# Pythion

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{{About|the ancient city in Thessaly, Greece|the modern village in Greece|Pythio}}
thumb|300px|Map showing ancient Thessaly. Pythion is shown to the centre top near Mount Olympus.
'''Pythion''' ({{langx|el|Πύθιον}}) or '''Pythium''', also '''Pythoion''' (Πύθοιον) was a city and [polis](/source/polis) (city-state)<ref name=Poleis>{{cite book|author= Mogens Herman Hansen & Thomas Heine Nielsen |title= An inventory of archaic and classical poleis|year= 2004|publisher= [Oxford University Press](/source/Oxford_University_Press)|location=New York|isbn= 0-19-814099-1|chapter= Thessaly and Adjacent Regions|pages= 726–727}}</ref> of [Perrhaebia](/source/Perrhaebia) in [ancient Thessaly](/source/ancient_Thessaly), situated at the foot of [Mount Olympus](/source/Mount_Olympus), and forming a [Tripolis](/source/Tripolis_(region_of_Thessaly)) with the two neighbouring towns of [Azorus](/source/Azorus) and [Doliche](/source/Doliche_(Thessaly)). Pythion derived its name from a temple of [Apollo Pythius](/source/Apollo) situated on one of the summits of Olympus, as we learn from an epigram of [Xeinagoras](/source/Xeinagoras), a [Greek](/source/Ancient_Greece) [mathematician](/source/mathematician), who measured the height of Olympus from these parts.<ref>''ap.'' [Plut.](/source/Plutarch) ''Aemil. Paul.'' 15.</ref> Games were also celebrated here in honour of Apollo.<ref>{{Cite Stephanus|''s.v.'' Πύθιον}}</ref>

==Geography==
Pythion commanded an important pass across Mount Olympus. This pass and that of [Tempe](/source/Vale_of_Tempe) are the only two leading from [Macedon](/source/Macedon)ia into the northeast of Thessaly.<ref>{{Cite Livy|42.53}}</ref><ref>{{Cite Ptolemy|3.13.42}}</ref>

==History==
During the reign of [Amyntas III](/source/Amyntas_III) or [Philip II](/source/Philip_II_of_Macedon), the Tripolis  was annexed to Macedon. According to [Theagenes](/source/Theagenes_(historian)) the inhabitants of [Balla](/source/Balla_(Pieria)) were relocated to Pythion. So we find in 3rd century BC an epigram regarding Philarchos son of Hellanion, Macedonian [Elimiote](/source/Elimiotis) from Pythion, [proxenos](/source/proxenos) in Delphi.<ref>[http://epigraphy.packhum.org/inscriptions/oi?ikey=240649&bookid=452&region=3&subregion=7 FD III 4:417]</ref><ref>City and sanctuary in ancient Greece: the Theorodokia in the Peloponnese By Paula Jean Perlman Page 127 {{ISBN|3-525-25218-8}}</ref>

During the [Roman–Seleucid War](/source/Roman%E2%80%93Seleucid_War), the Tripolis was ravaged by an army of [Aetolians](/source/Aetolians) in the year 191&nbsp;BCE<ref>{{Cite Livy|36.10}}</ref> During the [Third Macedonian War](/source/Third_Macedonian_War) the three towns surrendered to the army of [Perseus of Macedon](/source/Perseus_of_Macedon) in the year 171&nbsp;BCE,<ref>{{Cite Livy|42.53}}</ref> but that same year the [Romans](/source/ancient_Rome) reconquered the three.<ref>{{Cite Livy|42.67}}</ref> In the year 169&nbsp;BCE troops arrived from the Roman consul [Quintus Marcius Philippus](/source/Quintus_Marcius_Philippus_(consul_186_BC)) who camped between Azorus and Doliche.<ref>{{Cite Polybius|28.13.1}}</ref><ref>{{Cite Livy|44.2}}</ref>

The three cities minted a common coin with the inscription "ΤΡΙΠΟΛΙΤΑΝ".<ref>{{cite book|author= Mogens Herman Hansen & Thomas Heine Nielsen |title= An inventory of archaic and classical poleis|year= 2004|publisher= [Oxford University Press](/source/Oxford_University_Press)|location=New York|isbn= 0-19-814099-1|chapter= Thessaly and Adjacent Regions|pages= 721–722}}</ref>

Although the site is occupied by a modern town of [Pythio](/source/Pythio%2C_Larissa), virtually no remains of the ancient town have been discovered there.<ref>{{Cite DGRG|title=Pythium}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}
*{{SmithDGRG|title=Pythium}}

{{Authority control}}

{{Coord|40.05773|N|22.21913|E|format=dms|display=title|source:http://dare.ht.lu.se/places/34669.html}}

Category:Cities in ancient Greece
Category:Populated places in ancient Thessaly
Category:Former populated places in Greece
Category:Apollo
Category:Mount Olympus
Category:Macedonian colonies in Thessaly
Category:Perrhaebia
Category:Thessalian city-states
Category:Elassona

{{AncientThessaly-geo-stub}}

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