Rhypes

Rhypes (Ancient Greek: Ῥύπες), or Rhypae or Rhypai (Ῥύπαι)[1] was a polis (city-state)[2] of ancient Achaea, 30 stadia west of Aegium, and was one of the original twelve Achaean cities.[3] It had ceased to be a member of the Achaean League in the time of Polybius, who mentions Leontium in its place.[4] Rhypes, however, continued to exist down to the time of Augustus; but this emperor destroyed the city and transferred its inhabitants to Patrae, and its territory (Ῥυπίς, or ἡ Ῥυπική) was divided between Aegium and Pharae.[5] Its ruins were seen by Pausanias, in the 2nd century, at a short distance from the main road from Aegium to Patrae.[6] We learn from Strabo that this town was mentioned by Aeschylus as κεραυνίας Ῥύπας, or "Rhypes stricken by the thunderbolt." It was the birthplace of Myscellus, the founder of Croton.[7]

In the territory of Rhypes there was a suburb called Leuctrum (Λεῦκτρον),[7] and also a seaport named Erineum (Ἐρινεόν or Ἐρινεὸς λιμήν) which is mentioned by Thucydides,[8] and which is described by Pausanias as 60 stadia from Aegium.[9][10]

The site of Rhypes is located south of modern Koumari.[11][12]

See also

• List of ancient Greek cities

References

1. Stephanus of Byzantium. Ethnica. s.v.
2. Mogens Herman Hansen & Thomas Heine Nielsen (2004). "Achaia". An inventory of archaic and classical poleis. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 485–486. ISBN 0-19-814099-1.
3. Herodotus. Histories. 1.145.
4. Polybius. The Histories. 2.41.
5. Pausanias. Description of Greece. 7.18.7.
6. Pausanias. Description of Greece. 7.6.1. , 7.23.4.
7. Strabo. Geographica. 8.7.5. Page numbers refer to those of Isaac Casaubon's edition.
8. Thucydides. History of the Peloponnesian War. 7.34.
9. Pausanias. Description of Greece. 7.22.10.
10. Pliny. Naturalis Historia. 4.6.
11. Lund University. Digital Atlas of the Roman Empire.
12. Richard Talbert, ed. (2000). Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World. Princeton University Press. p. 58, and directory notes accompanying.

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