Apollonia ad Rhyndacum
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Apollonia (Greek: Ἀπολλωνία) was an ancient town astride the Rhyndacus river. According to Strabo, it lay in Mysia (Ἀ. ἐπὶ Ῥυνδακῷ), a description which misled some travellers and geographers, who fixed the site at Ulubat on the Rhyndacus. However, the site is actually modern Apolyont (or Abullionte).[1] This site is on the lake now known as Apolyont Gölü or Ulubat Gölü. In ancient times this lake was called Apolloniatis (for instance by Strabo), after the town.
Some high land advances into the lake, and forms a narrow promontory, off the southwest point of which is an island with the town of Abullionte. (Hamilton, Researches, &c. vol. ii. p. 87.) The remains of Apollonia are inconsiderable. The Rhyndacus flows into the lake Apolloniatis, and issues from it a deep and muddy river. The lake extends from east to west, and is studded with many islands in the northeast part, on one of which is the town of Apollonia. (Hamilton.) The circuit of the lake is estimated by some travellers at about 50 miles, and its length about 10; but the dimensions vary considerably, for in winter the waters are much higher. It abounds in fish.
[edit] Saint Constantine
St. Contantine is a small island inside the Apollonia lake. During the Byzantine times there was a monastery of St. Constantine on the island. Today the island is inhabitant, but fortunately the monastery has survived to the Ottoman conquest of Asia Minor. This orthodox monastery has received attention from scholars because of its inscribed cross type with apses to east and west. [2]
[edit] Greek colonization
Apollonia ad Rhyndacum is one of many ancient Greek cities that bear the name of Apollo. [3]
Inhabitants of Apollonia believed that their original colony had been founded by Miletus, under the auspices of Apollo of Didyma, so Apollo was the archegetes of this Apollonia. The antiquity of the colony and of its name is supported by coins from as early as 450 BCE, which bear the anchor symbol of Apollo and which have been attributed by some scholars to this Apollonia. The city experienced prosperity under the Attalids during Hellenistic times.
[edit] References
- This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography by William Smith (1856).
- ^ Richard Talbert, Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World, (ISBN 0-691-03169-X), Map 52 & notes.
- ^ Cyril Mango, The Monastery of St. Constantine on Lake Apolyont, Dumbarton Oaks Papers, Vol. 33 (1979), pp. 329-333, http://www.jstor.org/stable/1291440
- ^ Ilan Shachar, Greek colonization and the eponymous apollo, Mediterranean Historical Review (2000), 15:2, 1-26 doi
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