Pindus

PINDUS(Πίνδος, Hdt. 1.56, 7.129; Strab. ix. pp. 428, 430, et alii), a long and lofty range of mountains in Northern Greece, running from north to south about midway between the Ionian and Aegaean seas, and forming the back-bone of the country, like the Apennines of the Italian peninsula. It is in fact a continuation of the same range which issues from the Balkan Mountains, and it takes the name of Pindus where it first intersects the northern boundary of Hellas Proper at the 40th degree of latitude. Pindus forms the boundary between Thessaly and Epeirus. In its northern part it is called Lacmon or Lacmus, and here the five principal rivers of Northern Greece rise,—the Haliacmon, Peneius, Achelous, Arachthus, and Aous. [LACMON] To that part of the range S. of Lacmon the name of Cercetium was given. (Κερκέτιον, Steph. B. s. v. Πιαλία; Κερκετήσιον ὄρος, Ptol. 3.13.19; Liv. 32.14; Plin. Nat. 4.8. s. 15.) Mount Cercetium is probably the main ridge of Khassiá; and one of the principal passes from Epeirus into Thessaly lay across this mountain. (Leake, Northern Greece, vol. iv. pp. 528, 529.) Still further south, at the 39th degree of latitude, a point in the range of Pindus is called Tymphrestus (Τυμφρηστός, Strab. 9. p. 433), now Velúkhi; and from it branch off the two chains of Othrys and Oeta, the former running nearly due east, and the latter more towards the south-east. A little S. of Tymphrestus the range of Pindus divides into two branches, and no longer bears the same name. [See Vol. 1. p. 1012.]