ABANTIAS, or ABANTIS, in Ancient Geography, a name of the island Eubœa in the Egean sea, extending along the coast of Greece, from the promontory Sunium in Attica to Theffaly, and separated from Bocotia by a narrow strait called Euripus. From its length the island was formerly called Macris; afterwards Abantias or Abantis, from the Abantes, a people originally of Thrace, called by Homer σῶτες Κεανῶν, from wearing their hair long behind, having in a battle experienced the inconvenience of wearing long hair be-
fore. From cutting their hair before, they were called Abaptiston and Curetes.