Bœotia

, a country of Greece, bounded on the north by Phocis, south by Attica, east by Eubœa, and west by the bay of Corinth. It has been succe ively called Aonia, Mesapia, Hyantis, Ogygia, and Cadmeis, and now forms a part of Livadia. It was called Bœotia, from Bœotus son of Itonus; or, according to others, a bove , from a cow, by which Cadmus was led into the country where he built Thebes. The inhabitants were reckoned rude and illiterate, fonder of bodily strength than of mental excellence; yet their country produced many illustrious men, such as Pindar, Hesiod, Plutarch, . The mountains of Bœotia, particularly Helicon, were frequented by the Muses, to whom also many of their fountains and rivers were consecrated. Hero dot us , bk. 2 , ch. 49 ; bk. 5 , ch. 57 .— Ovid , Metamorphoses , bk. 3 , li. 10 .— Pausanias , bk. 9 , ch. 1 , . — Cornel i us Nepos , bk. 7 , ch. 11 .— Strabo , bk. 9 .— Justin , bk. 3 , ch. 6 ; bk. 8 , ch. 4 .— Horace , bk. 2 , ltr. 1 , li. 244 .— Diodorus , bk. 19 .— Livy , bk. 27 , ch. 30 , .