BELBINA
BELBINA (
Βέλβινα: Eth.
Βελβινίτης, Her.; more correctly
Βελβινήτης,
Steph. B. sub voce: St. George), a small island, very lofty and difficult of access, situated at the entrance of the Saronic gulf, about 10 miles from the promontory of Sunium. Although nearer Attica than the Peloponnesus, it was reckoned to belong to the latter. Hence, it was doubtless inhabited by Dorians, and was probably a colony from Belemina (also written Belmina and Belbina), a town on the confines of Laconia and Arcadia. [
BELEMINA] Themistocles quotes the name of this island as one of the most insignificant spots in Hellas. (
Hdt. 8.125.)
The island was inhabited in antiquity. On all the slopes of the hills there are traces of the ancient terraces; and on one of the summits are remains of the ancient town.
But neither inscriptions nor coins have yet been found on the island. (
Scylax, p. 20;
Strab. viii. p.375, ix. p. 398;
Steph. B. sub voce Plin. Nat. 4.12. s. 19; Ross,
Reisen auf den Griech. Inseln, vol. ii. p. 172.)
