(Μυσία/ Mýsía). [German version] A. Geography and ethnography Region in the northwest of Asia Minor, named after the Thracian tribe of the Mysi, which had probably migrated there by the 12th cent. BC. Their precise origin is unknown, but like the Phryges they may have migrated from the area of the lower Danube. If we may equate the Thracian Mysi with the later Moesi, then the site of their original settlement can be located south of the Danube in the area of northern Thrace (only in Hdt. 1,171,6 do we read that the C…

(Ἀττάλεια; Attáleia). [German version] [1] The modern Antalya This item can be found on the following maps: Christianity | Zenobia | Asia Minor | Limes | Lycii, Lycia | Pergamum | Pompeius The modern Antalya; harbour town, located on a rocky ridge on the coast of  Pamphylia, founded in around 150 BC by  Attalus [5] II (Str. 14,4,1), and visited by Pompey on his flight in 48 BC (Plut. Pompeius 76; cf. Ptol. 5,5,2; Acta Apostolorum 14,25). Remains of the Attalid town walls, Hadrian's gate, to mark the emperor's visit in AD 130, and a monumental mausoleum (circular building on a cubic base). Martini…

(Ἁλίσαρνα; Halísarna). [German version] [1] Small city in the border region of the regions Mysia and Troas Small city, dynastic seat in the border region of the regions of Mysia and the Troad. In Xenophon (Hell. 3,1,6; An. 7,8,17) H. is mentioned in connection with the Spartan-Persian war 400-396 BC. The dynast Procles named there is the descendant of the Spartan king Damaratus, who was exiled there at the beginning of the 5th cent. BC and received H. along with Pergamum and Teuthrania from Darius I as a gift (Paus. 3,7,8). The exact location and further history are unknown. Schwertheim, El…

[German version] (Ῥύνδακος/ Rhýndakos). River in the Troad, not regarded as a single body today (Koca Çay, Kocasu Çayı, Orhaneli Çayı). It rises in Mysia Abbaïtis and flows through Phrygia (Phryges). It formed the frontier between Mysia and Bithynia, forms lacus Apolloniatis (Uluabat Gölü), exiting the lake at the northwest and flowing into the Propontis south of the island of Besbikos (modern Imralı Adası). During the Roman Period, it formed the boundary between the provinces of Asia [2] and Bithynia. In 73 BC, Licinius [I 26] Lucullu…

[German version] (Ἀσκανία λίμνη; Askanía límnē). Ascanian Lake, also known as Lake  Nicaea in  Bithynia (modern İznik Gölü); the name was applied to the lake and the surrounding region, the western part of which was taken as belonging to Mysia, the eastern one to Phrygia (Str. 12,4,5; Plin. HN 5,40,8). Strobel, Karl (Klagenfurt) Bibliography W. Ruge, s.v. A., RE 2, 1610.

[German version] This item can be found on the following maps: Xenophon (Κεράμων ἀγορά; Kerámōn agorá). A ‘populated town’ between Peltae and  Caystrou pedion, ‘the last town (in Phrygia) in the direction of Mysia’, only mentioned in Xen. An. 1,2,11; localization impossible. Drew-Bear, Thomas (Lyon) Bibliography W. Ruge, s.v. K., RE 11, 254f.

[German version] (Ἀβρεττηνή; Abrettēnḗ). Region in northern  Mysia, north of Abbaitis and south of Olympene (Plin. HN 5,123; Str. 12,8,9; 11). At the time of the 2nd Triumvirate (43-36/32 BC) Cleon, a leader of the many local bands of brigands, dominated the region. Confirmed in his leadership by the future  Augustus in about 30 BC, he was also a priest of  Zeus Abrettenus [1. 154]. Schwertheim, Elmar (Münster) Bibliography 1 E. Schwertheim, Die Inschr. von Hadrianoi und Hadrianeia (IK 33), 1987.

[German version] (Αἴσηπος; Aísēpos). River in  Mysia, modern Gönen Çay, rising at Mount Cotylus in the  Ida mountains (Str. 13,1,43). It is already mentioned by Homer (Il. 2,825; 4,91; 12; 21). In its course to the north-east, it takes in the Caresus. After 500 stades, it flows into the  Propontis near the island of Halone (modern Pasalimani) (Str. 13,1,11). Even in Homer's times, the valley of the A. defined the eastern border of the  Troas (Str. 13,1,9), and was densely populated in its middle reaches (Str. 13,1,45). Schwertheim, Elmar (Münster) Bibliography W. Leaf, Strabo on the T…

[German version] (Μέγιστος; Mégistos). Aside from the Rhyndacus and the Tarsius, the largest river in northern Mysia (cf. Str. 12,8,11; Plin. HN 5,142; Pol. 5,77,8), modern Simav Çayı that like the Tarsius flows into the Rhyndacus north of Miletupolis. Attalus [4] I was encamped on the M., north of the Pelecas Mountains with the Galatian Aegosages on his campaign against Achaeus [5], when he experienced a lunar eclipse on 1 January 218 BC. A relief of Apollo Mekastenos is probably also reminiscent of this river [1]. Schwertheim, Elmar (Münster) Bibliography 1 F. W. Hasluck, Unpublished …

[German version] (Κάδοι; Kádoi). A city first named by Pol. 33,12,2 near today's Gediz in the headwaters of the Hermus, where the Roman board of ten met with  Attalus [5] II in 155/4 BC. According to Ptol. 5,2,16, C. is located in the border region of Mysia, Phrygia and Lydia. The origin of the city is unknown, probably non-Greek. It is possible that C. was inhabited by Macedonian veterans since the time of Alexander the Great (Plin. HN 5,111). Since Str. 12,8,12 assigns C. to the Phrygía Epíktētos, it is likely that the region of C. came under the rule of Pergamum in 188 BC. C. s…

(Κατακεκαυμένη; Katakekauménē, ‘burnt earth’). [German version] [1] Volcanic zone in western Asia Minor Volcanic zone, characterized by ash-like soil and black rocks, in western Asia Minor (Mysia and eastern Lydia: Xanthus FGrH 765 F 13; Str. 12,8,18f.), about 40×10 km in size (exaggerated in Str. 13,4,11) on the upper reaches of the Maeander, which flows through the C. (Str. 13,4,5); parallel to it in the south is a volcano-free crystalline schistose zone; separate from that the fault line of the Kogamos va…

[German version] (Περπερήνη/ Perperḗnē). City in Aeolian Mysia, probably on the road from Adramyttion to Pergamum near modern Aşağıbey (localization of [1] confirmed by [2]; plan in [2. vol. 1, 297]). Coin minting attests to the existence of P. from the 4th cent. BC (cf. [2. vol. 2, 308-325]). Thucydides did not, as Steph. Byz. (s.v. Παρπάρων/ Parpárōn) would have it, die in P. but probably in Hellanicus [1] around 400 BC (Suda s.v. Π.). At the time of Pliny the Elder (1st cent. AD), P. appears to have belonged to the conventus of Pergamum (HN 5,122,3; 5,126,9). The coins attest to a…

[German version] This item can be found on the following maps: Education / Culture (Μιλητούπολις/ Milētoúpolis, Μιλητόπολις/ Milētópolis). City in Mysia. M. lay on the ‘lake of M.’ (Μιλητοπολῖτις λίμνη) and has been located near Melde, a town in the neighbourhood of modern Mustafa Kemalpaşa; cf. Tab. Peut. 9,3 (20 milia from Apollonia [6]); Steph. Byz. s.v. Μ. (περὶ τῶν Ῥύνδακα). M. was founded by Athens at the end of the 7th/beginning of the 6th cent. BC [1. 102ff.], was a member of the Delian League from no later than 410/409 BC (ATL 1,342f.;…

[German version] (Προῦσα, Προῦσα πρὸς Ὀλύμπῳ τῷ ὄρει/ Proûsa, Proûsa pròs Olýmpōi tôi órei). City in Bithynia, on the northern slopes of Olympus [13] in Mysia (Str. 12,4,3), modern Bursa. A Prusias who is supposed to have fought Croesus  (Str. ibidem), the Bithynian king Prusias [1] I (Arr. FGrH 156 F 29) and Hannibal [4] (Plin. HN 5,148; [1. 1103 f.] accordingly dates the foundation to 188 or 187 BC) have been named as founders. Coins show the official tradition of foundation by Prusias I, who created it as…

[German version] (Ἀταρνεύς; Atarneús). Located in the region of the same name on the coast opposite to  Mytilene, north-east of the modern Dikili, A. was an Ionian polis in Aeolis (Aeoleis) (Plin. HN 37,156), according to Steph. Byz. s.v. Ἄταρνα ( Átarna) on the border between  Lydia and  Mysia. Like Assus, the town was centred around a hill of about 200 m in height, upon which the acropolis was situated (modern Kaléh Agili). The safety of the town was ensured by a triple walled circle, dating from the Hellenistic period, parts of whic…

[German version] (Προποντίς; Propontís). A sea between the Pontos Euxeinos (Black Sea) in the northeast (Bosporus [1]) and the Aigaion Pelagos (Aegean) in the southwest (Hellespontus), between Thrace in the north and Mysia in the south, greatest length (from Callipolis to Nicomedia) 252 km, greatest breadth 74 km, modern Sea of Marmara. The P. was brought into existence by an early quaternary rift. The largest part of the area of the sea ( c. 11,500 km2) is formed by an area of land lowered 200 m, on which the islands perch (cf. the list of the islands in Plin. HN 5…

(Μυγδονία; Mygdonía). [German version] [1] Region in northwestern Asia Minor Region in northwestern Asia Minor whose name is derived from the Thracian Mygdones who, like the Doliones and the Mysi (Mysia), migrated to the northwestern part of Asia Minor in the 12th cent. BC. The area in which they settled was bordered at the northwest by the Dascylitis (Δασκυλῖτις, now Kuş Gölü), at the northeast by Apameia [1]; in the southwest their settlements reached to the Mysian Olympus [13] (modern-day Uludağ), in t…

[German version] This item can be found on the following maps: Theatre | Byzantium | | Asia Minor | Colonization | Peloponnesian War | Pergamum | Persian Wars | Rome | Delian League | Education / Culture (Κύζικος; Kýzikos). City in Mysia on the south coast of the  Propontis on the isthmus of the Arktonnesos (Kapıdağ) peninsula; the modern Balkız, to the east of Erdek. C. owed its prosperity to its double harbour and large territory (cf. the description with the city's location at Str. 12,8,11). From the beginning of coinage down to …

(Ὀρόντης/ Oróntēs, MSS; Ὀρόντας/ Oróntas, OGIS 264,4; Ἀροάνδης/ Aroándēs, OGIS 390ff.). Armenian satraps and kings: O. [1-6]; the river O. [7]. [German version] [1] Relative of the Armenian royal family Relative of the royal family. After initial antagonism with Cyrus [3] the Younger, O. became his follower, and was subsequently convicted of treason and executed (Xen. An. 1,6; 9,29). Wiesehöfer, Josef (Kiel) [German version] [2] O. I Persian governor of Armenia Son of the Bactrian Artasyras. As the Persian governor of Armenia, he married Rhodogune, the daughter of…

(Βιθυνία; Bithynía). [German version] A. Geographical location Region and kingdom in north-western Asia Minor, with a Thracian population. Its core territory (Str. 12,3,2f.; 12,3,7; 4,1-10; [2; 3. 190ff.]) lies between the  Bosporus [1] and the area around the lower  Sangarius, from the Black Sea Coast to the Gulf of Cius, Lake Ascania and the Kapıorman Dağları range. The northern coastal region up to the Kales formed the original territory of  Thyni(a)s, inhabited by the related tribe of the  Thyni, …