Aous

AO´US more rarely AEAS (Ἄωος, Ἀῶος, Ἀῷος, Pol. Strab. Liv.: Αἴας, Hecat. ap. Strab. p. 316; Scylax, s. v. Ἰλλύριοι;Steph. B. s. v. Λάκμων; Val. Max.. ext. 2; erroneously called ANIUS,Ἄνιοςby Plut. Caes. 38, and ANASἌνας, by Dio Cass.: Viósa, Vuíssa, Vovússa), the chief river of Illyria, or Epirus Nova, rises in Mount Lacmon, the northern part of the range of Mount Pindus, flows in a north-westerly direction, then suddenly turns a little to the southward of west; and having pursued this course for 12 miles, between two mountains of extreme steepness, then recovers its north-western direction, which it pursues to the sea,into which it falls a little S. of Apollonia. (Hdt. 9.93; Strab., Steph. B., ll. cc.;Leake, Northern Greece, vol. 4. p. 384.) The two mountains mentioned above approach very near each other, and form the celebrated pass, now called the Stena of the Viósa, and known in antiquity by the name of the FAUCES ANTIGONENSES,from its vicinity to the city of Antigoneia. (Fauces ad Antigoneam, Liv. 32.5; τὰ παρ' Ἀντιγόνειαν στενὰ, Plb. 2.5.) Antigoneia ( Tepeléni) was situated near the northern entrance of the pass at the junction of the Aous with a river, now called Dhryno, Drino, or Druno. At the termination of the pass on the south is the modern village of Klisúra, a name which it has obviously received from its situation. It was in this pass that Philip V., king of Macedonia, in vain attempted to arrest the progress of the Roman consul, T. Quinctius Flamininus, into Epirus. Philip was encamped with the main body of his forces on Mount Aeropus, and his general, Athenagoras, with the light troops on Mount Asnaus. (Liv. l. c.) If Philip was encamped on the right bank of the river, as there seems every reason for believing, Aeropus corresponds to Mount Trebusin, and Asnaus to Mount Nemértzika. The pass is well described by Plutarch (Plut. Flam. 3) in a passage which he probably borrowed from Polybius. He compares it to the defile of the Peneius at Tempe, adding that it is deficient in the beautiful groves, the verdant forests, the pleasant retreats and meadows which border the Peneius; but in the lofty and precipitous mountains, in the profundity of the narrow fissure between them, in the rapidity and magnitude of the river, in the single narrow path along the bank, the two places are exactly alike. Hence it is difficult for an army to pass under any circumstances, and impossible when the place is defended by an enemy.(Quoted by Leake, vol. 1. p. 389.) It is true that Plutarch in this passage calls the river Apsus, but the Aous is evidently meant. (Leake, Northern Greece, vol. i. pp. 31, seq., 383, seq. vol. 4. p. 116.)