STIRIS
STIRIS (
Στῖρις: Eth.
Στιρίτης), a town of Phocis situated 120 stadia from Chaeroneia, the road between the two places running across the mountains.
The inhabitants of Stiris claimed descent from an Athenian colony of the Attic demus of Steiria, led by Peteus, when he was driven out of Attica by Aegeus. Pausanias describes the city as situated upon a rocky summit, with only a few wells, which did not supply water fit for drinking, which the inhabitants obtained from a fountain, four stadia below the city, to which fountain there was a descent excavated among the rocks.
The city contained in the time of Pausanias a temple of Artemis Stiritis, made of crude brick, containing two statues, one of Pentelic marble, the other of ancient workmanship, covered with bandages. (
Paus. 10.35. § § 8--10.) Stiris was one of the Phocian cities destroyed by Philip at the close of the Sacred War (
Paus. 10.3.2); but it was afterwards rebuilt and was inhabited at the time of the visit of Pausanias.
The ruins of Stiris, now called
Paleá khora, are situated upon a tabular height defended by precipitous rocks, about a quarter of an hour's ride from the monastery of St. Luke.
The summit is surrounded with a wall of loose construction, and the surface of the rock within the inclosure is excavated in many places for habitations.
The fountain of water described by Pausanias is probably the copious source within the walls of the monastery issuing from the side of the hill.
This fountain is mentioned in an inscription fixed in the outer wall of the church. (Leake,
Northern Greece, vol. ii. p. 528, seq.)
