Cytorus (Greek Κύτωρος, Kytoros;[1] also Cytorum, Κύτωρον, Kytoron and Κύτωρις[2]) was an ancient Greek city[3] on the northern coast ofAsia Minor. Mentioned byHomer, Cytorus survives in the name ofGideros, which is both
Gideros is 12 km west of the town of Cide, and 15 km east ofKurucaşile.[4]Possibly the name of Cide itself is derived from Cytorus.[5]
Its mythical founder was Cytiorus, son ofPhrixus, according toEphorus[6] andStephanus of Byzantium.[7]In giving theTrojan battle order in Book 2 of theIliad,Homer mentions Cytorus and Sesamon asPaphlagonian settlements, along with others around theriver Parthenius, today's Bartın River.[8]Sesamon is today'sAmasra. This town was Amastris forStrabo, who writes of its founding through a union of Cytorus, Sesamon, and two other settlements. He reports that Cytorus was anemporium ofSinope and was a source forboxwood. He derives the name of Cytorus (he uses the neuter Cytorum) from Cytorus, a son ofPhryxus and therefore one of theArgonauts.[9]
In theArgonautica,Apollonius of Rhodes mentions the settlement of Cytorus and related places in describing the voyage of the Argo. Unlike Strabo, he does not mention Cytorus as a son of Phryxus. Apollonius does apparently place Cytorus where Gideros Bay is today, between the Bartın River and the city of Sinop.[10]
Apollonius applies the epithet "woody" to Cytorus, alluding to the boxwood that Strabo mentions. In the 4th of theCarmina,Catullus addresses "Box-tree-clad Cytórus",[11] whilein theGeorgics,Virgil says, "Fain would I gaze on Cytorus billowy with boxwood".[12]The Homeric commentatorEustathius of Thessalonica mentions a saying, "carry boxwood to Cytorus," with the meaning of "carry coals toNewcastle".[13]
Strabo's etymology notwithstanding,Bilge Umar finds the origin of the name Cytorus in theLuwian for "Big wall".[5]
There is also reported afolk etymology for the modern name of Gideros, based on its resemblance to theTurkishgideriz (we go). Villagers say that Roman ships once sought shelter from a storm at Gideros Bay, and when the villagers asked the sailors if they would stay, the sailors replied, "Kalamazsak, gideros"—If we can't stay, we go. Pleased at the prospect of not having the Romans around, the villagers called the bay Gideros.[14]
And the Paphlagonians didPylaemenes of the shaggy heart lead from the land of theEneti, whence is the race of wild she-mules. These were they that held Cytorus and dwelt about Sesamon, and had their famed dwellings around theriver Parthenius andCromna andAegialus and loftyErythini.
The reference, along with the references below to Strabo and Apollonius of Rhodes, is given in the cited work of Umar.
After the Parthenius River, then, one comes to Amastris, a city bearing the same name as the woman who founded it. It is situated on a peninsula and has harbors on either side of the isthmus.Amastris was the wife ofDionysius the tyrant ofHeracleia and the daughter ofOxyathres, the brother of theDareius whomAlexander fought. Now she formed the city out of four settlements, Sesamus and Cytorum and Cromna (which Homer mentions in his marshalling of the Paphlagonian ships) and, fourth,Tieium.This part, however, soon revolted from the united city, but the other three remained together; and, of these three, Sesamus is called the acropolis of Amastris. Cytorum was once the emporium of the Sinopeans; it was named after Cytorus, the son of Phryxus, asEphorus says. The most and the best box-wood grows in the territory of Amastris, and particularly round Cytorum.
And lo, they passed by the stream of Parthenius as it flows into the sea, a most gentle river, where the maid, daughter ofLeto, when she mounts to heaven after the chase, cools her limbs in its much-desired waters. Then they sped onward in the night without ceasing, and passed Sesamus and lofty Erythini,Crobialus, Cromna and woody Cytorus. Next they swept roundCarambis at the rising of the sun, and plied the oars past long Aegialus, all day and on through the night.
And straightway they landed on the Assyrian shore whereZeus himself gave a home toSinope, daughter ofAsopus, and granted her virginity, beguiled by his own promises.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Smith, William, ed. (1854–1857). "Cytorus".Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography. London: John Murray.
41°51′34″N32°51′29″E / 41.85942°N 32.85803°E /41.85942; 32.85803
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