Listed 7 sub titles with search on: Information about the place for wider area of: "MELIVIA Municipality AGIA" .
MELIVIA (Ancient city) THESSALIA
Meliboia: Eth. Meliboeus. An ancient town of Magnesia in Thessaly,
mentioned by Homer as one of the places subject to Philoctetes (Il. ii. 717).
It was situated upon the sea-coast (Herod. vii. 188; Scylax, p. 25; Apoll. Rhod.
i. 592), andis described by Livy (xliv. 13) as situated at the roots of Mt. Ossa,
and by Strabo (ix. p. 443) as lying in the gulf between Ossa and Pelium. Leake
therefore places it near Aghia (Northern Greece, vol. iv. p. 414). Meliboea was
taken and plundered by the Romans under Cn. Octavius, B.C. 168. (Liv. xliv 46:
Meliboea is also mentioned by Strab. ix. p. 436; Steph. B. s. v.; Mela, ii. 3;
Plin. iv. 9. s. 16.) The Meliboean purple is said by Lucretius (ii. 499; Virg.
Aen. v. 251) to have derived its name from this town. Many modern writers, however,
suppose the name to have come from the small island Meliboea at the mouth of the
Orontes in Syria; but there is no reason for this supposition, as the shellfish
from which the purple dye is obtained is found in the present day off the coast
of Thessaly.
This text is from: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854) (ed. William Smith, LLD). Cited June 2004 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
THAVMAKIA (Ancient city) AGIA
Thaumakia: Eth. Thaumakieus. A town of Magnesia in Thessaly, one of
the four cities whose ships in the Trojan War were commanded by Philoctetes. It
was said to have been founded by Thaumacus, the son of Poeas. Leake supposes it
to be represented by the paleokastro of Askiti, one of the villages on the Magnesian
coast. This Thaumacia must not be confounded with Thaumaci in Phthiotis mentioned
above.
This text is from: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854) (ed. William Smith, LLD). Cited June 2004 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
MELIVIA (Ancient city) THESSALIA
(Meliboia). A town on the coast of Thessaly in Magnesia, between Mount Ossa and Mount Pelion, where Philoctetes reigned, who is hence called by Vergil, dux Meliboeus. It was noted for its purple dye.
MELIVIA (Ancient city) THESSALIA
One of the chief cities of Magnesia, most probably located near modern
Polydendri and perhaps Skiti. It was on the coast (Strab. 9.436, et al.), N of
Kasthanaic (Mela 2.35) and apparently between Ossa and Pelion on a route from
Macedonia to Demetrias (Livy 46.13.2). It was subject to Philoktetes (Homer B.
717, and elsewhere). Part of Xerxes' fleet washed up here after being dispersed
by a storm (Hdt. 7.188). The city issued silver and bronze coinage in the 4th
c. B.C. It was allied to Pherai, but its inhabitants were killed or sold into
slavery by Alexander of Pherai in the course of his struggle with the Thessalian
League (Plut. Pel. 29). Magnesia was occupied by the Macedonians under Philip
II, and remained virtually Macedonian until the Roman liberation of Greece in
196 B.C. Meliboia is not mentioned as being part of the Magnetian synoecism which
created Demetrias in 293 B.C. It was besieged by the Romans in 169 B.C. so as
to facilitate a siege of Demetrias, but the siege was relieved (Livy 44.13). It
was captured and plundered by the Romans the next year, at the time of, or after
the battle of Pydna (Livy 44.46.3). The city was noted for its purple dye (Vergil
Aen. 5.251; Lucr. 2.500).
At Palaiokastro (by Kato Polydendri) on the coast near the modern
town of Polydendri (whose center is some 2 km inland) are the ruins of an ancient
town. These are on a rocky hill which makes a promontory at the S end of a long
beach (Agniokampos) extending from Cape Kissavos. The promontory is just S of
the mouth of the river Bourboulithra. Scanty remains of the ancient city wall,
apparently of good 4th c. construction, have been noted above an overgrown ravine
at the S edge of the hill. Some sections of the W wall were seen by Stahlin (writing
in 1931). The area of the hill enclosed by the wall must have been very small.
On the end of the promontory are quarried areas and rock-cut steps. To the N and
S of the point are inlets which might serve as harbors. On the hill the foundations
of a large rectangular building were noted in 1957. Good black-glazed sherds have
been found here. Walls of modern houses in the vicinity contain ancient blocks.
A tile fragment with the name of the Meliboians stamped on it was found at the
Kastro of Polydendri, apparently identical with this site (see Woodward), which
makes the identification most likely. From this area came an early 5th c. B.C.
marble head of a young man, and two male and one female marble torsos of the 4th
c. B.C. (now in Volo).
About 6 km inland, W of Palaiokastro and a little N of modern Skiti
there is another ancient site. This is on a high bluff to the S of and overlooking
the river Potamia or Aguiokampos which flows between the masses of Ossa and Pelion.
The bluff falls off steeply to W, N, and E, so the only easy access is along the
neck from the S. A city wall, ca. 1,250 m in circuit, ran around the bluff. It
is best preserved where it was originally strongest, on the S, where one rectangular
tower is preserved; the rest of the wall is somewhat zigzagged, but was apparently
built without towers. The wall is about one m thick, built of rough field stones
laid in fairly regular courses, cemented with mortar. Here and there some bigger
stones are incorporated. In the SW part of the enclosure are the remains of a
stuccoed cistern, and Leake reported some remains of buildings. The site at Skiti
controls the only practicable route from the N along the Magnesian coast and inland
to Larissa or the Gulf of Pagasni. It is argued by Pritchett that the site at
Palaiokastro is Herodotos' Meliboia, and the site at Skiti the Meliboia of 169
B.C. The date of the Skiti site, however, remains uncertain, although evidently
late. It has been suggested that it might be Byzantine Kentauropolis, a fort said
to have been restored by Justinian (Procop. De aed. 4.3.13).
T. S. Mackay, ed.
This text is from: The Princeton encyclopedia of classical sites,
Princeton University Press 1976. Cited Nov 2002 from
Perseus Project URL below, which contains bibliography & interesting hyperlinks.
SKITI (Village) AGIA
About 6 km inland, W of Palaiokastro and a little N of modern Skiti there is another ancient site. This is on a high bluff to the S of and overlooking the river Potamia or Aguiokampos which flows between the masses of Ossa and Pelion. The bluff falls off steeply to W, N, and E, so the only easy access is along the neck from the S. A city wall, ca. 1,250 m in circuit, ran around the bluff. It is best preserved where it was originally strongest, on the S, where one rectangular tower is preserved; the rest of the wall is somewhat zigzagged, but was apparently built without towers. The wall is about one m thick, built of rough field stones laid in fairly regular courses, cemented with mortar. Here and there some bigger stones are incorporated. In the SW part of the enclosure are the remains of a stuccoed cistern, and Leake reported some remains of buildings. The site at Skiti controls the only practicable route from the N along the Magnesian coast and inland to Larissa or the Gulf of Pagasni. It is argued by Pritchett that the site at Palaiokastro is Herodotos' Meliboia, and the site at Skiti the Meliboia of 169 B.C. The date of the Skiti site, however, remains uncertain, although evidently late. It has been suggested that it might be Byzantine Kentauropolis, a fort said to have been restored by Justinian (Procop. De aed. 4.3.13).
T. S. Mac Kay, ed.
This extract is from: The Princeton encyclopedia of classical sites,
Princeton University Press 1976. Cited Nov 2002 from
Perseus Project URL below, which contains bibliography & interesting hyperlinks.
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