Araethyrea
(Ἀραιθυρέα), a daughter of Aras, an autochthon who was believed to have built Arantea, the most ancient town in Phliasia. She had a brother called Aoris, and is said to have been fond of the chase and warlike pursuits. When she died, her brother called the country of Phliasia after her Araethyrea. (Hom. Il. 2.571; Strab. viii. p.382.) She was the mother of Phlias. The monuments of Araethyrea and her brother, consisting of round pillars, were still extant in the time of Pausanias; and before the mysteries of Demeter were commenced at Phlius, the people always invoked Aras and his two children with their faces 8 turned towards their monuments. (Paus. 2.12. §§ 4-6.) [L.S]
ARAETHY´REA (Ἀραιθυρέα), the ancient capital of Phliasia, is said by Pausanias to have been originally named Arantia (Ἀραντία), after Aras, its founder, and to have been called Araethyrea after a daughter of Aras of this name. The name of its founder was retained in the time of Pausanias in the hill Arantinus, on which it stood. Homer mentions Araethyrea. (Hom. Il. 2.571; Strab. 8. p. 382; Paus. 2.12. § § 4, 5.) We learn from Strabo (l. c.) that its inhabitants quitted Araethyrea, and founded Phlius, at the distance of 30 stadia from the former town. Hence the statement of the grammarians, that Araethyrea and Arantia were both ancient names of Phlius. (Steph. B. s. vv.Φλιοῦς, Ἀραντία; Schol. ad Apoll. Rhod. 1.115.) Ross supposes the ruins on Mt. Polýfengo to be those of Araethyrea. Leake had erroneously supposed them to be the ruins of Phlius. (Ross, Reisen im Peloponnes, vol. 1. p. 27, seq.; Leake, Morea, vol. 3. p. 339, seq.) [PHLIUS]
- Paus. 2.12.5, 6
- Paus. 2.12.5