Listed 3 sub titles with search on: Information about the place for destination: "MAKISTOS Ancient city ILIA".
A town of Elis, originally called Platanistus.
Macistus. Macistum, Makistos, to Makiston: Eth. Makistios. A town of Triphylia,
in Elis, said to have been also called Platanistus (Platanistous, Strab. viii.
p. 345.) It was originally inhabited by the Paroreatae and Caucones, who were
driven out by the Minyae. (Strab. l. c.; Herod. iv. 148.) It was afterwards subdued
by the Eleians, and became one of their dependent townships. In the time of Strabo,
it was no longer inhabited (viii. p. 349). Macistus was situated upon a lofty
hill in the north of Triphylia, and appears to have been the chief town in the
north of the district, as Lepreum was in the south. That Macistus was in the north
of Triphylia appears from several circumstances. Strabo describes its territory,
the Macistia, as bordering upon Pisatis. (Strab. viii. p. 343.) Agis, in his invasion
of the territory of Elis, in B.C. 400, when he entered Triphylia through the Aulon
of Messenia, was first joined by the Lepreatae, next by the Macistii, and then
by the Epitalii on the Alpheius. (Xen. Hell. iii. 2. 25) Stephanus places Macistus
to the westward of the Lepreatis (Steph. B. s. v.); but this is obviously an error,
as Arcadia bordered upon the Lepreatis in that direction. Macistus would appear
to have been in the neighbourhood of Samicum upon the coast, as it had the superintendence
of the celebrated temple of the Samian Poseidon at this place. (Strab. viii. p.
343.) From these circumstances there can be little doubt that Macistus was situated
upon the heights of Khaiaffa.
It is worthy of notice that Pausanias and Polybius mention only Samicum,
and Xenophon only Macistus. This fact, taken in connection with the Macistians
having the superintendence of the temple of the Samian Poseidon, has led to the
conjecture that upon the decay of Samos upon the coast, the Minyans built Macistus
upon the heights above; but that the ancient name of the place was afterwards
revived in the form of Samicum. The Macistians had a temple of Hercules situated
upon the coast near the Acidon. (Strab. viii. p. 348.)
This text is from: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854) (ed. William Smith, LLD). Cited June 2004 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
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