OLYMPUS, the name of several mountains.—One
bounding Bithynia on the south.—Another in the
island of Cyprus, on whose top was a temple of Venus,
which women were not permitted either to enter or to
VOL. XV. Part I.
fee (Strabo).—A third, Olympus of Galatia (Livy).
—A fourth, of Lycia, with a noble cognominal town,
near the sea coast (Strabo, Cicero), extinct in Pliny's
time, there remaining only a citadel: the town was de-
stroyed by P. Servilius Sauricus (Florus), having been
the retreat of pirates. From this mountain there was
an extensive prospect of Lycia, Pamphilia, and Pisidia
(Strabo).—A fifth, Olympus of Mylia (Ptolemy);
thence furnished Olympena, anciently Minor; one of
the highest mountains, and furnished Mylius (Theo-
phrastus) situated on the Propontis, and thence extend-
ing more inland.—A sixth, on the north of Thessaly, or
on the confines of Macedonia; famous for the fable of
the giants (Virgil, Horace, Seneca); reckoned the high-
est in the whole world, and to exceed the flight of birds
(Apuleius), which is the reason of its being called heaven,
than which nothing is higher: the serenity and calmness
which reign there are celebrated by Homer,
Lucan, and Claudian.