Cnemis or Knemis ( grc, Κνῆμις; el, Κνημίς) was either a range of mountains between the Cephissus Valley and the Gulf of Euboea combined with the

Malian Gulf The Malian or Maliac Gulf ( el, Μαλιακός Κόλπος, Maliakós Kólpos) is a gulf in the western Aegean Sea. It forms part of the coastline of Greece's region of Phthiotis. The gulf stretches east to west to a distance of , depending on ...

, or was a single mountain located in the northwest of that range. The valley formed the heartland of

Phocis Phocis ( el, Φωκίδα ; grc, Φωκίς) is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the administrative region of Central Greece. It stretches from the western mountainsides of Parnassus on the east to the mountain range of Va ...

, where the river originated, before entering

Boeotia Boeotia ( ), sometimes Latinisation of names, Latinized as Boiotia or Beotia ( el, wikt:Βοιωτία, Βοιωτία; modern Greek, modern: ; ancient Greek, ancient: ), formerly known as Cadmeis, is one of the regional units of Greece. It is pa ...

north of Orchomenos. The uncertainty of what terrain was meant by "Cnemis" derives from the varying accounts of the many sources. The narrower meaning is based on the home territory of the

Epicnemidian Locrians Opuntian Locris or Eastern Locris was an ancient Greek region inhabited by the eastern division of the Locrians, the so-called tribe of the Locri Epicnemidii ( el, ) or Locri Opuntii (Greek: ). Geography Opuntian Locris consisted of a narrow ...

, who received their distinguishing name from this mountain, on the northern slopes of which they made their homes. Mount Cnemis was a continuation of

Callidromus Kallidromo ( el, Καλλίδρομο) is a mountain in southeastern Phthiotis and northeastern Phocis, in Central Greece. Its maximum elevation is 1,399 m. The Kallidromo lies south of the Malian Gulf, east of Mount Oeta and north of the Ce ...

, with which it was connected by a ridge, at the foot of which is the modern village of

Mendenitsa Mendenitsa ( el, Μενδενίτσα), in the Middle Ages known as Mountonitsa (Μουντονίτσα) and Bodonitsa or Vodonitsa (Βοδονίτσα), is a village in Phthiotis, Greece. Along with the nearby village of Karavidia, it forms a com ...

. Callidromus is the mountain that overhangs Thermopylae. It is usually not counted as part of Cnemis, which is the next mountain east. The account of Cnemis in Smith, based on some of the ancient sources, seems to pinpoint the location of the populated mountain. A spur of this mountain, Smith says, running out into the sea, formed the promontory

Cape Cnemides Cape Cnemides or Knemides ( grc, Κνημῖδες; el, Κνημίς, Knemis ''or'' Knimis or Κνημίδος) in ancient times was a spur of Mount Cnemis, running out into the sea, opposite the islands called Lichades and the Euboean promontory C ...

(Κνημῖδες), opposite the islands called

Lichades Lichades or Lichadonisia ( el, Λιχάδες or Λιχαδονήσια) is an island complex off the north west of Euboea, in the North Euboean Gulf. The islands located opposite Lichada cape in the north-western extreme of Euboea and opposite of ...

and the

Euboea Evia (, ; el, Εύβοια ; grc, Εὔβοια ) or Euboia (, ) is the second-largest Greek island in area and population, after Crete. It is separated from Boeotia in mainland Greece by the narrow Euripus Strait (only at its narrowest ...

n promontory

Cenaeum Mount Lichada and Cape Lichada ( el, Χερσόνησος Λιχάδα, Chersonesos Lichada) is a mountain and cape forming the northwest tip of the island of Euboea, Greece. Their ancient name was Κήναιον ''Kenaion'', Latinized as Cenaeum. T ...

. Upon Cape Cnemides stood a fortress, also called

Cnemides Cnemides or Knemides ( grc, Κνημῖδες), also Cnemis or Knemis (Κνῆμις),''Periplus of Pseudo-Scylax'', p. 23; is the name of a fortress, and probably of a town, in ancient Phocis. Strabo places Cnemides on Cape Cnemides opposite ...

(or Cnemis), distant 20

stadia Stadia may refer to: * One of the plurals of stadium, along with "stadiums" * The plural of stadion, an ancient Greek unit of distance, which equals to 600 Greek feet (''podes''). * Stadia (Caria), a town of ancient Caria, now in Turkey * Stadia ma ...

from Thronium.

Attribution

References

External links

Mountains of Greece Mountains of Central Greece Geography of ancient Phocis Epicnemidian Locris {{Greece-mountain-stub