154 STRABO. CASATJB. 447. " The vessels came to Gersestus by night ; " l which shows, that the place being near Sunium lies conveni- ently 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. 8. Next to Geraestus is Eretria, which, after Chalcis, is the largest city in Euboea. Next follows Chalcis, the capital as it were of the island, situated immediately on the Euripus. Both these cities are said to have been founded by Athenians before the Trojan war ; [but it is also said that] after the Trojan war, JEclus and Cothus took their departure from Athens ; the former to found Eretria, and Cothus, Chalcis. A body of JEolians who belonged to the expedition of Pen- thilus remained in the island. Anciently, even Arabians 2 settled there, who came over with Cadmus. These cities, Eretria and Chalcis, when their population was greatly augmented, sent out considerable colonies to Ma- cedonia, for Eretria founded cities about Pallene and Mount Athos ; Chalcis founded some near Olynthus, which Philip destroyed. There are also many settlements in Italy and Sicily, founded by Chalcidians. These colonies were sent out, according to Aristotle, 3 when the government of the Hippobatae, (or Knights,) as it is called, was established; it was an aristocratical government, the heads of which held their office by virtue of the amount of their property. At the time that Alexander passed over into Asia, they enlarged the compass of the walls of their city, including within them Canethus, 4 and the Euripus, and erected towers upon the bridge, a wall, and gates. 9. Above the city of the Chalcidians is the plain called Lelantum, in which are hot springs, adapted to the cure of diseases, and which were used by Cornelius Sylla, the Roman general. There was also an extraordinary mine which pro- duced both copper and iron ; such, writers say, is not to be found elsewhere. At present, however, both are exhausted. 1 Od. iii. 177. 2 As this statement is unsupported by any other authority, Meineke suggests that the word Arabians ("Apapfe oi) is an error for Aradii 3 Repub. b. iv. c. 3.
- According to the Scholiast in Apollon. Rhod. Argon, b. i. v. 77,
Canethus was a mountain on the Boeotian side of the Euripus.
