PEPARE´THUS
PEPARE´THUS (
Πεπάρηθος: Eth.
Πεπαρήθιος), an island in the Aegaean sea, lying off the coast of Thessaly, to the east of Halonnesus. Pliny describes it as 9 miles in circuit, and says that it was formerly called Evoenus (4.12. s. 23).
It was said to have been colonised by some Cretans under the command of Staphylus. (
Scymn. Ch. 579; Hom.
Hymn. Apoll. 32.) Peparethus was an island of some importance, as appears from its frequent mention in history, and from its possessing three towns (
τρίπολις, Scylax, p. 23), one of which bore the same name as the island. (
Strab. ix. p.436.)
The town suffered from an earthquake in the Peloponnesian War, B.C. 426. (
Thuc. 3.89.)
It was attacked by Alexander of Pherae (
Diod. 15.95), and the island was laid waste by Philip, because the inhabitants, at the instigation of the Athenians, had taken; possession of Halonnesus. (Dem.
de Cor. p. 248,
Epist. Phil. p. 162.) In B.C. 207, Philip sent a garrison to the city of Peparethus, to defend it against the Romans (
Liv. 28.5); but he destroyed it in B.C. 200, that it might not fall into the hands of the latter. (
Liv. 31.28.) Peparethus; was celebrated in antiquity for its wine (Athen. i, p. 29; Heracl. Pont.
Fragm. 13;
Plin. Nat. 14.7. s. 9) and oil. (
Ov. Met. 7.470) Diodes, the earliest Greek historian who wrote upon the foundation of Rome, was a native of Peparethus. [See
Dict. of Biogr. Vol. I. p. 1010.] Peparethus is now called
Khilidhrómia, and still produces wine, which finds a good market on the mainland. (Leake,
Northern Greece, vol. iii. p. 112.)
