Page:The geography of Strabo (1854) Volume 2.djvu/158

 BOOK X. GBEECE. SUMMARY. The Tenth Book contains JEtolia and the neighbouring islands ; also the whole of Crete, on which the author dwells some time in narrating the institutions of the islanders and of the Curetes. He describes at length the origin of the Idaean Dactyli in Crete, their customs and religious rites. Strabo mentions the connexion of his own family with Crete. The Book contains an account of the numerous islands about Crete, including the Sporades and some of the Cyclades. CHAPTER I. 1. SINCE Euboea 1 stretches along the whole of this coast from Sunium to Thessaly, except the extremity on each side, 2 it may be convenient to connect the description of this island with that of Thessaly. We shall then pass on to JEtolia and Acarnania, parts of Europe of which it remains to give an account. 2. The island is oblong, and extends nearly 1200 stadia from Ceriaeum 3 to Geraestus. 4 Its greatest breadth is about 150 stadia, but it is irregular. 5 1 In the middle ages Eubcea was called Egripo, a corruption of Euri- pus, the name of the town built upon the ruins of Chalcis. The Veneti- ans, who obtained possession of the island upon the dismemberment of the Byzantine empire by the Latins, called it Negropont, probably a corrup- tion of Egripo and Ponte, a bridge. Smith. 2 This expression is obscure ; probably it may mean that Eubcea is not equal in length to the coast comprehended between Sunium and the southern limits of Thessaly. 3 C. Lithada. The mountain Lithadu above the cape, rises to the height of '^837 feet above the sea. 5 The real length of the island from N. to S. is about 90 miles, its ex- treme breadth is 30 miles, but in one part it is not more than 4 miles across. See Smith art. Eubcea.
 * C.Mantelo.