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== Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament <ref name="term_55343" /> == | == Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament <ref name="term_55343" /> == | ||
<p> (ἡ Χίος; now ‘Scio’) </p> <p> The name was given to a beautiful island in the aegean Sea, separated from the mainland of Asia Minor by a picturesque channel, 6 miles wide, which is studded with islets. Its capital was also called Chios. In the 5th cent. b.c. its inhabitants were said to be the wealthiest in Greece. It produced ‘the best of the [[Grecian]] wines’ (Strabo, xiv. i. 35). Under the Roman [[Empire]] it was a free city of the province of Asia, till the time of Vespasian, who included it in the Insularum Provincia. </p> <p> St. Paul passed [[Chios]] in his last recorded aegean voyage ( Acts 20:15). [[Sailing]] in the morning from [[Mitylene]] in Lesbos, his ship, after a run of 50 miles, cast anchor at night near the Asian coast, opposite Chios (ἄντικρυς Χίου) and under the headland of Mimas. Next day she struck across the open sea (παρεβάλομεν) for Samos. Chios was one of the seven claimants to the honour of being the birth-place of Homer, and its pretensions received stronger support from tradition than those of any of its rivals. ‘The blind old bard of Chios’ rocky isle’ was familiar with the course pursued by St. Paul, for he represents [[Nestor]] as standing in his ship at the Lesbian Bay and doubting- </p> <p> ‘If to the right to urge the pilot’s toil … </p> <p> Or the straight course to rocky Chios plough, </p> <p> And anchor under Mimas’ shaggy brow’ </p> <p> ( <i> Od. </i> iii. 168-172). </p> <p> [[Josephus]] describes a voyage of Herod the Great in the opposite direction. ‘When he had sailed by [[Rhodes]] and Cos, he touched at Lesbos, as thinking he should have overtaken [[Agrippa]] there; but he was taken short here by a north wind, which hindered his ship from going to the shore, so he remained many days at Chios.… And when the high winds were laid he sailed to Mitylene, and thence to Byzantium’ ( <i> Ant </i> . xvi. ii. 2). </p> <p> Literature.-Conybeare-Howson, <i> St. Paul </i> , new ed., London, 1877, ii. 262f.; | <p> (ἡ Χίος; now ‘Scio’) </p> <p> The name was given to a beautiful island in the aegean Sea, separated from the mainland of Asia Minor by a picturesque channel, 6 miles wide, which is studded with islets. Its capital was also called Chios. In the 5th cent. b.c. its inhabitants were said to be the wealthiest in Greece. It produced ‘the best of the [[Grecian]] wines’ (Strabo, xiv. i. 35). Under the Roman [[Empire]] it was a free city of the province of Asia, till the time of Vespasian, who included it in the Insularum Provincia. </p> <p> St. Paul passed [[Chios]] in his last recorded aegean voyage ( Acts 20:15). [[Sailing]] in the morning from [[Mitylene]] in Lesbos, his ship, after a run of 50 miles, cast anchor at night near the Asian coast, opposite Chios (ἄντικρυς Χίου) and under the headland of Mimas. Next day she struck across the open sea (παρεβάλομεν) for Samos. Chios was one of the seven claimants to the honour of being the birth-place of Homer, and its pretensions received stronger support from tradition than those of any of its rivals. ‘The blind old bard of Chios’ rocky isle’ was familiar with the course pursued by St. Paul, for he represents [[Nestor]] as standing in his ship at the Lesbian Bay and doubting- </p> <p> ‘If to the right to urge the pilot’s toil … </p> <p> Or the straight course to rocky Chios plough, </p> <p> And anchor under Mimas’ shaggy brow’ </p> <p> ( <i> Od. </i> iii. 168-172). </p> <p> [[Josephus]] describes a voyage of Herod the Great in the opposite direction. ‘When he had sailed by [[Rhodes]] and Cos, he touched at Lesbos, as thinking he should have overtaken [[Agrippa]] there; but he was taken short here by a north wind, which hindered his ship from going to the shore, so he remained many days at Chios.… And when the high winds were laid he sailed to Mitylene, and thence to Byzantium’ ( <i> Ant </i> . xvi. ii. 2). </p> <p> Literature.-Conybeare-Howson, <i> St. Paul </i> , new ed., London, 1877, ii. 262f.; W. M. Ramsay, <i> St. Paul </i> , do. 1895, p. 292f.; T. Bent, in <i> Eng. Hist. Review </i> , iv. [1889] pp. 467-480; Murray’s <i> Guide to Asia Minor </i> . </p> <p> James Strahan. </p> | ||
== Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible <ref name="term_50288" /> == | == Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible <ref name="term_50288" /> == | ||
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== International Standard Bible Encyclopedia <ref name="term_2402" /> == | == International Standard Bible Encyclopedia <ref name="term_2402" /> == | ||
<p> ''''' kē´os ''''' , ''''' kı̄´os ''''' ( Χίος , <i> ''''' Chı́os ''''' </i> ): An island belonging to [[Turkey]] in the Aegean Sea, South of Lesbos, and very near the mainland of Asia Minor. Paul's vessel passed it on his last voyage to [[Jerusalem]] ( Acts 20:15 ). The channel here is very picturesque. From Luke's expression, "we came the following day over against Chios," it has been conjectured that they were becalmed; more probably it simply means that, because of the dark moon, they lay at anchor for the night on the Asian coast opposite the island (Hastings <i> Dictionary of the Bible </i> , under the word). Herod, when on his way to Agrippa at the Bosphorus, "continued many days at Chios" and conferred many royal benefactions upon the inhabitants (Josephus, <i> Ant </i> , Xvi , ii, 2). </p> <p> The soil is sterile (though well cultivated), the climate mild. Earthquakes are frequent. In the mountains (highest 4,000 ft.) beautiful blue marble with white veins, and excellent potter's clay, were quarried in antiquity. In modern times large quantities of ochre are mined. The chief industry is the culture of the silkworm, the cocoons being sent to Lyons. Oranges, lemons, almonds, brandy, anise, mastich and leather are also exported. The inhabitants, who are almost entirely Greeks, number about 60,000. The capital, Castro, has a population of 15,000. The place where [[Homer]] is said to have collected his pupils around him is still pointed out to the traveler at the foot of Mt. Epos, near the coast. It is in reality (probably) a very old sanctuary of Cybele, the Mother of the Gods. The tragic poet Ion, the historian Theopompus and the sophist Theocritus were natives of Chios. The Chians were especially famous for their skill in telling stories, and for their levity. A familiar proverb says that "it is easier to find a green horse than a sober-minded Sciot" (Conybeare and Howson, XX, 549). </p> <p> The oldest inhabitants of the island were Leleges, [[Cretans]] and Carians, who were conquered by the Ionians. The latter made Chios one of the most flourishing states in Ionia. When the [[Persians]] overran Asia Minor and oppressed the Greek colonies, the Chians showed a Pan-Hellenic spirit. They surrendered, however, to [[Cyrus]] in 546 bc. Nevertheless, 46 years later they joined in the rebellion of Aristagoras against the Persians. In the naval engagement off the island [[Lade]] they fought with 100 ships and displayed great bravery. Again they fell into the power of Persia; but after the battle of Mycale (479) the Chians joined the [[Athenian]] confederacy. In 412 they sided with the Peloponnesians, in the 19th year of the war which [[Athens]] had been waging against [[Sparta]] and her allies. For this act of treason the [[Athenians]] devastated the island. At the end of the war the Chians revolted from Sparta and, after the battle of [[Naxos]] (376), became an ally of Athens once more. [[Oppressed]] now by Athens, as she had been by Sparta, Chios made an alliance with [[Thebes]] in 363 and defended herself successfully against the Athenian general, Chares; and in 355 Athens was forced to recognize the island's independence. Later the Chians became friends of the Romans and in the war with [[Mithridates]] were obliged to surrender their ships to the Pontic king and in addition pay him 2,000 talents. </p> <p> In 1307 ad Turkish pirates subjugated and laid waste the island. The Turks themselves became masters of Chios in 1566. In the war of the Greek revolution the Chians joined the Greeks (February 1821) but were overpowered by the Turks. The [[Pasha]] decreed that the island should be utterly devastated; 23,000 Chians were massacred and 47,000 sold into slavery. Only 5,000 escaped. A second attempt to regain their freedom was made in 1827, but met with failure. When the kingdom of [[Greece]] was established two years later, Chios was not included. On April 3, 1881, the island was visited by a terrible earthquake, the city of Castro being almost entirely destroyed. </p> Literature <p> Conybeare and Howson, <i> The Life and [[Epistles]] of Paul </i> ; | <p> ''''' kē´os ''''' , ''''' kı̄´os ''''' ( Χίος , <i> ''''' Chı́os ''''' </i> ): An island belonging to [[Turkey]] in the Aegean Sea, South of Lesbos, and very near the mainland of Asia Minor. Paul's vessel passed it on his last voyage to [[Jerusalem]] ( Acts 20:15 ). The channel here is very picturesque. From Luke's expression, "we came the following day over against Chios," it has been conjectured that they were becalmed; more probably it simply means that, because of the dark moon, they lay at anchor for the night on the Asian coast opposite the island (Hastings <i> Dictionary of the Bible </i> , under the word). Herod, when on his way to Agrippa at the Bosphorus, "continued many days at Chios" and conferred many royal benefactions upon the inhabitants (Josephus, <i> Ant </i> , Xvi , ii, 2). </p> <p> The soil is sterile (though well cultivated), the climate mild. Earthquakes are frequent. In the mountains (highest 4,000 ft.) beautiful blue marble with white veins, and excellent potter's clay, were quarried in antiquity. In modern times large quantities of ochre are mined. The chief industry is the culture of the silkworm, the cocoons being sent to Lyons. Oranges, lemons, almonds, brandy, anise, mastich and leather are also exported. The inhabitants, who are almost entirely Greeks, number about 60,000. The capital, Castro, has a population of 15,000. The place where [[Homer]] is said to have collected his pupils around him is still pointed out to the traveler at the foot of Mt. Epos, near the coast. It is in reality (probably) a very old sanctuary of Cybele, the Mother of the Gods. The tragic poet Ion, the historian Theopompus and the sophist Theocritus were natives of Chios. The Chians were especially famous for their skill in telling stories, and for their levity. A familiar proverb says that "it is easier to find a green horse than a sober-minded Sciot" (Conybeare and Howson, XX, 549). </p> <p> The oldest inhabitants of the island were Leleges, [[Cretans]] and Carians, who were conquered by the Ionians. The latter made Chios one of the most flourishing states in Ionia. When the [[Persians]] overran Asia Minor and oppressed the Greek colonies, the Chians showed a Pan-Hellenic spirit. They surrendered, however, to [[Cyrus]] in 546 bc. Nevertheless, 46 years later they joined in the rebellion of Aristagoras against the Persians. In the naval engagement off the island [[Lade]] they fought with 100 ships and displayed great bravery. Again they fell into the power of Persia; but after the battle of Mycale (479) the Chians joined the [[Athenian]] confederacy. In 412 they sided with the Peloponnesians, in the 19th year of the war which [[Athens]] had been waging against [[Sparta]] and her allies. For this act of treason the [[Athenians]] devastated the island. At the end of the war the Chians revolted from Sparta and, after the battle of [[Naxos]] (376), became an ally of Athens once more. [[Oppressed]] now by Athens, as she had been by Sparta, Chios made an alliance with [[Thebes]] in 363 and defended herself successfully against the Athenian general, Chares; and in 355 Athens was forced to recognize the island's independence. Later the Chians became friends of the Romans and in the war with [[Mithridates]] were obliged to surrender their ships to the Pontic king and in addition pay him 2,000 talents. </p> <p> In 1307 ad Turkish pirates subjugated and laid waste the island. The Turks themselves became masters of Chios in 1566. In the war of the Greek revolution the Chians joined the Greeks (February 1821) but were overpowered by the Turks. The [[Pasha]] decreed that the island should be utterly devastated; 23,000 Chians were massacred and 47,000 sold into slavery. Only 5,000 escaped. A second attempt to regain their freedom was made in 1827, but met with failure. When the kingdom of [[Greece]] was established two years later, Chios was not included. On April 3, 1881, the island was visited by a terrible earthquake, the city of Castro being almost entirely destroyed. </p> Literature <p> Conybeare and Howson, <i> The Life and [[Epistles]] of Paul </i> ; W. M. Ramsay, <i> St. Paul the Traveler </i> ; G. H. Gilbert, <i> The Student's Life of Paul </i> (chiefly concerned with the chronology and order of events in Paul's life); Eckenbrecher, <i> Die Insel Chios </i> (1845); Pauli, same person (in the <i> Mitteilungen der Geogr. Gesellschaft in [[Hamburg]] </i> , 1880-81). </p> | ||
== Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblial Literature <ref name="term_15279" /> == | == Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblial Literature <ref name="term_15279" /> == | ||
