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MYGDONIA (Ancient country) GREECE
Mygdonia (Mugdonia: Eth. Mugdones, Steph. B.), a district of Macedonia,
which comprehended the plains round Thessalonica, together with the valleys of
Klisali and Besikia, extending towards the E. as far as the Axius (Herod. vii.
123), and including the Lake Bolbe to the E. (Thuc. i. 58.) To the N. it was joined
by Crestonia, for the Echidorus, which flowed into the gulf near the marshes of
the Axius, had its sources in Crestonia (Herod. vii. 124), while the pass of Aulon
or Arethusa was probably the boundary of Mygdonia towards Bisaltia. The maritime
part of Mygdonia formed a district called Amphaxitis, a distinction which first
occurs in Polybius (v. 98), who divides all the great plain at the head of the
Thermaic gulf into Amphaxitis and Bottiaea, and which is found three centuries
later in Ptolemy (iii. 13. § 36). The latter introduces Amphaxitis twice under
the subdivisions of Macedonia,--in one instance placing under that name the mouths
of the Echidorus and Axius, with Thessalonica as the only town, which agrees with
Polybius, and particularly with Strabo (vii. p. 330). In the other place, Ptolemy
includes Stagura and Arethusa in Amphaxitis, which, if it be correct, would indicate
that a portion of Amphaxitis, very distant from the Axius, was separated from
the remainder by a part of Mygdonia; but as this is improbable, the word is perhaps
an error in the text. The original inhabitants, the Mygdonians, were a tribe belonging
to the great Thracian race, and were powerful enough to bequeath their name to
it, even after the Macedonian conquest. (Thuc. ii. 99.) The cities of this district
were Thessalonica, Sindus, Chalastra, Altus, Strepsa, Cissus, Mellisurgis, Heracleustes.
Besides these, the following obscure towns occur in Ptolemy (l. c.): - Chaetae,
Moryllus, Antigoneia, Calindaea, Boerus, Physca, Trepillus, Carabia, Xylopolis,
Assorus, Lete, Phileros. As to the towns which occupied the fertile plain between
Mt. Cissus and the Axius, their population was no doubt absorbed by Thessalonica,
on its foundation by Cassander, and remains of them are not likely to be found;
nor are the ancient references sufficient to indicate their sites. One of these
would seem, from ancient inscriptions which were found at Khaivat, to have stood
in that position, and others probably occupied similar positions on the last falls
of the heights which extend nearly from Khaivat to the Axius. One in particular
is indicated by some large tumuli or barrows, situated at two-thirds of that distance.
(Leake, North. Greece, vol. iii. p. 448.)
This text is from: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854) (ed. William Smith, LLD). Cited August 2004 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
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