Myrcinus

Myrcinus or Myrkinos (Ancient Greek: Μύρκινος[1] or Μύρκιννος[2]) was an ancient Greek city located in Macedonian Thrace, in the region of Edonis between the Strymon and the Nestos Rivers,[3] on the left bank of the Strymon. It was within the territory of the Edonians, a Thracian tribe,[4] and was founded as a polis by colonists from Miletus in 497 BCE.[5] The colonists were led by Histiaios[6] (already a Tyrant of Miletus), whom Darius had allowed to build a city in reward for his help. Its site offered great advantages to settlers, as it contained an abundant supply of timber for shipbuilding, as well as silver mines.[7] Aristagoras retired to this place, and, soon after landing, perished before some Thracian town which he was besieging.[8][9] Afterwards, it had fallen into the hands of the Edoni; but on the murder of Pittacus, chief of that people, it surrendered to Brasidas[10] after he captured Amphipolis, Oesyme and Galepsus in 422 BCE.[11] During the Byzantine empire it was known as Doxompos (Δοξόμπος) or Doxompus (Δοξόμπους).

Its site is near the modern village renamed Myrkinos in honour of the ancient town.[12][13]

  1. ^ Stephanus of Byzantium. Ethnica. Vol. s.v.
  2. ^ Tzetz. Chil. 3.96
  3. ^ von Bredow, Iris (Bietigheim-Bissingen), “Myrcinus”, in: Brill's New Pauly, Antiquity volumes edited by: Hubert Cancik and , Helmuth Schneider, English Edition by: Christine F. Salazar, Classical Tradition volumes edited by: Manfred Landfester, English Edition by: Francis G. Gentry. Consulted online on 20 March 2018 <https://dx.doi.org/10.1163/1574-9347_bnp_e814320>
  4. ^ Mogens Herman Hansen & Thomas Heine Nielsen (2004). An inventory of archaic and classical poleis. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 782. ISBN 978-0-19-814099-3.
  5. ^ Mogens Herman Hansen & Thomas Heine Nielsen (2004). An inventory of archaic and classical poleis. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 1393. ISBN 978-0-19-814099-3.
  6. ^ The Landmark Herodotus: The Histories by Robert B. Strassler, 2009, page 913
  7. ^ Herodotus. Histories. Vol. 7.23.
  8. ^ Herodotus. Histories. Vol. 5.126.
  9. ^ Thucydides. History of the Peloponnesian War. Vol. 4.102.
  10. ^ Thucydides. History of the Peloponnesian War. Vol. 4.107.
  11. ^ Mogens Herman Hansen & Thomas Heine Nielsen (2004). An inventory of archaic and classical poleis. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 864. ISBN 978-0-19-814099-3.
  12. ^ Lund University. Digital Atlas of the Roman Empire.
  13. ^ Richard Talbert, ed. (2000). Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World. Princeton University Press. p. 51, and directory notes accompanying. ISBN 978-0-691-03169-9.