Geography

​Since Ellopia induced us to make our beginning with Histiaea and Oreus, let us speak of the regions adjacent to these places. In this Oreus, there is Cenaeum nearby, and on it Dion and Athenae Diades, a foundation of the Athenians, situated above the strait towards Cynus; and from Dion, Canae in Aeolis was colonized. These places then are indeed around Histiaea, and also Cerinthus, a small town on the sea; and nearby is the river Budorus, homonymous with the mountain in Salamis near Attica.

​Carystus is under the mountain Oche; and nearby are Styra and Marmarium, in which is the quarry of the Carystian columns, containing a temple of Apollo Marmarinus, whence is the crossing to Halae Araphenides. In Carystus there is also produced the stone which is combed and woven, so that the webs become hand-towels, and when soiled are thrown into the fire and cleaned, in a manner similar to the washing of linens. They say that these places were colonized by those from the Tetrapolis around Marathon and by the Steirians. Styra was destroyed in the Lamian War by Phaidros the Athenian general; and the Eretrians hold the territory. Carystus is also a place in Laconia, of the territory of Aegys towards Arcadia, after which Alcman has spoken of Carystian wine.

​Geraestus is not mentioned in the Catalogue of Ships, but the Poet nevertheless mentions it: “ἐς δὲ Γεραιστὸν ἐννύχιοι κατάγοντο,” and he shows that the place, being close to Sunium, lies opportunely for those crossing from Asia to Attica. It has a temple of Poseidon, the most famous of those in this region, and a noteworthy settlement.

​After Geraestus is Eretria, the largest city of Euboea after Chalcis, then Chalcis, in a way the metropolis of the island, situated on the Euripus itself. Both are said to have been founded by Athenians before the Trojan War, and after the Trojan War, Aiclus and Cothus, starting out from Athens, the former colonized Eretria and Cothus Chalcis; and some of the Aeolians from the army of Penthilus remained on the island, and in ancient times also Arabs who crossed over with Cadmus. These cities then, having grown exceedingly, also sent out notable colonies to Macedonia; for Eretria founded the cities around Pallene and Athos, while Chalcis founded those under Olynthus, which Philip ruined. And many places in Italy and Sicily belong to the Chalcidians. These colonies were sent out, as Aristotle has said, when the constitution of the so-called Hippobotae prevailed; for men ruling aristocratically on the basis of property qualifications presided over it. And at the time of Alexander’s crossing, they also increased the circuit of the city, taking within the wall both Canethus and the Euripus, having placed towers, gates, and a wall on the bridge.

​Above the city of the Chalcidians lies the so-called Lelantine Plain. And in this there are outlets of warm waters naturally suited for the curing of diseases, which Lucius Cornelius Sulla, the leader of the Romans, also used; and there was also a remarkable mine of copper and iron combined, which they do not record as occurring elsewhere. Now, however, both have failed. And all Euboea is subject to earthquakes, and especially the part around the strait, and receiving subterranean currents of wind, just as also Boeotia and other places, concerning which we have mentioned at greater length before. By such an affliction also the city homonymous with the island is said to have been swallowed up, which Aeschylus also mentions in his Glaucus Pontius: “Εὐβοΐδα καμπτὴν ἀμφὶ Κηναίου Διὸς ἀκτήν, κατʼ αὐτὸν τύμβον ἀθλίου Λίχα.” And Chalcis is also called homonymously in Aetolia: “Χαλκίδα τʼ ἀγχίαλον, Καλυδῶνά τε πετρήεσσαν,” and in what is now Elis: “βὰν δὲ παρὰ Κρουνοὺς καὶ Χαλκίδα πετρήεσσαν” Telemachus and his companions when returning from Nestor to their own home.