Ithome
- a city of Messenia, Plin. 4, 5, 7, § 15; Liv. 32, 13; Stat Th. 4, 179.
(Ἰθώμη), a nymph from whom the Messenian hill of Ithome derived its name. According to a Messenian tradition, Ithome and Neda, from whom a small river of the country derived its name, were said to have nursed Zeus, and to have bathed the infant god in the well Clepsydra. (Paus. 4.33.2.) [L.S]
ITHO´ME (Ἰθώμη: Eth. Ἰθωμήτης, Ἰθωμαῖος).
1.A town of Histiaeotis in Thessaly, described by Homer as the rocky Ithome( Ἰθώμη κλωμακόεσσα, Il. 2.729), is placed by Strabo within a quadrangle formed by the four cities, Tricca, Metropolis, Pelinnaeum, and Gomphi. (Strab. 9. p. 437.) It probably occupied the site of the castle which stands on the summit above the village of Fandri. 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. (Leake, Northern Greece, vol, 4. p. 510.)
2.A mountain fortress in Messenia, where the Messenians long maintained themselves against the Spartans in the First Messenian War. It was after-wards the citadel of Messene, when this city was founded by Epaminondas. For details, see MESSENE
(Ἰθώμη). (1) A town of Thessaly, in the vicinity of Metropolis.
(2) A fortress of Messenia, on a mountain of the same name. It was celebrated for the long and obstinate defence (ten years) which the Messenians there made in their last revolt against the Spartans. The mountain was said to have derived its name from Ithomé, one of the nymphs that nourished Zeus. On the summit was the altar of Zeus Ithometes, to whom the mountain was especially dedicated. Strabo compares the Messenian Acropolis to the Acrocorinthus, being situated, like that citadel, on a lofty and steep mountain, enclosed by fortified lines which connected it with the town. Hence these were justly deemed the two strongest places in the Peloponnesus. When Philip, the son of Demetrius, was planning the conquest of the peninsula with Demetrius of Pharos, the latter advised him to seize first the horns of the heifer, which would secure to him possession of the animal. By these enigmatical expressions he designated the Peloponnesus and the two strongholds above mentioned (Polyb. vii. 11). Remains of the ancient fortress still exist, the towers being magnificent specimens of military architecture and engineering.
A town in the Hestiaiotis region, within a rectangle formed by the fortified cities of Gomphoi, Trikka, Pelinnaion, and Metropolis; it merged with the last of these in the 4th c. B.C. The site was located by Leake on a ridge between Metropolis and Gomphoi, now marked by a Byzantine-Turkish castle. The only remains of the ancient city are the ashlar blocks in the NW part of the fortification wall.
BIBLIOGRAPHYStrab. 9.5.17; W. M. Leake, Nor. Gr. (1835) IV 510; F. Stählin, Das hellenische Thessalien (1924) 129.
M. H. MCALLISTER- Hdt. 9.35
- mountain of Messenia: Paus. 4.1.3, Paus. 4.11.2, 4, Paus. 4.12.2, Paus. 4.29.2, 5, Paus. 4.33.1
- Messenians settled on: Paus. 4.9.1ff.
- abandoned by Messenains: Paus. 4.13.6
- captured by Lacedaemonians: Paus. 4.14.2, Paus. 4.23.6
- talisman buried on: Paus. 4.20.4
- rebel Helots retite to: Paus. 1.29.8, 3.11. 8, Paus. 4.24.6, Paus. 10.29.10
- being besieged on I. they capitulate: Paus. 4.24.7
- city of Messene at floor of: Paus. 4.31.4
- precint of Zeus on: Paus. 4.3.9
- Paus. 4.33.1