Aphidna (Ancient Greek: Ἄφιδνα) or Aphidnae or Aphidnai (Ἀφίδναι) was one of the twelve ancient towns of ancient Attica.[1] It was celebrated in the mythical period as the place where Theseus deposited Helen of Troy, entrusting her to the care of his friend Aphidnus. When the Dioscuri invaded Attica in search of their sister, the inhabitants of Deceleia informed the Lacedaemonians where Helen was concealed, and showed them the way to Aphidna. The Dioscuri thereupon took the town, and carried off their sister.[2][3][4] We learn, from a decree quoted by Demosthenes,[5] that Aphidna was, in his time, a fortified town, and at a greater distance than 120 stadia from Athens. As an Attic deme, it belonged in succession to the tribes Aeantis,[6] Leontis,[7] Ptolemais,[8] and Hadrianis.[9]
The site of Aphidna is located at Kotroni near the modern town of Afidnes.[10][11]
- ^ Strabo. Geographica. Vol. ix. p.397. Page numbers refer to those of Isaac Casaubon's edition.
- ^ Herodotus. Histories. Vol. 9.73.
- ^ Diodorus Siculus. Bibliotheca historica (Historical Library). Vol. 4.63.
- ^ Plutarch, Thes. 32; Pausanias (1918). "17.5". Description of Greece. Vol. 1. Translated by W. H. S. Jones; H. A. Ormerod. Cambridge, Massachusetts; London: Harvard University Press; William Heinemann – via Perseus Digital Library., 41.3.
- ^ Demosthenes de Coron. p. 238M.
- ^ Plutarch, Quaest. Symp. 1.10; Harpocrat. s. v. Θυργωνίδαι.
- ^ Harpocrat. s. v.; Stephanus of Byzantium. Ethnica. Vol. s.v.
- ^ Hesych.
- ^ Böckh, Corp. Inscr. 275
- ^ Richard Talbert, ed. (2000). Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World. Princeton University Press. p. 59, and directory notes accompanying. ISBN 978-0-691-03169-9.
- ^ Lund University. Digital Atlas of the Roman Empire.