The American Cyclopædia (1879)/Helicon

HELICON, a mountain range of Greece, in Bœotia, between Lake Copais and the Corinthian gulf. Its loftiest summit, now called Paleo-Vuno, is 5,738 ft. high. In antiquity the slopes and valleys of Helicon were renowned for their fertility, and it was considered the favorite abode of the muses. Above Ascra was a grove sacred to them, and near it the famous fountain of Aganippe, which was believed to inspire those who drank of it. About two miles higher up was the fountain of Hippocrene, produced, according to the legends, by Pegasus's striking the ground with his hoofs.