Eresus

(Ἔρεσος), a son of Macar, from whom the town of Eresus in Lesbos derived its name. (Steph. Byz. s. v.) A second otherwise unknown person of this name was painted in the Lesche at Delphi. (Paus. 10.27.) [L.S]

E´RESUS or ERESSUS (Ἔρεσος: Eth. Ἐρέσιος, Ἐρεσιεύς), so called from Eresus the son of Macar. (Steph. B. s. v.) Eressus, as it is in the text of Strabo (p. 618), was a city of Lesbos, situated on a hill, and reaching down to the sea. From Eressus to Cape Sigrium is 28 stadia, as the MSS. have it, which Casaubon (ed. Strab.) has changed to 18. It was on the west side of the island, and its ruins are said to be at some little distance from a place now called Eresso, which is situated on a hill. Eressus joined Mytilene and other towns in Lesbos in the revolt from the Athenians during the Peloponnesian War (B.C. 428); but it was compelled to surrender to Paches, the Athenian commander, shortly after. (Thuc. 3.25, 35.) There was a fresh revolt from Athens (B.C. 412), and a fresh subjugation. (Thuc. 8.23.) It revolted a third time shortly after (Thuc. 8.100), and was besieged by Thrasybulus with an Athenian force, but he was obliged to give up the siege to follow the Peloponnesians to the Hellespont. In B.C. 392 Thrasybulus lost many ships in a storm off Eresus, but he recovered the town, with other places in Lesbos, for the Athenians. (Diod. 14.94.) Eresus is mentioned by Pliny (Plin. Nat. 5.31) as one of the existing cities of Lesbos.

Eresus was the birthplace of Tyrtamus, to whom his master Aristotle gave the name of Theophrastus. Phanias, another of Aristotle's pupils, was also a native of Eresus. According to the poet Archestratus, in his Gastronomia, quoted by Athenaeus (3. p. 111), if ever the gods eat flour, they send Hermes to buy it at Eresus.

The name of the town on the coins is said to be always ΕΠΕΣΙΩΝ, with one Σ.

• Paus. 10.27.3