Εμφανίζονται 3 τίτλοι με αναζήτηση: Πληροφορίες για τον τόπο στην ευρύτερη περιοχή: "ΣΙΠΟΝΤΟ-ΜΑΝΦΡΕΝΤΟΝΙΑ Πόλη ΠΟΥΛΙΑ" .
ΣΙΠΟΝΤΟ-ΜΑΝΦΡΕΝΤΟΝΙΑ (Πόλη) ΠΟΥΛΙΑ
Sipontum or Sipuntum, but in Greek always Sipus (Sipous-ountos: Eth.
Sipountios, Sipontinus: Sta Maria di Siponto), a city of Apulia, situated on the
coast of the Adriatic, immediately S. of the great promontory of Garganus, and
in the bight of the deep bay formed by that promontory with the prolongation of
the coast of Apulia. (Strab. vi. p. 284.) This bay is now called the Gulf of Manfredonia,
from the city of that name which is situated within a few miles of the site of
Sipontum. The Cerbalus, or Cervaro, and the Candelaro fall into this bay a short
distance S. of Sipontum, and form at their mouth an extensive lagune or saltwater
pool (stomalimne, Strab. l. c.), now called the Pantano Salso. Like most places
in this part of Apulia the foundation of Sipontum was ascribed to Diomed (Strab.
l. c.): but with the exception of this vague and obscure tradition, which probably
means no more than that the city was one of those belonging to the Daunian tribe
of Apulians, we have no account of its being a Greek colony. The name is closely
analogous in form to others in this part of Italy (Hydruntum, Butuntum, &c.):
and its Greek derivation from sepia, a cuttle-fish (Strab. l. c.), is in all probability
fictitious The Greek form Sipus, is adopted also by the Roman poets. (Sil. Ital.
viii. 633; Lucan v.377.) The only mention of Sipontum in history before the Roman
conquest is that of its capture by Alexander, king of Epirus, about B.C. 330.
(Liv. viii. 24). Of the manner in which it passed under the yoke of Rome we have
no account; but in B.C. 194 a colony of Roman citizens was settled there, at the
same time that those of Salernum and Buxentum were established on the other sea.
(Liv. xxxiv. 45.) The lands assigned to the colonists are said to have previously
belonged to the Arpani, which renders it probable that Sipontum itself had been
merely a dependency of that city. The new colony, however, does not seem to have
prospered. A few years later (B.C. 184) we are told that it was deserted, probably
on account of malaria; but a fresh body of colonists was sent there (Liv. xxxix.
22), and it seems from this time to have become a tolerably flourishing town,
and was frequented as a seaport, though never rising to any great consideration.
Its principal trade was in corn. (Strab. vi. p. 284; Me]. ii. 4. § 7; Plin. iii.
11. s. 16; Ptol. iii. 1. § 16; Pol. x. 1.) It is, however, mentioned apparently
as a place of some importance, during the Civil Wars, being occupied by M. Antonius
in B.C. 40. (Appian, B.C. v. 56; Dion Cass. xlviii. 27.) We learn from inscriptions
that it retained its municipal government and magistrates, as well as the title
of a colony, under the Roman Empire (Mommsen, Inscr. R. N. 927-929); and at a
later period Paulus Diaconus mentions it as still one of the urbes satis opulentae
of Apulia. (P.Diac. Hist. Lang. ii. 21.) Lucan notices its situation immediately
at the foot of Mount Garganus ( subdita Sipus montibus, Lucan v.377). It was,
however, actually situated in the plain and immediately adjoining the marshes
at the mouth of the Candelaro, which must always have rendered the site unhealthy;
and in the middle ages it fell into decay from this cause, till in 1250 Manfred
king of Naples removed all the remaining population to a site about a mile and
a half further N., where he built a new city, to which he gave the name of Manfredonia.
No ruins of the ancient city are now extant, but the site is still marked by an
ancient church, which bears the name of Sta Maria di Siponto, and is still termed
the cathedral, the archbishop of Manfredonia bearing officially the title of Archbishop
of Sipontum. (Craven's Southern Tour, p. 67; Romanelli, vol. ii. p. 209.) The
name of Sipontum is found in the Itineraries (Itin. Ant. p. 314; Tab. Peut.),
which give a line of road proceeding along the coast from thence to Barium, passing
by the Salinae at the mouth of the Palus Salapina, and therefore following the
narrow strip of beach which separated that lagune from the sea. There is still
a good horse-road along this beach; but the distances given in the Itineraries
are certainly corrupt.
This text is from: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854) (ed. William Smith, LLD). Cited September 2004 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
ΙΠΠΙΟΝ ΑΡΓΟΣ (Αρχαία πόλη) ΠΟΥΛΙΑ
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