# Melibokus

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{{Short description|Hill in Hesse, Germany}}
{{cleanup reorganize|date=April 2019}}
{{Infobox mountain
| name = Melibokus
| image = Melibokus von Schloss Auerbach.jpg
| image_caption = Melibokus
| image_size = 250
| elevation_m = 517
| elevation_ref = 
| map = Germany Hesse
| map_caption = The location within Hesse
| label_position = right
| location = Hesse, Germany
| range = Odenwald
| coordinates = {{coord|49|43|30.75|N|8|38|12.54|E|type:mountain_scale:100000|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
}}

The '''Melibokus''' (also ''Melibocus'', ''Malchen'' or ''Malschen'') is at 517 metres (1696 feet), the highest hill in the [Bergstraße](/source/Bergstra%C3%9Fe_(district)) region of southern [Hesse](/source/Hesse), central [Germany](/source/Germany). It was also the name of a mountain range in [Germania](/source/Germania), described by classical sources. But the two are probably not the same.

Melibokus overlooks the [Rhine](/source/Rhine) valley on the western fringe of the [Odenwald](/source/Odenwald) region and is a local landmark, clearly visible for many miles. On the summit there is a small cafe, a public lookout tower and a [US Army](/source/US_Army) radio mast erected on the site of a previous stone tower, destroyed during [World War II](/source/World_War_II). The hill is accessible from Zwingenberg/Bergstrasse by foot. The "Nibelungensteig" hill trail leads you from the railway station in Zwingenberg towards the east.

==Medieval name==
The medieval place name of the modern Melibokus was ''Mons Malscus'', and there is a settlement in the region, [Malchen](/source/Malchen). One possible etymology<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.inst.at/berge/perspektiven/eisele.htm |title=Die Ausstrahlung der Berge in ihrer Benennungsvielfalt |author=Herbert Eisele |year=2001 |language=de |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060811222218/http://www.inst.at/berge/perspektiven/eisele.htm |archive-date=2006-08-11 }}</ref> derives the name from [Old High German](/source/Old_High_German) {{lang|goh|italic=no|malsc}}, "conceited", which [Julius Pokorny](/source/Julius_Pokorny) reports is from [Indo-European](/source/Proto-Indo-European_language) mel- "grind" in the sense of "ground down" or "weak".

==Classical Melibokus==

Despite the modern use of the classical name, the mountain mentioned in classical sources was probably either the [Harz](/source/Harz) mountains, or [Thuringian Forest](/source/Thuringian_Forest) or both.<ref>{{Citation|url=https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.04.0064:entry=melibocus-geo&highlight=melibocus| title=Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography |year=1854 }}</ref><ref>{{Citation|last=Schütte|title=Ptolemy's maps of northern Europe, a reconstruction of the prototypes |year=1917 |url=https://archive.org/details/ptolemysmapsofno00schrich}}</ref> [Ptolemy](/source/Ptolemy)'s ''Geography'' (Book 2, Chapter 10) mentions the ''Melobokon oros'', as being just to the south of the [Cherusci](/source/Cherusci), corresponding to the mountainous "Silva Bacenis" which Julius Caesar mentioned as separating the Cherusci and a settlement of the [Suebi](/source/Suebi) during his [Gallic Wars](/source/Gallic_Wars) in 58-52 BC.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.melibokus.com/ Melibokus web site (with live webcam)]

[[Image:MelibokusPanorama.jpg|thumb|left|600px|Panorama of the view from the summit of Melibokus, overlooking [Zwingenberg](/source/Zwingenberg%2C_Hesse), [Alsbach](/source/Alsbach-H%C3%A4hnlein), [Bickenbach](/source/Bickenbach_(Bergstra%C3%9Fe)) with [Seeheim-Jugenheim](/source/Seeheim-Jugenheim) on the right. [Alsbach Castle](/source/Alsbach_Castle) is visible in the centre]]

<gallery>
Image:MelibocusTurm1909.jpg|Melibokus viewing tower c. 1909
Image:Melibokus - Dammersfeldkuppe.jpg| Rare distant view of 115 km to the [Dammersfeldkuppe](/source/Dammersfeldkuppe) in the Rhön Mountains
</gallery>

{{Authority control}}

Category:Hills of Hesse
Category:Bergstraße (district)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Melibokus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melibokus) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melibokus?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.