Kyme
One of the chief towns of the region in the archaic period, joining with Chalkis in the 8th c. B.C. to found Cumae in Italy. There was a tendency in later times, when the Euboian city was overshadowed by Chalkis, to confuse it with the far more important Aeolian Kyme in Asia Minor. The location of the archaic city is not certain, but it is presumably to be found on the E slope of Mt. Dirphys near the E coast town of Koumi. No ancient remains other than inscriptions have been found at the modern town; the ancient acropolis was probably on the height of Palaiokastri at Potamia, now marked by a mediaeval fortress. Bursian reported 4th and 3d c. B.C. graves NE of Koumi; a small temple has been excavated at Oxylithos not far to the S.
BIBLIOGRAPHYC. Bursian, Geographie von Griechenland (1872) II 427; G. A. Papavasiliou in Praktika (1907) 117; A. Philippson-Kirsten,GL (1950-59) I 618; L. Sackett et al. in BSA 61 (1966) 76.
M. H. MC ALLISTERCity in Aiolis, 40 km N of Smyrna. Founded, according to Strabo (621), by Greek colonists after the Trojan War and after their capture of Larisa from the Pelasgians. Kyme contributed ships to Dareios in 512 B.C. and to Xerxes in 480 (Hdt. 4.138; 7.196). The city was assessed in the Delian Confederacy at the very high figure of nine talents, and is called by Strabo the biggest and best of the Aiolian cities. Kebren and Side are said to have been her colonies. The coinage extends from the 7th c. B.C. to the 3d c. A.D., but the city has virtually no history in the Hellenistic and Roman periods.
Little remains of the ancient city. It occupied two hills, of which the S one was defended by a circuit wall of polygonal masonry; almost nothing of this is now to be seen. The hollow of a theater is visible at the foot of the N hill, but its stones are gone. A small Ionic temple of Isis, once excavated, is now undiscoverable. In the valley between the hills are the remains of a monumental building of late date with two rows of unfluted columns. To the N a stream identified with the Xanthos enters the sea; another stream to the S has converted the valley into a marsh. On the shore are two harbor-moles; the S one is reasonably well preserved, though now under water. The whole site is virtually deserted.
BIBLIOGRAPHYC. Schuchhardt, Altertümer von Pergamon I, 1 (1912) 95; G. E. Bean, Aegean Turkey (1966) 193-96.
G. E. BEAN