Amyclae, an ‘Achaean’ centre on the right bank of the Eurotas river c.5 km. (3 mi.) south of Sparta, mentioned in the Homeric Catalogue as in the domain of *Menelaus (1). Accounts vary of its resistance to the *Dorians but not later than c.750
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Arthur Maurice Woodward, William George Forrest, and Antony Spawforth
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Nicholas Geoffrey Lemprière Hammond
Anactorium, a joint colony of Corinthians and Acarnanians (see corinth; acarnania) was founded c.620 bce on the south coast of the gulf of *Ambracia. It sent troops to fight in the battle of *Plataea against the Persians. In 425 Anactorium was absorbed into *Acarnania.
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Edward Togo Salmon and T. W. Potter
Anagnia (mod. Anagni), chief town of the *Hernici (Aen. 7. 684), in the fertile Sacco valley, with well-preserved walls. In 306
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Max Cary and T. W. Potter
Ancona, an important Picene town (see picenum), occupied from at least as early as the 9th cent. bce, and with the only good harbour on the central east coast of Italy. The colony was founded in 387 bce by Greek refugees from *Dionysius (1) I of Syracuse. It prospered under the republic, and became the main port of embarkation for Dalmatia. *Trajan rebuilt the harbour and erected a commemorative arch about it (ce 115), which still stands.
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R. W. V. Catling
Andros, the most northerly and (after *Naxos (1)) second largest (380 sq. km; 147 sq. mi.) of the *Cyclades, its windswept, mountainous landscape mitigated by sheltered, fertile valleys. Gaureion in the north-west is the only safe harbour. Its prehistory is obscure. Settled by Ionians c.900 bce, it had connections with the Thessalo-Euboean region in the geometric period. The fortified town of Zagora, occupying a bleak headland on the SW coast, first occupied c.900 bce, was largely deserted c.700 bce; a small temple still survived c.400 bce. The close-packed buildings may have housed a population as large as 2,500. Besides the evidence for 8th-cent. domestic architecture, much may be learnt about Zagora's economy and contemporary society. Another 8th-cent. town has been discovered at Ipsili. The Classical city of Andros on the south coast (mod. Palaiopolis) occupied the steep slopes of a mountainside, served by an inadequate harbour. Although the earliest remains are late Archaic, it was probably first settled early in the 7th cent., perhaps by the inhabitants of deserted geometric towns such as Zagora. Late in the century Andros founded colonies at *Acanthus, *Stagira, and Sane in *Chalcidice and at Argilus in east Macedonia.
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Edward Togo Salmon and T. W. Potter
Anio (mod. Aniene), a river of Italy rising in the Sabine country (see sabini) and separating it from *Latium (Plin. HN 3. 54). After flowing 120 km. (75 mi.) west-south-west it joins the *Tiber at the site of Antemnae just north of Rome. Landslides in ce 105 and later have changed but not destroyed its spectacular cascades at *Tibur (Hor.
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John Buckler
Anthedon, harbour town on the NE coast of *Boeotia, known for the legend of *Glaucus (4) the fisherman. The remains of circuit-walls and harbour installations can still be seen. Generally a part of Theban territory, it probably served as one of the bases of *Epaminondas' ephemeral fleet during the Theban Hegemony.
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Alfred Hiatt
The terms antipodes and antichthones, along with others such as antoikoi and perioikoi, referred to hypothetical peoples dwelling beyond the extent of the known world. These terms were the product of a mathematically based astronomy in which the spherical nature of the Earth was a fundamental element. Calculations of the size of the Earth resulted in the conjecture that inhabited land existed beyond the known world of Asia, Europe, and Africa/Libya. Such land was usually thought to be inaccessible owing to the expanse of Ocean, or because of the extremes of heat and cold found, respectively, at the Equator and the poles.The concept of the antipodes appears to have emerged from Pythagorean thought. Pythagoras was credited with the doctrine that inhabitation was not restricted to the known world, and specifically that there were inhabitants on the opposite side of the Earth, whose “down” was “up” for those in the known world; certain Pythagoreans conceived of an antichthon, or counter-Earth, in relation to the known world (Diog. Laert., Vitae Philosophorum 8.
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W. M. Murray
Anticyra, an excellent Phocian port in the gulf east of *Cirrha, known for the hellebore (a medicinal plant) that grew nearby. Identified by Pausanias (10. 36. 5–10) with Homeric Cyparissus, it shared the history of *Phocis, being destroyed in 346 bce by *Philip (1) II, then rebuilt, and finally captured by T.
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Walter Eric Harold Cockle
A nome capital (see
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D. Graham J. Shipley
Antissa, small coastal *polis in NW *Lesbos; birthplace of the poet *Terpander. A bronze age site has been explored; the Classical town originated in the early geometric period. Three apsidal buildings (possibly temples), stretches of a probable city wall, and remains of a harbour mole have been identified. The Mytileneans strengthened the defences during their revolt of 428
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Edward Togo Salmon and T. W. Potter
Antium (mod. Anzio), in *Latium. It was occupied from at least the 8th cent. bce by people with a material culture resembling that of Rome itself. It was certainly Latin in the 6th cent. bce (Dion. Hal. Ant. Rom. 1. 72; Polyb. 3. 22), but shortly thereafter *Volsci captured it, and for 200 years Antium was apparently the principal Volscian city. In the 4th cent. bce it was the centre of Volscian resistance to Rome, that ended only when C. *Maenius captured the Antiate fleet and made possible the establishment of a citizen colony (see colonization, roman), 338 bce (Livy, bks. 2–8; Dion. Hal. Ant. Rom. bks. 4–10). Antiate pirates, however, continued active even after 338 (Strabo 5. 232). After being sacked by C. *Marius (1), Antium became a fashionable resort (Augustus had a villa here), with celebrated temples (App. Bciv. 1. 69, 5. 26; Hor. Carm.
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Arnold Hugh Martin Jones and Susan Mary Sherwin-White
Apamea, a city on the *Orontes, *Syria, which replaced the Macedonian military colony of Pella. It was founded by Seleucus I (or perhaps Antiochus I). It was the military headquarters of Seleucid Syria, and the place where Seleucid breeding of *elephants (for war) is attested (Strabo 16. 2. 10). During the Principate it ruled a large territory; its citizen population numbered 117,000 under Augustus. Excavation has revealed mainly buildings and finds of the imperial period. See apame.
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Edward Togo Salmon and T. W. Potter
Apennines, Italy's limestone mountain backbone, branch off from the Alps near Genoa (*Genua). At first they are of moderate height (900–1,200 m.; 3,000–4,000 ft.), and run eastwards forming the southern boundary of *Cisalpine Gaul (Northern Apennines); then, near *Ariminum, they turn south-east, follow the line of the Adriatic coast and attain great altitudes - 2,921 m. (9,583 ft.) at the Gran Sasso (Central Apennines); approaching *Lucania they become lower again, swing south and occupy virtually all SW Italy (Southern Apennines: the granite Sila mountains of the Bruttian peninsula (see bruttii), although geologically distinct, are generally reckoned a prolongation of the limestone Apennines. Italy's volcanic mountains, however—*Albanus, *Vesuvius, Vultur—are independent of the Apennine system). The 1,300-km. (800-mi.) Apennine chain is not continuous and unbroken, but consists of tangled mountain masses of varying width, interspersed with numerous upland passes and fertile valleys suitable for agriculture or summer pasturage. Offshoots are numerous, e.g. Apuan Alps (Liguria; see ligurians), Volscian mountains (*Latium); some are completely separated from the main range, e.
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Joyce Reynolds
Aphrodisias (mod. Geyre), was a *Carian city, probably established in the 2nd cent. bce as the political centre of ‘the Plarasans and Aphrodisians’ (Plarasans dropped from the description under Augustus); site of vigorous prehistoric and Archaic communities honouring a mother-goddess, called Aphrodite perhaps from the 3rd cent. bce and later identified with Roman Venus. That identification encouraged a special relationship with Rome and with the family of *Caesar; so Aphrodisias resisted *Mithradates (6) VI in 88 bce and the Liberators after Caesar's death, earning privileges which Rome conferred in 39 bce and confirmed up to the late 3rd cent. ce. The wall-circuit, c.3.5 km. (2.2 mi.) long and containing many inscribed blocks reused, a stadium, and columns have always been visible; excavation has now uncovered civic buildings and much sculpture, which is sometimes distinguished and often technically interesting—see aphrodisias, school of. Intellectual pursuits were prized too—famous Aphrodisians included the novelist *Chariton, the philosophers *Adrastus (2) and *Alexander (14), and, in the late 5th cent.
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Max Cary and Nicholas Geoffrey Lemprière Hammond
Apollonia, the name of several Greek cities (IACP nos.13, 77, 545, 627, 682). The chief of these was in Illyria (IACP no. 77), founded c.600 bce where the river Aous enters the coastal plain, with relatively easy communications across the Balkan range. It was founded as a Corinthian colony (see corinth; colonization, greek) by 200 settlers (Steph. Byz.) and grew rapidly in size and prosperity, until it was able to destroy one of its neighbours, Thronium, by the middle of the 5th cent. In the Hellenistic period its strategic position and its wealth attracted the Macedonian, Molossian, and Illyrian kings and also *Corcyra. It joined Rome in 229 bce, was treated as a *free city and prospered greatly as the main base of Roman armies in the wars against Macedon. After 146 it was one of the terminal points of the *via Egnatia, and it was *Caesar's headquarters in the campaign of Dyrrhachium (48).
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H. Kathryn Lomas
Apulia (mod. Puglia), a region of SE Italy corresponding to Augustan *Regio II, bounded by the valleys of the Bradano and Tiferno. Regio II also included a part of *Samnium which was not Apulian in culture (Plin. HN 3. 99–104). It is geographically diverse, with lagoonal and marshy coastal regions and a high plateau, the Tavoliere, in the north. Ethnically, it included the *Daunians, Peucetians, and *Iapygians (Lat. Sallentini). These were Messapian in language and culture (see messapic; messapii), and part of a cultural *koinē which included strong Greek and Illyrian influences. Many cities have Greek foundation legends, issued Greek-style coinage, and adopted Greek styles and techniques in architecture and civic development. Some of the northerly Daunian cities also show Oscan influence. The Apuli, after whom the region is named, were a distinct group settled near mons *Garganus, who had cultural similarities with their Daunian neighbours but were Oscan-speakers (Strabo 6. 3. 11). Apulia was one of the most densely urbanized regions of Italy. Economically, southern Apulia was reliant on agriculture and trade with Greece and Illyria, while the Tavoliere was a *wool-producing area.
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Edward Togo Salmon and T. W. Potter
Aquileia, a city a few kilometres from the head of the Adriatic. In 186
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Franz A. W. Schehl and John Wilkes
Aquincum, on the Danube at Budapest, was the centre of the Illyrian-Celtic Eravisci, whose settlement lay on the Gellért hill, later the provincial capital of Lower Pannonia. Throughout the Roman period it was a key military base against the *Quadi and the Sarmatian *Iazyges. From *Vespasian it was an auxiliary cavalry station (see auxilia) and under *Domitian (c.ce 89) an earth and timber fortress was constructed by Legio II Adiutrix. After serving in *Trajan's Dacian and Parthian wars (when it was replaced by X Gemina) the legion returned as a permanent garrison at Aquincum, except for two further periods of detachment, 161–7 and under *Septimius Severus, when its place was taken by IV Flavia Felix. Around the camp a *canabae developed its own administration, while the city of Aquincum, a *municipium (Aelium) under Hadrian and colonia (Septimia) under Severus extending over 50 ha.
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John Frederick Drinkwater
A name originally applied to the area bounded by the Garonne, the Pyrenees, and the bay of Biscay. The Aquitani are described as differing from the other Gauls in speech, customs, and physique, and archaeologically their culture is distinguished by several simple Hallstatt survivals. They were divided into many small tribes which were defeated in 56 bce by P. *Licinius Crassus (2) and finally subdued after campaigns in 38 and 27 bce. Augustus made Aquitania an imperial province (see provincia), but extended it to include the Celtic tribes to the Loire. It was eventually governed from *Burdigala (mod. Bordeaux). Under the later empire the Augustan province was divided into three: Aquitania Prima and Secunda (capitals at Bourges and Bordeaux respectively), and Novempopulana (the original Aquitania, with its capital at Eauze). Greater Aquitania soon became famous for its wealth, based on agriculture and trade. Through the works of *Ausonius and modern archaeological discoveries we are particularly well informed about the sophisticated upper-class lifestyle of the 4th cent.
