Astacus (Bithynia)

Coordinates: 40°42′52″N 29°55′44″E / 40.714558°N 29.928794°E / 40.714558; 29.928794
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For other cities called Olbia, see Olbia (disambiguation)

Astacus /ˈæstəkəs/ (Greek Ἀστακός Βιθυνίας) is an ancient city in Bithynia; it was also called Olbia /ˈɒlbiə/. Its site is located near the modern Baş İskele.[1][2]

History[edit]

There are contradictory accounts of its founding:

From the city, the Gulf of Astacus took its name.[4][10] The city of Nicomedia would later be founded opposite of Astacus.[8]

Astacus was a member of the Delian League.[11]

Strabo wrote that some time after Astacus was 'a colony of Megarians and Athenians', it was 'of Doidalsos', whose identity is not specified.[4] Memnon does say that '[Astacus] achieved great glory and strength, when Dudalsos had the dominion of the Bithynians', but does not say whether the city was controlled by those Bithynians at the time, nor when this was.[8]

Polyaenus wrote that at some point Clearchus of Heraclea (tyrant c. 365–353) besieged the city.[12]

In Historia Augusta is written that at some point Scythians invaded Bithynia and set fire at the city and plundered it cruelly.[13]

King Zipoetes I of Bithynia made two attempts to absorb Astacus into his kingdom: in 315 BC he was defeated by succors sent by Antigonus Monophthalmos. In 301 BC, he was successful, but the city was destroyed in the war.[citation needed]

Strabo wrote that Lysimachus (r. 306 – 281 BCE) razed Astacus to the ground.[4]

Nicomedes I, son of Zipoetes, founded a new city to replace Astacus across from its former location, which he named Nicomedia after himself, bringing some of the Astacan cults to the new site. Nicomedia remained the capital of Bithynia, and became one of the great cities of the Roman east; the Emperor Diocletian made it his usual capital.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Richard Talbert, ed. (2000). Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World. Princeton University Press. p. 52, and directory notes accompanying. ISBN 978-0-691-03169-9.
  2. ^ Lund University. Digital Atlas of the Roman Empire.
  3. ^ "Diodorus Siculus, Library, Book XII, Chapter 34". perseus.tufts.edu. Translated by Oldfather, C. H. 1989. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
  4. ^ a b c d Strabo (1903). "12.2". Geographica. Translated by W. Falconer. Ἦν δ' ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ κόλπῳ καὶ Ἀστακὸς πόλις, Μεγαρέων κτίσμα καὶ Ἀθηναίων καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα Δοιδαλσοῦ, ἀφ' ἧς καὶ ὁ κόλπος ὠνομάσθη: κατεσκάφη δ' ὑπὸ Λυσιμάχου: τοὺς δ' οἰκήτορας μετήγαγεν εἰς Νικομήδειαν ὁ κτίσας αὐτήν. (And on the gulf itself there was also a city Astacus, founded [sic] by [sic] the Megarians and Athenians and afterwards by [sic] Doedalsus; and it was after the city Astacus that the gulf was named. It was razed to the ground by Lysimachus, and its inhabitants were transferred to Nicomedeia by the founder of the latter.)
  5. ^ Diodorus Siculus, Library, §12.34.1
  6. ^ Pomponius Mela, Chorographia, §1.100
  7. ^ Photius, Bibliotheca excerpts, §224.12.2
  8. ^ a b c d Smith 2004, Chapters 1–21.
  9. ^ The Annals of the World By James Ussher retrieved 17:00 approximately 13.10.11
  10. ^ Pliny the Elder, Natural History, §5.43.1
  11. ^ Athenian Tribute Lists, §259
  12. ^ Polyaenus, Strategems, §2.30.3
  13. ^ Scriptores Historia Augusta, §4

Bibliography[edit]

40°42′52″N 29°55′44″E / 40.714558°N 29.928794°E / 40.714558; 29.928794