[6] Apollodorus, when he informs us in what manner the poet usually distinguishes places with the same names, as Orchomenus for instance, designating that in Arcadia by the epithet, ‘abounding with sheep;’ the Bœotian Orchomenus, as ‘Minyeius;’ by applying to Samos the term Thracian, and adds,
to distinguish it from Ionian Samos; so he says the Thesprotic Ephyra is distinguished from others by the words, ‘at a distance,’ and ‘from the river Selleis.’ This does not agree with what Demetrius of Scepsis says, from whom he borrows most of his information. For Demetrius does not say that there is a river Selleis in Thesprotia, but in Elis, near the Thesprotic Ephyra, as I have said before. What he says also about Œchalia requires examination, where he asserts that the city of Eurytus of Œchalia is the only city, when there is more than one city of that name. It is therefore evident that he means the Thessalian city mentioned by Homer:“ Between Samos and Imbros,1
”Il. xxiv. 78.
What city, then, is that on the road from which ‘Thamyris the Thracian was met by the Muses, and deprived of the power of song,’ for he says,“ And they who occupied Œchalia, the city of Eurytus, the Œchalian.2
”Il. ii. 730.
If this were the city in Thessaly, the Scepsian is mistaken in mentioning some city in Arcadia, which is now called Andania. If he is not mistaken, still the Arcadian Œchalia is said to be the city of Eurytus, so that there is not one city only of that name, although Apollodorus asserts that there is but one.“ Coming from Œchalia, from the dwelling of Eurytus, the Œchalian.3
”Il. ii. 591.
