the earliest surviving mention of eretria was by homer ("iliad" 2.537), who listed eretria as one of the greek cities which sent ships to the trojan war. in the 8th century bc, eretria and her near neighbour and rival, chalcis, were both powerful and prosperous trading cities. eretria controlled the aegean islands of andros, tenos and ceos. they also held territory in boeotia on the greek mainland. eretria was also involved in the greek colonisation and founded the colonies of pithekoussai and cumae in italy together with chalcis.