the chief city of the Grecian state Megaris, was built on the hills about a mile from the shore of the Saronic Gulf. According to the traditions narrated by Pausanias, the town was founded by Car, the son of Phereus. In the course of twelve generations Lelex succeeded to the government, and conferred upon the inhabitants the name of Leleges. A subsequent king, Nisus, called the city Nisaea, and gave the same title to the port which he built on the sea-shore. In the same reign, however, the name was changed to Megara, in honour of Megareus, son of Poseidon, who had been summoned from Boeotia to assist Nisus, and had died in the city; but the port-town still continued to be called Nisaea. These accounts, however, have not been shown to be out of the region of mere fable; and the first fact in the early history of Megara is, that it was included within the ancient limits of Attica. During the reign of Codrus it was wrested from the Athenians by the Dorians; and after remaining for some time in subjection to Corinth, it finally asserted its independence. The favourable situation of Megara now speedily raised it to the height of commercial prosperity. The great highway between the Peloponnesus and Northern Greece running through its territory, brought all the traffic of the country within its reach; and its proximity to the Saronic Gulf on the one side and to the Corinthian on the other, gave it facilities for trading both with the East and the West. To what prosperity Megara had attained in the sixth century before the Christian era is shown by the important colonies it planted. It founded Megara Hyblaea in Sicily in 728 B.C., Astacus in Bithynia in 712 B.C., Chalcedon in 674 B.C., Byzantium in 657 B.C., and several others. But as a result of the commercial opulence, the lower classes became the most influential part of the community; and after a severe contest, the Dorian governors were compelled to resign their power to a demagogue, Theagenes. This potentate was expelled about 600 B.C., and a lengthened struggle between the democracy and aristocracy ensued. In 455 B.C. the Athenians, being summoned to the assistance of the Megarians against the Corinthians, built the two long walls connecting Nisaea with Megara. On the outbreak of the Peloponnesian war Megara became an ally of the Spartans. But the Megarians paid dearly for their hostility to Athens. During seven years their fields were annually wasted, their city was besieged, and their port, Nisaea, was blockaded. However, in the eighth year of the war they were relieved by Brasidas the Spartan general, and succeeded in establishing a firm and exclusive oligarchy. After this period the historical notices of Megara are few and unimportant. It was again under a democracy in 357 B.C. It surrendered without a struggle to a Roman army under Metellus; and in the time of Strabo it was a Roman colony. Megara was celebrated for its philosophical school, founded by Eucleides, a disciple of Socrates. It is now an insignificant village, with about 1000 inhabitants.