CARYTES, in antiquity, a festival in honour of Diana, surnamed Caryatis, held at Caryum, a city of Laconia. The chief ceremony was a certain dance said to have been invented by Castor and Pollux, and performed by the virgins of the place. During Xerxes's invasion, the Laconians not daring to appear and celebrate the customary solemnity, to prevent incurring the anger of the goddess by such an intermission, the neighbouring swains are said to have assembled and sung pastorals or bucolismi, which is said to have been the origin of bucolic poetry.