Psamathus

Psamathus or Psamathous (Ancient Greek: Ψαμαθοῦς), called by Strabo Amathus or Amathous (Ἀμαθοῦς),[1] was a harbour of ancient Laconia. The Periplus of Pseudo-Scylax places it back to back (ἀντίπυλος) with the harbour of Achilleius.[2]

Pausanias places it near Cape Taenarum and Asine, at about 150 stadia from Teuthrone. He says that at the end of Cape Matapan there was a temple in the shape of a cave and a statue of Poseidon.[3] Strabo and other ancient writers call Psamathus a polis (city-state).[1][4][5]

Its site is located near the modern Porto Kagio.[6][7]

  1. ^ a b Strabo. Geographica. Vol. viii. p.373. Page numbers refer to those of Isaac Casaubon's edition.
  2. ^ Periplus of Pseudo-Scylax 46.
  3. ^ Pausanias (1918). "25.4". Description of Greece. Vol. 3. Translated by W. H. S. Jones; H. A. Ormerod. Cambridge, Massachusetts; London: Harvard University Press; William Heinemann – via Perseus Digital Library.
  4. ^ Stephanus of Byzantium. Ethnica. Vol. s.v.
  5. ^ Pliny. Naturalis Historia. Vol. 4.5.8.
  6. ^ Richard Talbert, ed. (2000). Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World. Princeton University Press. p. 58, and directory notes accompanying. ISBN 978-0-691-03169-9.
  7. ^ Lund University. Digital Atlas of the Roman Empire.