained over the Thessa liens of Larissa as one of the events which happened in the year of the fall of Athens (n.c. 404). Ten years afterwards Lycophron was still engaged in a contest with Laden, then subject to Medius, who was probably one of the powerful family of the Aleundaa. Lycophron was supported by Sparta, and Medius by the licnotian confederacy, by the assistance received from which he was enabled to make himself master of Pharsaltta, then occupied by a Lacedxmonian garrison.