E´LYRUS
E´LYRUS (
Ἔλυρος: Eth.
Ἐλύριος,
Steph. B. sub voce a town of Crete, which Scylax (
Geog. Graec. Min. vol. i. p. 265, ed. Gail) places between Cydonia and Lissus.
It had a harbour,
SUIA (
Συΐα,,
Steph. B. sub voce situated on the S. coast of the island, 60 stadia W. of Poecilassus. (
Stadiasm.) Pausanias (
10.16.3) states: that the city. existed il his time in the mountains of Crete.
He adds that he had seen at Delphi the bronze goat which the Elyrians had dedicated, and which was represented in the act of giving suck to Phylacis and Phylander, children of Apollo and the nymph Acacallis, whose love had been won by the youthful god at the house of Casmanor at Tarrha.
It was the birthplace of Thaletas (Suid. s. v.), who was considered as the inventor of the Cretic rhythm, the national paeans and songs, with many of the institutions of his country. (
Strab. x. p.480.) Elyrus appears in Hierocles' list of Cretan cities, then reduced in number to twenty-one. Mr. Pashley (
Travels, vol. ii. p. 105) discovered the site at a
Palaeókastron near
Rhodováni. The first object that presents itself is a building consisting of a series of arches; next, vestiges of walls, especially on the N. and NE. sides of the ancient city.
The circuit of these must originally have been two miles; at a slight elevation above are other walls, as of an acropolis. Further on are some massive stones, some pieces of an entablature, and several fragments of the shafts of columns, all that now remains of an ancient temple. Traces of the wall of Suia, which still retains its ancient name, and of some public buildings, may be observed. Several tombs, resembling those of
Haghio-Kyrko, and an aqueduct, are still remaining. (Capt. Graves,
Admiralty Chart, in
Mus. Class. Antiq. vol. ii. p. 298.)
The coins of this city have the type of a bee upon them. (Pellerin,
Rec. des Méd. vol. iii. p. 68; Mionnet,
Suppklément, vol. iv. p. 319.)
 |
| COIN OF ELYRUS |
[
E.B.J]
