CARYSTUS
CARYSTUS
1.
（
Κάρυστος: Eth.
Καρύστιος:
Karysto), a town of Euboea, situated on the south coast of the island, at the foot of Mt. Oche.
It is mentioned by Homer (
Hom. Il. 2.539), and is said to
[p. 1.556]have been founded by Dryopes. (
Thuc. 7.57;
Diod. 4.37;
Scymn. 576.) Its name was derived from Carystus, the son of Cheiron. (
Steph. B. sub voce Eustath.
ad Hom. l.c.) The Persian expedition under Datis and Artaphernes (B.C. 490) landed at Carystus, the inhabitants of which, after a slight resistance, were compelled to submit to the invaders. (
Hdt. 6.99.) Carystus was one of the towns, from which Themistocles levied money after the battle of Salamis. (
Hdt. 8.112.)
A few years afterwards we find mention of a war between the Athenians and Carystians; but a peace was in the end concluded between them. (
Thuc. 1.98;
Hdt. 9.105.) The Carystians fought on the side of the Athenians in the Lamian war. (
Diod. 18.11.) They espoused the side of the Romans in the war against Philip. (
Liv. 32.17; Pol. 18.30.)
Carystus was chiefly celebrated for its marble, which was in much request at Rome. Strabo places the quarries at Marmarium, a place upon the coast near Carystus, opposite Halae Araphenides in Attica ; but Mr. Hawkins found the marks of the quarries upon Mt. Ocha. On his ascent to the summit of this mountain he saw seven entire columns, apparently on the spot where they had been quarried, and at the distance of three miles from the sea.
This marble is the Cipolino of the Romans,--a green marble, with white zones. (
Strab. x. p.446;
Plin. Nat. 4.12. s. 21,
36.6. s. 7 ;
Plin. Ep. 5.6;
Tib. 3.3. 14;
Seneca Troades 835;
Stat. Theb. 7.370; Capitol.
Gordian. 32; Hawkins in Walpole's
Travels, p. 288.) At Carystus the mineral asbestus was also obtained, which was hence called the Carystian stone (
λίθος Καρύστιος, Plut. de Def. Orac. p. 707; Strab.
l.c.; Apoll. Dysc.
Hist. Mirab. 36.)
There are very few remains of the ancient Carystus. (Fiedler,
Reise durch Griechenland, vol. i. p. 428.)
Antigonus, the author of the Historiae Mirabiles, the comic poet Apollodorus, and the physician Diocles were natives of Carystus.
 |
| COIN OF CARYSTUS IN EUBOEA. |
2.
A town in Laconia, in the district Aegytis, near the frontiers of Laconia. Its wine was celebrated by the poet Alcman. Leake supposes that Carystus stood at the
Kalývia of
Ghiorghítzi. (
Strab. x. p.446;
Athen. 1.31d.;
Steph. B. sub voce Κάρυστος; Leake,
Peloponnesiaca, pp. 350, 366.)
