Crithote (Thrace)

Crithote or Krithote (Ancient Greek: Κριθωτή or Κριθώτη) was an ancient Greek[1] city located in Thrace, located in the region of the Thracian Chersonesos. It was on the Hellespont north of Gallipolis, and founded by Miltiades.[2] It is cited in the Periplus of Pseudo-Scylax among the cities of the Thracian Chersonesos: Aegospotami, Cressa, Crithote, and Pactya.[3]

At the time of Strabo it was in ruins. The geographer places it between the cities of Callipolis and Pactya.[4] Pliny the Elder, for his part, says it was adjacent to the Propontis, where were also the cities of Tiristasis and Cissa.[5]

Isocrates highlights the excellent situation, from the strategic point of view, of the city, as a point of control of the Hellespont. Wherefore, the year 365 BCE, it was conquered, along with Sestos, by the Athenians under the command of Timotheus.[6]

Bronze coins minted by Crithote are preserved, dated between 350 BCE and 281 BCE, with the inscriptions ΚΡΙ, ΚΡΙΘΟ o ΚΡΙΘΟΥΣΙΩΝ.[1]

Its site is located 2 miles (3 km) est of Gelibolu, in European Turkey.[7][8]

See also

• Greek colonies in Thrace

References

1. Mogens Herman Hansen and Thomas Heine Nielsen (2004). "Thracian Chersonese". An inventory of archaic and classical poleis. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 907–908. ISBN 0-19-814099-1.
2. William Hazlitt (1851). Classical Gazetteer. London. p. 124.
3. Periplus of Pseudo-Scylax, p. 67.
4. Strabo VII, fragment 55.
5. Pliny the Elder, Natural History, IV, 18.
6. Isocrates XV, 108; XV, 112.
7. Richard Talbert, ed. (2000). Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World. Princeton University Press. p. 51, and directory notes accompanying.
8. Lund University. Digital Atlas of the Roman Empire.