Arisba

• A town in Troas, Verg. A. 9, 264; Plin. 5, 30, 33, § 125.—
• II A town in the island of Lesbos, Mel. 2, 7; Plin. 5, 31, 39, § 139.

ARISBA (Ἀρίσβη: Eth. Ἀρισβαἰος), a town of Mysia, mentioned by Homer (Hom. Il. 2.837), in the of same line with Sextus and Abydus. It was (Steph. B. s. v. Ἀρίσβη) between Percote and Abydos, a colony of Mytilene, founded by Scamandrius and Ascanius, son of Aeneas; and on the river Seilleis, supposed to be the Moussa-chai; the village of Moussa may represent Arisba. The army of Alexander mustered here after crossing the Hellespont. (Arrian. Anab. 1.12.) When the wandering Galli passed over into Asia, on the invitation of Attalus,they occupied Arisba, but were soon defeated (B.C. 216) by King Prusias. (Plb. 5.111) In Strabo's time (p. 590) the place was almost forgotten. There are coins of Arisbe of Trajan's time, and also autonomous coins.

There was an Arisba in Lesbos, which Herodotus (Hdt. 1.151) speaks of as being taken by the Methymnaei. (Comp. Steph. B. s. v. Ἀρίσβη.) Pliny (Plin. Nat. 5.31) says it was destroyed by an earthquake.