Oetylus or Oitylos (Ancient Greek: Οἴτυλος), also known as Beitylus or Beitylos (Βείτυλος),[1] or Bityla (Βίτυλα),[2] was a town of ancient Laconia on the eastern side of the Messenian Gulf, at the modern settlement of Oitylo.
[3][4] Pausanias says that it was 80 stadia from Thalamae and 150 from Messa;[5] the latter distance is too great, but there is no doubt of the identity of Oetylus and modern Oitylo; and it appears that Pausanias made a mistake in the names, as the distance between Oetylus and Caenepolis is 150 stadia.
[6] It was believed that it took its name from Oetylus a son of Amphianax and grandson of Antimachus of Argos.
Pausanias saw at Oetylus a temple of Sarapis, and a wooden statue of Apollo Carneius in the agora.
[5][8] Among the modern houses of Oitylo there are remains of Hellenic walls, and in the church a beautiful fluted Ionic column supporting a beam at one end of the aisle, and three or four Ionic capitals in the wall of the church, probably the remains of the temple of Sarapis.