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Now there is a tradition that Thessaly was in ancient times a lake,
shut in on every side by huge hills. Ossa and Pelion- ranges which
join at the foot- do in fact inclose it upon the east, while Olympus
forms a barrier upon the north, Pindus upon the west, and Othrys
towards the south. The tract contained within these mountains, which
is a deep basin, is called Thessaly. Many rivers pour their waters
into it; but five of them are of more note than the rest, namely, the
Peneus, the Apidanus, the Onochonus, the Enipeus, and the
Pamisus. These streams flow down from the mountains which surround
Thessaly, and, meeting in the plain, mingle their waters together,
and discharge themselves into the sea by a single outlet, which is a
gorge of extreme narrowness. After the junction all the other names
disappear, and the river is known as the Peneus. It is said that of
old the gorge which allows the waters an outlet did not exist;
accordingly the rivers, which were then as well as the Lake Boebeis,
without names but flowed with as much water as at present, made
Thessaly a sea. The Thessalians tell us that the gorge through which
the water escapes was caused by Neptune; and this: is likely enough;
at least any man who believes that Neptune causes earthquakes, and
that chasms so produced are his handiwork, would say, upon seeing this
rent, that Neptune did it. For it plainly appeared to me that the
hills had been torn asunder by an earthquake.
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