Ithome (Thessaly)

Ithome (Ancient Greek: Ἰθώμη) was a town of Histiaeotis in ancient Thessaly, described by Homer as the "rocky Ithome",[1] is placed by Strabo within a quadrangle formed by the four cities, Tricca, Metropolis, Pelinnaeum, and Gomphi.[2] It occupied the site of the castle which stands on the summit above the modern village of Fanari (in the modern municipality of Ithomi, which reflects the ancient name).[3][4] Visiting the place in the nineteenth century, William Martin Leake observed, near the north-western face of the castle, some remains of a very ancient Hellenic wall, consisting of a few large masses of stone, roughly hewn on the outside, but accurately joined to one another without cement.[5]

Map showing ancient Thessaly. Ithome is shown in the west centre south of Tricca.

The town's original name was Thome (Θώμη).[6] Other names borne by the town were Thoumaion (Θούμαιον),[4] Thamai (Θαμαι),[4] and Thamiai (Θαμιαι).[3]

References
  1. Ἰθώμη κλωμακόεσσα, Homer. Iliad. 2.729.
  2. Strabo. Geographica. ix. p.437. Page numbers refer to those of Isaac Casaubon's edition.
  3. Richard Talbert, ed. (2000). Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World. Princeton University Press. p. 55, and directory notes accompanying.
  4. Lund University. Digital Atlas of the Roman Empire.
  5. Leake, Northern Greece, vol, iv. p. 510.
  6. Reece, Steve (2009). Homer's winged words: the evolution of early Greek epic diction in the light of oral theory. Leiden; Boston: Brill. pp. 180–185.

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Smith, William, ed. (1854–1857). "Ithome". Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography. London: John Murray.


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