AEGINA, in fabulous history, the daughter of Asopus, king of Boeotia, was beloved by Jupiter, who debauched her in the similitude of a lambent flame, and then carried her from Epidaurus to a desert island called Oenopia, which afterwards obtained her own name.

Aegina, in Ancient Geography, an island in the Saronic gulf, 20 miles distant from the Piraeus, formerly vying with Athens in naval power, and at the sea-fight of Salamis disputing the palm of victory with the Athenians. It was the country and kingdom of Aeacus, who called it Aegina, from his mother’s name, it being before called Oenopia. (Ovid.) The inhabitants were called Aeginetae, and Aeginenses. The Greeks had a common temple dedicated to Jupiter in Aegina, the remains of which still exist. The Aeginetae applied themselves to commerce, and were the first who coined money called Νόμισμα Αιγιvαιον∙, hence Aegineticum aes, formerly in great repute. The inhabitants were called Myrmidones, or a nation of ants, from their great application to agriculture. The island was reckoned 180 stadia, or 22 miles and a half, in circumference. It is now called Aegina, the g soft and the i short, and was generally the seat of the Greek government in 1828 and 1829. The temple above mentioned is situated upon the summit of a mountain called Panhellenius, at some distance from the shore. It was of the Doric order, and had six columns in front. Twenty-one of the exterior columns are yet standing, with two in the front of the pronaos and of the posticum, and five of the number which formed the ranges of the cell. The entablature, except the architrave, is fallen. The stone is of a light brownish colour, much eaten in many places, and indicating a very great age. Some of the columns have been injured by boring to their centres for the metal. In several, the junction of the parts is so exact that each seems to consist of one piece. This ruin Mr Chandler considers as scarcely to be paralleled in its claim to a remote antiquity. The situation, on a lonely mountain at a distance from the sea, has preserved it from total demolition amid all the changes and accidents of numerous centuries. The soil of this island is, as described by Strabo, very stony, especially the bottoms; but in some places not unfertile in grain. Besides corn, it produces olives, grapes, and almonds; and abounds in pigeons and partridges. It has been related, that the Aeginetans annually wage war with the feathered race, carefully collecting or breaking their eggs, to prevent their multiplying to such numbers as to produce a famine. They have no hares, foxes, or wolves. The rivers in summer are all dry.

Aegina, the capital of the above island. Its site has been long forsaken. Instead of the temples mentioned by Pausanias, there are 13 lonely churches, all very mean; and two Doric columns supporting their architrave. These stand by the sea-side, towards the low cape; and, it has been supposed, are a remnant of a temple of Venus, which was situated by the port principally frequented. The walls belonging to the ports and arsenal were of excellent masonry, and may be traced to a considerable extent, above, or nearly even with the water. At the entrance of the mole, on the left, is a small chapel of St Nicholas; and opposite, a square tower with steps before it, detached from which a bridge was laid across, to be removed on any alarm. This structure, which is mean, was erected by the Venetians while at war with the Turks in 1693.