Forgotten Cities in Eastern Euboea 161 Fig. 1. The Euboea (CESAG, Th. Theurllat, by courtesy of the Swiss School of Archaeology in Greece) maps. We know, however, that the drawing up of maps is a complex process. They rely to a certain extent on traditional knowledge, selecting informa- tion differently depending on whether they are po- litical or historical maps. Knowledge of places, as. well as their relevance in the general picture at the time when the map is drawn up, weigh heavily in this process. Ineed to specify that in the present section I do not merely intend to record the presence/absence in maps of the poleonym Kyme and its derivations; 1 also intend to ascertain how well known the island. ‘was, starting from the plotting of its geographical conformation. What I would like to show is how the eastern versant of the island remained practically invisible for along period. Indeed, in some maps the coast of this side of the island is represented as a straight line. The only feature on this sidethatmakes an early appearance is the koila Euboias, a horrid and inhospitable presence, regularly featured in an- cientsources'*, which cautionedagainst navigating from north to south and vice versa, and seemed de facto to require anyone who wished to depart from the island to follow the route which — down to this day—leads from the Gulf of Kyme to Skyrosand the Chal CF. Euboea’s.x, in RE,whichcites Hor. VIILI3, 87a. X45, and Liv. XXXL47, among others. Geoxaantz0cLo¥ undated. In ‘the sources, there somictimes seems o be a confusion between the dangers of the koila along the eastern coast and those posed by the effects of changing sea levels on the Euripus (the paliroia tow Euripou, Ste. X28 = C403: ef X.12=C445). However, Hero ‘dotus" account ofthe battle ofthe Arcemision (Hor. VII.13) ime plies that the kosla were on the cast coast, south of the (Chersonesos.