Larissa Phrikonis

Larissa (Ancient Greek: Λάρισσα) or Larisa (Λάρισα) Phrikonis[4] was a Bronze Age city in the Aegean Region of Turkey. It is in the immediate vicinity of Menemen, in the district of İzmir province.[5] The ruins of the city are on a hill top next to today's Buruncuk village. The main road to Çanakkale from İzmir skirts the same hill, making a considerable curve to the northwest. It must also be emphasized that Larissa is very close to the Gediz River (called 'Hermus' in antiquity), which formed a fertile plain on its own delta, with the alluvial soil carried from the Anatolian inland.

Larissa Phrikonis

Shown within Turkey
Location	Turkey
History
Founded	III millennium BC

Aeolians, Larissa Phrikonis, IV cen. b. C., Bronze (17mm, 5.82g, 11h). Obverse: Female head l., hair bound in sphendone. Reverse: Amphora; caduceus to l., grape bunch to r. Inscription: ΛΑΡΙ[ΣΑΙ]. Rare. Green patina, Grading VF[1][2][3]

The first nucleus of Larissa formed during the third millennium BC. The city survived all through the Persian and Hellenistic periods, though it was largely destroyed during the Peloponnesian War in 405 BC. Larissa was rebuilt after the War but was annihilated by the Galatians (Celts) in 279 BC.[5] It is known as one of the twelve Aeolian cities. Strabo considered that this Larissa was the one mentioned in Homer's Iliad.[6][7] Xenophon writes that Cyrus the Great established a colony of Egyptian soldiers there.[8] Xenophon also relates that it was besieged in vain by Thimbrom.[8] In Strabo's time it was deserted,[7] although it is mentioned by other ancient geographers such as Pliny the Elder,[9] Ptolemy,[10] and Stephanus of Byzantium.[11]

The first excavations in Larissa were initiated in 1902 by Swedish and German archeologists.[5] The findings were taken to Stockholm and to İstanbul archeological museums.

References

1. SNG Tübingen, 2708 var. (head l.).
2. David R. Sear, "Greek Coins and Their Values", Seaby, #4212
3. https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces113447.html Numista
4. Francesco Ambrosoli (1833). Paolo Andrea Molina (ed.). Della geografia di Strabone. vol. III. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
5. A. M. Mansel (1961). Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana (ed.). Larisa sull'Hermos. Enciclopedia dell'Arte Antica. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
6. Homer. Iliad. 2.840.
7. Strabo. Geographica. xiii. p. 621. Page numbers refer to those of Isaac Casaubon's edition.
8. Xenophon. Hellenica. 3.1.7.
9. Pliny. Naturalis Historia. 5.32.
10. Ptolemy. The Geography. 5.2.5.
11. Stephanus of Byzantium. Ethnica. s.v.

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Smith, William, ed. (1854–1857). "Larissa". Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography. London: John Murray.