NEGROPONT, or CHALCIS, a town of Greece, capital of Euboea, is situated on the Euripus, which separates that island from the mainland, and is here at its narrowest point only 40 yards in breadth. It is built in the form of a crescent, touching the sea at each extremity, and surrounding the citadel, or castro, as it is termed, which stands on a lofty rock overlooking the straits. The fortifications of the citadel are partly of Venetian and partly of Turkish construction; while the outer walls of the town, which are now in a state of great dilapidation, are Venetian. The streets are narrow, but there are many good houses, especially those built by the Venetians. There is also a Gothic church with square towers; and, as a few Mohammedans still remain in Negropont, one of the mosques is used by them in its former capacity, while the others have been converted into Christian churches. The gate of the citadel is surmounted by the lion of St Mark. In the middle of the straits is a small rocky islet, on which stands a tower; and this is connected with the mainland by a stone bridge about 70 feet long, and with the island by one of wood 35 feet long, with a drawbridge at each end, to allow the passage of ships. The ancient name of the town was Chalcis; and it was a place of great importance in antiquity. Strabo
informs us that it was twice colonized by Ionians from Attica in early times. It soon became one of the greatest commercial towns of Greece, and sent out a large number of colonies to various parts of the world. The peninsula of Chalcidice in Macedonia obtained its name from the number of Chalcidian colonies founded there. Cumæ and Rhegium in Italy, and Naxos, Zancle, and Tauropenium in Sicily, are among the cities which owed their origin to Chalcis. The government was originally in the hands of an aristocracy, called hippobotæ, who were in all probability the proprietors of the rich plain of Lelantum, between Chalcis and Eretria. This plain was claimed by both of these cities; and at an early period a war took place between them, in which Miletus and Samos took part. After the expulsion of the Pisistratidae from Athens, the Chalcidians joined the Boeotians in a war against that city; but the Athenians, in 506 B.C., invaded the island with a large force, and after a complete victory, divided the lands of the nobles among 4000 Athenian settlers. These, however, retired from the island on its invasion by the Persians in 490 B.C. After the Persian war, Eubœa joined the Athenian confederacy, and continued in that alliance till 445 B.C., when a general insurrection took place in the island against Athens. It was, however, soon reconquered and reduced to subjection by Pericles, and the aristocracy of Chalcis were deprived of their power. In 411 B.C., after the disastrous end of the Athenian expedition to Sicily, the whole of Eubœa again threw off the Athenian yoke, and the bridge across the straits was then first built, in order to secure the communication with Boeotia. The island continued independent for some time, and joined the Theban confederacy against Sparta; but when the Athenian power was again in the ascendant, the cities of Eubœa became once more subject to her supremacy, and were governed by tyrants. About 350 B.C., Callias and Taurasthenes, joint tyrants of Chalcis, wishing to obtain the sovereignty of the whole island, asked the assistance of Philip of Macedon, who readily acceded to their request; but Plutarch, tyrant of Eretria, having applied to the Athenians for aid against this attempt, they sent an army under Phocion, by whom the Chalcidians were defeated. The Macedonian party, however, still retained their power in Chalcis; and soon the influence of Philip was predominant throughout the island. Owing to its strength and position, Chalcis was a place of much importance in the contest for the dominion of Greece which took place after the death of Alexander, and it was frequently taken in these wars. In later times it fell successively into the hands of Antiochus and Mithridates and was finally taken and destroyed by the Romans, by whom Eubœa was included in the province of Achæia. From this time the island continued undisturbed under the power of Rome, and under that of Constantinople after the division of the empire, until the Latin conquest of the East in 1204 A.D. At that time the island came into the hands of the Venetians, who retained possession of it till 1470, when the city of Negropont, as it was then called, was taken by the Turks, and the inhabitants cruelly massacred. In 1688 the Venetians made an unsuccessful attempt to retake the town. Since the Greek revolution, Eubœa has formed part of the modern kingdom of Greece; and as the ancient appellations have been by law restored, Eubœa and Chalcis are now the names by which the island and town are most commonly known. Pop. of the island (1852), 65,299; of the town, 5000.