DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4099#0165
150 THE EUKIPOS.
According to Diodorus Siculus,1 it was a fortified post. Stephanus *
says it was a city; Ptolemy3 calls it Saganeus, and places it be-
tween Aulis and Anthedon, which corresponded with the actual
situation of Kara Baba. The ancient way at the foot of this hill is
cut in the rock.
We crossed the Euripos by a bridge of two arches, one of which
joins the continent, and the other the island, having an insulated
rock in the middle of the channel, on which is a circular tower,
and a gate through which we passed. The bridge has some other
smaller arches for the purpose of affording a free passage to the
current, which rushes with great impetuosity. We crossed it at seven
o'clock in the evening, and it was then running towards the north.
On entering the town we observed the Venetian arms, sculptured in
stone, still remaining over the gate. The bridge over the Euripos,
at least the superstructure, is modern, and is said to have been
erected by Mahmoud Pasha in the year 1462. The ancient bridge
was fortified with towers, walls, and gates, in the time of Alexander,
when there was one tower on the continent and another on the
island.* Livy,5 speaking of Paulus iEmilius, has the following pas-
sage : " Chalcidem ad spectaculum Euripi, aevoque ante, insula?
ponte continenti juncta? descendit," from which it would appear
that Euboea was only united to the continent a century before the
time of the conqueror of Macedon.
Euboea was probably separated from Bosotia by one of those con-
vulsions of nature which have been common in this part of Greece.
Such was the opinion of Strabo,6 Pliny,7 and Procopius.8 Lucian9
says it was cut from the continent. Chalcis and the whole island is
called Euripos by the modern Greeks, who, however, pronounce it
Euripo, which by the assistance of the Italians, has been corrupted
into Egripo, Negripo, and at last into Negroponte. This pro-
1 B. 19. c. 77. " De Urbib. p. 657. * B. 3. c. 15. p. 86. * Strabo, b. 10. p. 447-
5 B. 45. c. 27. 6 B. 9. p. 400. 7 Nat. Hist. b. 2. c. 88.
8 De JEdific. b. 4. c. 3. p. 72. Paris edit. ' Nero, or the digging of the isthmus.
According to Diodorus Siculus,1 it was a fortified post. Stephanus *
says it was a city; Ptolemy3 calls it Saganeus, and places it be-
tween Aulis and Anthedon, which corresponded with the actual
situation of Kara Baba. The ancient way at the foot of this hill is
cut in the rock.
We crossed the Euripos by a bridge of two arches, one of which
joins the continent, and the other the island, having an insulated
rock in the middle of the channel, on which is a circular tower,
and a gate through which we passed. The bridge has some other
smaller arches for the purpose of affording a free passage to the
current, which rushes with great impetuosity. We crossed it at seven
o'clock in the evening, and it was then running towards the north.
On entering the town we observed the Venetian arms, sculptured in
stone, still remaining over the gate. The bridge over the Euripos,
at least the superstructure, is modern, and is said to have been
erected by Mahmoud Pasha in the year 1462. The ancient bridge
was fortified with towers, walls, and gates, in the time of Alexander,
when there was one tower on the continent and another on the
island.* Livy,5 speaking of Paulus iEmilius, has the following pas-
sage : " Chalcidem ad spectaculum Euripi, aevoque ante, insula?
ponte continenti juncta? descendit," from which it would appear
that Euboea was only united to the continent a century before the
time of the conqueror of Macedon.
Euboea was probably separated from Bosotia by one of those con-
vulsions of nature which have been common in this part of Greece.
Such was the opinion of Strabo,6 Pliny,7 and Procopius.8 Lucian9
says it was cut from the continent. Chalcis and the whole island is
called Euripos by the modern Greeks, who, however, pronounce it
Euripo, which by the assistance of the Italians, has been corrupted
into Egripo, Negripo, and at last into Negroponte. This pro-
1 B. 19. c. 77. " De Urbib. p. 657. * B. 3. c. 15. p. 86. * Strabo, b. 10. p. 447-
5 B. 45. c. 27. 6 B. 9. p. 400. 7 Nat. Hist. b. 2. c. 88.
8 De JEdific. b. 4. c. 3. p. 72. Paris edit. ' Nero, or the digging of the isthmus.