Geraistos
The site of a Sanctuary of Poseidon, near Platanistos in the S part of the region. The name was also used for the cape, now called Mandeli, and a harbor 3 km to its N at Porte Kastri. As the only good harbor on the S coast, the town was visited by merchant ships throughout antiquity. The sanctuary, of pre-Hellenic origin, is mentioned by Homer and Strabo. Bursian and others have located it at Helleniko 5 km N of the harbor, as no remains have been found at Porto Kastri, though Geyer thought the cape itself would be a more appropriate location. Bursian found a terrace with traces of walls around the remains of a white marble temple, and cited an inscription mentioning Artemis Bolosia.
BIBLIOGRAPHYXen. Hell. 3.4.4, 5.4.61; Strab. 10.1.7; C. Bursian, Geographie von Griechenland (1872) II 434f; F. Geyer, Topographie und Geschichte der Insel Euboea (1903) III; A. Philippson, GL (1950-59) I 629; L. Sackett et al. in BSA 61 (1966) 82f.
M. H. MCALLISTER