CHRYSA
CHRYSA (
Χρύση,
Χρύσα: Eth.
Χρυσεύς). Stephanus (s. v.) has a list of various places so called.
He does not decide which is the Chrysa of Homer (
Hom. Il. 1.37,
390,
431).
He mentions a Chrysa on the Hellespont, between Ophrynium and Abydus. Pliny (
5.30) mentions Chryse, a town of Aeolis, as no longer existing in his time.
He also mentions a Chryse in the Troad, and apparently places it north of the promontory Lectum, and on the coast.
He says that Chrysa did not exist, but the temple of Smintheus remained; that is, the temple of Apollo Smintheus.
The name Smitheus, not Smintheus, appears on a coin of Alexandria of Troas (Harduin‘s note on
Plin. Nat. 5.30). The Table places “Smynthium” between Alexandria and Assus, and 4 miles south of Alexandria. Strabo (p. 604) places Chrysa on a hill, and he mentions the temple of Smintheus, and speaks of a symbol, which recorded the etymon of the name, the mouse which lay at
[p. 1.614]the foot of the wooden figure, the work of Scopas.
According to an old story, Apollo had his name Smintheus, as being the mouse destroyer; for Sminthus signified “mouse,” according to Apion. Strabo (p. 612) has an argument to show that the Chrysa of the Iliad was not the Chrysa near Alexandria, but the other place of the same name in the plain of Thebe, or the Adramyttene.
He says that this Chrysa was on the sea, and had a port, and a temple of Smintheus, but that it was deserted in his time, and the temple was transferred to the other Chrysa.
There is, however, little weight in Strabo's argument, nor is the matter worth discussion.
[
G.L]
