Carya

, a town of Arcadia.――A city of Laconia. Pausanias , bk. 3 , ch. 10 . Here a festival was observed in honour of Diana Caryatis . It was then usual for virgins to meet at the celebration and join in a certain dance, said to have been first instituted by Castor and Pollux. When Greece was invaded by Xerxes, the Laconians did not appear before the enemy, for fear of displeasing the godde by not celebrating her festival. At that time the peasants a embled at the usual place, and sang pastorals called Βουκολισμοι , from Βουκολος , a neatherd . From this circumstance some suppose that Bucolics originated. Statius , bk. 4 , Thebiad , li. 225 .