ἐπεὶ δὲ ἡ Εὔβοια παρὰ πᾶσαν τὴν παραλίαν ταύτην παραβέβληται τὴν ἀπὸ Σουνίου μέχρι Θετταλίας, πλὴν τῶν ἄκρων ἑκατέρωθεν, οἰκεῖον ἂν εἴη συνάψαι τοῖς εἰρημένοις τὰ περὶ τὴν νῆσον, εἶθʼ οὕτω μεταβῆναι πρός τε τὰ Αἰτωλικὰ καὶ τὰ Ἀκαρνανικά, ἅπερ λοιπά ἐστι τῶν τῆς Εὐρώπης μερῶν.
SINCE Euboea stretches along the whole of this coast from Sunium to Thessaly, except the extremity on each side, it may be convenient to connect the description of this island with that of Thessaly. We shall then pass on to Aetolia and Acarnania, parts of Europe of which it remains to give an account.
παραμήκης μὲν τοίνυν ἐστὶν ἡ νῆσος ἐπὶ χιλίους σχεδόν τι καὶ διακοσίους σταδίους ἀπὸ Κηναίου πρὸς Γεραιστόν, τὸ δὲ πλάτος ἀνώμαλος, κατὰ δὲ τὸ πλέον ὅσον πεντήκοντα καὶ ἑκατὸν σταδίων. τὸ μὲν οὖν Κήναιον ἔστι κατὰ Θερμοπύλας καὶ τὰ ἔξω Θερμοπυλῶν ἐπʼ ὀλίγον, Γεραιστὸς δὲ καὶ Πεταλία πρὸς Σουνίῳ. γίνεται οὖν ἀντίπορθμος τῇ τε Ἀττικῇ καὶ Βοιωτίᾳ καὶ Λοκρίδι καὶ τοῖς Μαλιεῦσι. διὰ δὲ τὴν στενότητα καὶ τὸ λεχθὲν μῆκος ὑπὸ τῶν παλαιῶν Μάκρις ὠνομάσθη. συνάπτει δὲ τῇ ἠπείρῳ κατὰ Χαλκίδα μάλιστα, κυρτὴ προπίπτουσα πρὸς τοὺς κατὰ τὴν Αὐλίδα τόπους τῆς Βοιωτίας καὶ ποιοῦσα τὸν Εὔριπον, περὶ οὗ διὰ πλειόνων εἰρήκαμεν, σχεδὸν δέ τι καὶ περὶ τῶν ἀντιπόρθμων ἀλλήλοις τόπων κατά τε τὴν ἤπειρον καὶ κατὰ τὴν νῆσον ἐφʼ ἑκάτερα τοῦ Εὐρίπου, τά τε ἐντὸς καὶ τὰ ἐκτός. εἰ δέ τι ἐλλέλειπται, νῦν προσδιασαφήσομεν. καὶ πρῶτον, ὅτι τῆς Εὐβοίας τὰ Κοῖλα λέγουσι τὰ μεταξὺ Αὐλίδος καὶ τῶν περὶ Γεραιστὸν τόπων· κολποῦται γὰρ ἡ παραλία, πλησιάζουσα δὲ τῇ Χαλκίδι κυρτοῦται πάλιν πρὸς τὴν ἤπειρον.
The island is oblong, and extends nearly 1200 stadia from Cenaeum to Geraestus. Its greatest breadth is about 150 stadia, but it is irregular. Cenaeum is opposite to Thermopylae, and in a small decree to the parts beyond Thermopylae: Geraestus and Petalia are opposite to Sunium.
Euboea then fronts Attica, Boeotia, Locris, and the Malienses. From its narrowness, and its length, which we have mentioned, it was called by the ancients Macris.
It approaches nearest to the continent at Chalcis. It projects with a convex bend towards the places in Boeotia near Aulis, and forms the Euripus, of which we have before spoken at length. We have also mentioned nearly all the places on either side of the Euripus, opposite to each other across the strait, both on the continent and on the island. If anything is omitted we shall now give a further explanation.
And first, the parts lying between Aulis (Chalcis?) and the places about Geraestus are called the Hollows of Euboea, for the sea-coast swells into bays, and, as it approaches Chalcis, juts out again towards the continent.
οὐ μόνον δὲ Μάκρις ἐκλήθη ἡ νῆσος, ἀλλὰ καὶ Ἀβαντίς. Εὔβοιαν γοῦν εἰπὼν ὁ ποιητὴς τοὺς ἀπʼ αὐτῆς Εὐβοέας οὐδέποτε εἴρηκεν, ἀλλʼ Ἄβαντας ἀεί οἳ δʼ Εὔβοιαν ἔχον μένεα πνείοντες Ἄβαντες. / τῷ δʼ ἅμʼ Ἄβαντες ἕποντο. / φησὶ δʼ Ἀριστοτέλης ἐξ Ἄβας τῆς Φωκικῆς Θρᾷκας ὁρμηθέντας ἐποικῆσαι τὴν νῆσον καὶ ἐπονομάσαι Ἄβαντας τοὺς ἔχοντας αὐτήν· οἱ δʼ ἀπὸ ἥρωός φασι, καθάπερ καὶ Εὔβοιαν ἀπὸ ἡρωίνης. τάχα δʼ ὥσπερ βοὸς αὐλὴ λέγεταί τι ἄντρον ἐν τῇ πρὸς Αἰγαῖον τετραμμένῃ παραλίᾳ, ὅπου τὴν Ἰώ φασι τεκεῖν Ἔπαφον, καὶ ἡ νῆσος ἀπὸ τῆς αὐτῆς αἰτίας ἔσχε τοῦτο τοὔνομα. καὶ Ὄχη δὲ ἐκαλεῖτο ἡ νῆσος, καὶ ἔστιν ὁμώνυμον αὐτῇ τὸ μέγιστον τῶν ἐνταῦθα ὀρῶν. καὶ Ἐλλοπία δʼ ὠνομάσθη ἀπὸ Ἔλλοπος τοῦ Ἴωνος· οἱ δὲ Ἀίκλου καὶ Κόθου ἀδελφόν φασιν, ὃς καὶ τὴν Ἐλλοπίαν κτίσαι λέγεται, χωρίον ἐν τῇ Ὠρείᾳ καλουμένῃ τῆς Ἱστιαιώτιδος πρὸς τῷ Τελεθρίῳ ὄρει, καὶ τὴν Ἱστίαιαν προσκτήσασθαι καὶ τὴν πεδιάδα καὶ Κήρινθον καὶ Αἰδηψὸν καὶ Ὀροβίας, ἐν ᾧ μαντεῖον ἦν ἀψευδέστατον· ἦν δὲ μαντεῖον τοῦ Σελινουντίου Ἀπόλλωνος· μετῴκησαν δʼ εἰς τὴν Ἱστίαιαν οἱ Ἐλλοπιεῖς, καὶ ηὔξησαν τὴν πόλιν Φιλιστίδου τοῦ τυράννου βιασαμένου μετὰ τὰ Λευκτρικά. Δημοσθένης δʼ ὑπὸ Φιλίππου κατασταθῆναι τύραννόν φησι καὶ τῶν Ὠρειτῶν τὸν Φιλιστίδην· οὕτω γὰρ ὠνομάσθησαν ὕστερον οἱ Ἱστιαιεῖς, καὶ ἡ πόλις ἀντὶ Ἱστιαίας Ὠρεός· ἔνιοι δʼ ὑπʼ Ἀθηναίων ἀποικισθῆναί φασι τὴν Ἱστίαιαν ἀπὸ τοῦ δήμου τοῦ Ἱστιαιέων, ὡς καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἐρετριέων τὴν Ἐρέτριαν. Θεόπομπος δέ φησι Περικλέους χειρουμένου Εὔβοιαν τοὺς Ἱστιαιεῖς καθʼ ὁμολογίας εἰς Μακεδονίαν μεταστῆναι, δισχιλίους δʼ ἐξ Ἀθηναίων ἐλθόντας τὸν Ὠρεὸν οἰκῆσαι, δῆμον ὄντα πρότερον τῶν Ἱστιαιέων.
The island had the name not of Macris only, but of Abantis also. The poet in speaking of Euboea never calls the inhabitants from the name of the island, Euboeans, but always Abantes; they who possessed Euboea, the resolute Abantes; / in his train Abantes were following. / Aristotle says that Thracians, taking their departure from Aba, the Phocian city, settled with the other inhabitants in the island, and gave the name of Abantes to those who already occupied it; other writers say that they had their name from a hero, as that of Euboea was derived from a heroine. But perhaps as a certain cave on the sea-coast fronting the Aegean Sea is called Boos-Aule, (or the Cow’s Stall.) where lo is said to have brought forth Epaphus, so the island may have had the name Euboea on this account.
It was also called Oché, which is the name of one of the largest mountains there.
It had the name of Ellopia, from Ellops, the son of Ion; according to others, he was the brother of Aeclus, and Cothus, who is said to have founded Ellopia, a small place situated in the district called Oria of the Histiaeotis, near the mountain Telethrius. He also possessed Histiaea, Perias, Cerinthus, Aedepsus, and Orobie, where was an oracle very free from deception. There also was an oracle of Apollo Selinuntius.
The Ellopians, after the battle of Leuctra, were compelled by the tyrant Philistides to remove to the city Histiea, and augmented the number of its inhabitants. Demosthenes says that Philistides was appointed by Philip tyrant of the Oreitae also, for afterwards the Histiaeans had that name, and the city, instead of Histiaea, was called Oreus. According to some writers, Histiaea was colonized by Athenians from the demus of the Histiaeeis, as Eretria was from the demus of the Eretrieis. But Theopompus says, that when Pericles had reduced Euboea, the Histiaeans agreed to remove into Macedonia, and that two thousand Athenians, who formerly composed the demus of the Histiaeans, came, and founded Oreus.
κεῖται δʼ ὑπὸ τῷ Τελεθρίῳ ὄρει ἐν τῷ Δρυμῷ καλουμένῳ παρὰ τὸν Κάλλαντα ποταμὸν ἐπὶ πέτρας ὑψηλῆς, ὥστε τάχα καὶ διὰ τὸ τοὺς Ἐλλοπιεῖς ὀρείους εἶναι τοὺς προοικήσαντας ἐτέθη τοὔνομα τοῦτο τῇ πόλει· δοκεῖ δὲ καὶ ὁ Ὠρίων ἐνταῦθα τραφεὶς οὕτως ὀνομασθῆναι· ἔνιοι δὲ τοὺς Ὠρείτας πόλιν ἔχοντας ἰδίαν φασὶ πολεμουμένους ὑπὸ τῶν Ἐλλοπιέων μεταβῆναι καὶ συνοικῆσαι τοῖς Ἱστιαιεῦσι, μίαν δὲ γενηθεῖσαν πόλιν ἀμφοτέροις χρήσασθαι τοῖς ὀνόμασι, καθάπερ Λακεδαίμων τε καὶ Σπάρτη ἡ αὐτή. εἴρηται δʼ ὅτι καὶ ἐν Θετταλίᾳ Ἱστιαιῶτις ἀπὸ τῶν ἀνασπασθέντων ἐνθένδε ὑπὸ Περραιβῶν ὠνόμασται.
It is situated below Mount Telethrius, at a place called Drymus, near the river Callas, on a lofty rock; whence perhaps because the Ellopians, the former inhabitants, were a mountain tribe, the city had the name of Oreus. Orion, who was brought up there, seems to have had his name from the place. But according to some writers, the Oreitae, who had a city of their own, being attacked by the Ellopians, migrated, and settled with the Histiaeans, and although it was a single city it had both appellations, as Lacedaemon and Sparta were the same city. We have said, that the Histiaeotis in Thessaly had its name from the people who were carried away from this country by the Perrhaebi.
ἐπεὶ δʼ ἡ Ἐλλοπία τὴν ἀρχὴν ἀπὸ τῆς Ἱστιαίας καὶ τοῦ Ὠρεοῦ προσηγάγετο ἡμᾶς ποιήσασθαι, τὰ συνεχῆ λέγωμεν τοῖς τόποις τούτοις. ἔστι δʼ ἐν τῷ Ὠρεῷ τούτῳ τό τε Κήναιον πλησίον καὶ ἐπʼ αὐτῷ τὸ Δῖον καὶ Ἀθῆναι αἱ Διάδες, κτίσμα Ἀθηναίων, ὑπερκείμενον τοῦ ἐπὶ Κῦνον πορθμοῦ· ἐκ δὲ τοῦ Δίου Κάναι τῆς Αἰολίδος ἀπῳκίσθησαν· ταῦτά τε δὴ τὰ χωρία περὶ τὴν Ἱστίαιάν ἐστι καὶ ἔτι Κήρινθος πολείδιον ἐπὶ τῇ θαλάττῃ· ἐγγὺς δὲ Βούδορος ποταμὸς ὁμώνυμος τῷ κατὰ τὴν Σαλαμῖνα ὄρει τῷ πρὸς τῇ Ἀττικῇ.
As Ellopia induced us to commence our description with Histiaea and Oreus, we shall proceed with the places continuous with these.
The promontory Cenaeum is near Oreus, and on the promontory is situated Dium, and Athenae Diades, a town founded by Athenians, and overlooks the passage across the strait to Cynus. Canae in Aeolia received colonists from Dium. These places are situated near Histiea, and besides these Cerinthus, a small city, close to the sea. Near it is a river Budorus, of the same name as the mountain in Salamis on the side of Attica,
Κάρυστος δέ ἐστιν ὑπὸ τῷ ὄρει τῇ Ὄχῃ· πλησίον δὲ τὰ Στύρα καὶ τὸ Μαρμάριον, ἐν ᾧ τὸ λατόμιον τῶν Καρυστίων κιόνων, ἱερὸν ἔχον Ἀπόλλωνος Μαρμαρίνου, ὅθεν διάπλους εἰς Ἁλὰς τὰς Ἀραφηνίδας. ἐν δὲ τῇ Καρύστῳ καὶ ἡ λίθος φύεται ἡ ξαινομένη καὶ ὑφαινομένη, ὥστε τὰ ὕφη χειρόμακτρα γίνεσθαι, ῥυπωθέντα δʼ εἰς φλόγα βάλλεσθαι καὶ ἀποκαθαίρεσθαι τῇ πλύσει τῶν λίνων παραπλησίως· ᾠκίσθαι δὲ τὰ χωρία ταῦτά φασιν ὑπὸ τῶν ἐκ τετραπόλεως τῆς περὶ Μαραθῶνα καὶ Στειριέων· κατεστράφη δὲ τὰ Στύρα ἐν τῷ Λαμιακῷ πολέμῳ ὑπὸ Φαίδρου τοῦ Ἀθηναίων στρατηγοῦ· τὴν δὲ χώραν ἔχουσιν Ἐρετριεῖς. Κάρυστος δέ ἐστι καὶ ἐν τῇ Λακωνικῇ τόπος τῆς Αἴγυος πρὸς Ἀρκαδίαν, ἀφʼ οὗ Καρύστιον οἶνον Ἀλκμὰν εἴρηκε.
Carystus lies at the foot of the mountain Oche, and near it are Styra and Marmarium, where is a quarry, from which are obtained the Carystian columns. It has a temple of Apollo Marmarinus, where there is a passage across to Hale-Araphenides. At Carystus there is found in the earth a stone, which is combed like wool, and woven, so that napkins are made of this substance, which, when soiled, are thrown into the fire, and cleaned, as in the washing of linen. These places are said to be inhabited by colonists from the Tetrapolis of Marathon, and by Steirieis. Styra was destroyed in the Maliac (Lamiac?) war by Phaedrus, the general of the Athenians. But the Eretrians are in possession of the territory. There is also a Carystus in Laconia, a place belonging to Aegys, towards Arcadia; from whence comes the Carystian wine, spoken of by Alcman.
Γεραιστὸς δʼ ἐν μὲν τῷ καταλόγῳ τῶν νεῶν οὐκ εἴρηται, μέμνηται δʼ ὁ ποιητὴς ὅμως αὐτοῦ ἐς δὲ Γεραιστὸν / ἐννύχιοι κατάγοντο, / καὶ δηλοῖ διότι τοῖς διαίρουσιν ἐκ τῆς Ἀσίας εἰς τὴν Ἀττικὴν ἐπικαιρίως κεῖται τῷ Σουνίῳ πλησιάζον τὸ χωρίον· ἔχει δʼ ἱερὸν Ποσειδῶνος ἐπισημότατον τῶν ταύτῃ καὶ κατοικίαν ἀξιόλογον.
Geraestus is not mentioned by Homer in the Catalogue of the Ships; it is however mentioned by him elsewhere; The vessels came to Geraestus by night; / which shows, that the place being near Sunium lies conveniently for persons who cross from Asia to Attica. It has a temple of Neptune the most remarkable of any in that quarter, and a considerable number of inhabitants.
Cite This Text