Epeium

Epeium or Epeion (Ancient Greek: Ἤπειον or Ήπειον)[1] or Epium or Epion (Ἔπιον[2] or Ήπιον[3]) or Aepion or Aipion (Αἰπίον or Αἴπιον)[4] was a town of Triphylia in ancient Elis, which stood between Makistos and Heraea, and may have been the successor settlement to Homeric Aepy.[5] It is one of the six cities (along with Lepreum, Macistus, Phrixae, Pyrgus, and Nudium) founded by the Minyans in the territory of Paroreatae and Caucones.[2]

At the beginning of the 5th century BCE, it was a community of perioeci of Elis.[6] According to Xenophon, the Eleans claimed that they had bought the town from its owners for 30 talents; the identity of these "owners" is unknown.[1] Xenophon's phrase suggests that at the time of the sale, Epeium was not controlled by its original population.[7] It has been suggested that it belonged to the Arcadians.[8]

Towards the year 400 BCE, Epeium was liberated from the Elean government and made autonomous.[9] It probably joined the Triphylian federation. In 369 BCE, it was a member of the Arcadian League.[10]

The site is tentatively located near modern Tripiti (formerly called Bitsibardi).[11][12] Archaeologists have discovered the foundations of an old structure, a retaining wall and many tiles.[13] The first researchers found walls of ashlar, ceramics of the Classical Period, and blocks and drums of columns. The acropolis occupies an area of 150 x 25 m (500 x 80 ft).[14]

References
  1. Xenophon. Hellenica. 3.2.30.
  2. Herodotus. Histories. 4.148.4.
  3. Stephanus of Byzantium. Ethnica. s.v.
  4. Polybius. The Histories. 4.77.9.
  5.  Smith, William, ed. (1854–1857). "Aepy". Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography. London: John Murray.
  6. Roy, Jim (1997). "The periokoi of Elis. Polis & Politics". Papers from the Copenhagen Polis Centre 4. Historia Enxelschriften 180: 283–285.
  7. Mogens Herman Hansen & Thomas Heine Nielsen (2004). "Elis". An inventory of archaic and classical poleis. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 542. ISBN 0-19-814099-1.
  8. Roy, Jim (1997). "The periokoi of Elis. Polis & Politics". Papers from the Copenhagen Polis Centre 4. Historia Enxelschriften: 290.
  9. Xenophon. Hellenica. 3.2.31.
  10. Nielsen, Thomas Heine (1997). "Triphylia: An Experiment in Ethnic Construction and Political organisation». Yet More Studies in the Ancient Greek Polis". Papers from the Copenhagen Polis Centre 4. Historia Enxelschriften 180: 152–154.
  11. Richard Talbert, ed. (2000). Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World. Princeton University Press. p. 58, and directory notes accompanying.
  12. Lund University. Digital Atlas of the Roman Empire.
  13. Pritchett, William Kendrick (1989). Studies in Ancient Topography: Part VI. Berkeley. p. 52. ISBN 978-05-200-9746-9.
  14. Mogens Herman Hansen & Thomas Heine Nielsen (2004). "Elis". An inventory of archaic and classical poleis. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 543. ISBN 0-19-814099-1.


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