Cynoscephalae

• name of two hills near Scotussa in Thessaly, Liv. 33, 7, 3; 33, 16, 1; 36, 8, 3.

CYNOSCE´PHALAE (Κυνὸς κεφαλαί),the names of two ranges of hills, so called from their supposed resemblance to the heads of dogs.

In Thessaly, a little to the south of Scotussa, in whose territory they were situated. They are described by Polybius (Plb. 18.5) as rugged, broken, and of considerable height; and are memorable as the scene of two battles: one fought, in B.C. 364, between the Thebans and Alexander of Pherae, in which Pelopidas was slain; and the other, of still greater celebrity, fought in B.C. 197, in which the last Philip of Macedon was defeated by the Roman consul Flamininus. (Plut. Pel. 32; Strab. 9. p. 441; Plb. 18.3, seq.; Liv. 33.6, seq.; Plut. Flam. 8; Leake, Northern Greece, vol. 4. p. 459, seq.)

Hills between Thebes and Thespiae. (Xen. Hell. 5.4. 15, Agesil. 2.22.) Near them, or on them, was a village of the same name, which is mentioned by the biographers of Pindar as the birthplace of the poet. (Steph. B. s. v. Κυνὸς κεφαλαί. )

(Κυνὸς Κεφαλαί, i. e. “Dogs' Heads).” Two hills near Scotussa in Thessaly, where the Thebans defeated the Pheraeans (B.C. 364) and where Flamininus gained his celebrated victory over Philip of Macedonia, B.C. 197.

• Paus. 7.8.7