Helice
~e, nomen stellae
nonne ‥ [Saturnus et socii quini ] suo principi subjecti sunt? Orion atque Prochion et Helix, omnia caelica vasa?
HE´LICE(Ἑλίκη: Eth. Ἑλικώνιος, Steph. B. s. v.;Ἑλικεύς, Strab.8. p.385), a town in Achaia, and one of the 12 Achaean cities, was situated on the coast between the rivers Selinus and Cerynites, and 40 stadia E. of Aegium. It seems to have been the most ancient of all the cities in Achaia. Its foundation is ascribed to Ion, who is said to have made it his residence, and--to have called it after his wife Helice, the daughter of Selinus. It possessed a celebrated temple of Poseidon, who was hence called Heliconins; and here the Ionians were accustomed to hold those periodical meetings which were continued in Asia Minor under the name of Panionia. After the conquest of the country by the Achaeans, the latter likewise made Helice the place of meeting of their League, and it continued to be their capital till the destruction of the city by an earthquake in B.C. 373, two years before the battle of Leuctra. This earthquake happened in the night. The city and a space of 12 stadia below it sank into the earth, and were covered over by the sea. All the inhabitants perished, and not a vestige of Helice remained, except a few fragments projecting from the sea. Its territory was taken possession of by Aegium. The neighbouring city of Bura was destroyed by the same earthquake. The catastrophe was attributed to the vengeance of Poseidon, whose wrath was excited because the inhabitants of Helice had refused to give their statue of Poseidon to the Ionian colonists in Asia, or even to supply them with a model. According to some authorities, the inhabitants of Helice and Bura had even murdered the Ionian deputies. (Horn. Il. 2.575, 8.203, 20.404; Hdt. 1.145, 148; Paus. 7.1.3, 7.24, 25; Strab. viii. pp. 384, seq., 387; Diod. 15.48; Ov. Met. 15.293; Plin. Nat. 2.94, 4.6; Steph. B. s. v.)
On the 23rd of August, 1817, the same spot was again the scene of a similar disaster. The earthquake was preceded by a sudden explosion, which was compared to that of a battery of cannon. The shock which immediately succeeded was said to have lasted a minute and a:.half, during which the sea rose at the mouth of the Selinus, and extended so far as to inundate all the level immediately below Vostitza(the ancient Aegium). After its retreat not a trace was left of some magazines which had stood on the shore, and the sand which had covered the beach was all carried away. In Vostitza65 persons lost their lives, and two thirds of the buildings were entirely ruined. Five villages in the plain were destroyed.(Leake, Morea, vol. 3. p. 402.)
HELICEor ILIGA(Ἑλίκη), a town in Moesia, in the corner formed by mounts Scomius and Haemus, is identified with the modern Iklimanor Itchiman. (Itin. Ant. 136; Senec. Herc. Oet. 1539; Itin. Hier.567.)
[L.S]HE´LICEan E´tangor sea lake, mentioned by Avienus ( Or. Marit. 5.588) at the outlet of the Attagus, which is the Atax (Aude), the river of Narbonne. D'Anville assumes the Helice to be the E´tang de Vendres. The name Helice suggested to Walckenaer that this may show where the Helisyci of Herodotus (Hdt. 7.165) came from, who are mentioned with Ligyes, and Sardonii and Cyrnii. Hecataeus, also (Steph. B. s. v. Ἐλίσυκοι), mentions the Elisyci or Helisyci (for the aspirate may be doubtful) as a Ligurian tribe. As there is no place for these Helisyci within the limits of Italy, we may with some probability fix them on the Gallic shore of the Mediterranean. Niebuhr's notion that they were Volsci is very absurd.
[G.L](Ἑλίκη). (1) Another name for the Ursa Maior, or “Greater Bear.” (See Arctos.)
(2) One of the chief cities of Achaia, situated on the shore of the Sinus Corinthiacus, near Bura (Herod.i. 146). It was celebrated for the temple and worship of Poseidon, thence called Heliconius. Here, also, the general meeting of the Ionians was convened, while yet in the possession of Aegialus, and the festival which then took place is supposed to have resembled that of the Panionia, which they instituted afterwards in Asia Minor (Pausan. vii. 24). A tremendous influx of the sea, caused by a violent earthquake, overwhelmed and completely destroyed Helicé two years before the battle of Leuctra, B.C. 373. The details of this catastrophe will be found in Pausanias (vii. 24) and Aelian (Hist. Anim. xi. 19). Eratosthenes, as Strabo reports, beheld the site of this ancient city, and he was assured by sailors that the bronze statue of Poseidon was still visible beneath the waters, holding an hippocampus, or sea-horse, in his hand, and that it formed a dangerous shoal for their vessels. Two thousand workmen were afterwards sent by the Achaeans to recover the dead bodies, but without success.
- Hdt. 1.145, Paus. 5.4.3, Paus. 7.1.4, Paus. 7.6.1
- Ionians besieged in H. by Achaeans: Paus. 7.1.8
- destroyed by earthquake: Paus. 7.24.5ff., 12, Paus. 7.25.4
- marries Ion: Paus. 7.1.3ff.
- mother of Bura: Paus. 7.25.8