Mount Thourion
| Mount Thourion | |
|---|---|
| Thurium Mons | |
  Mount Thourion Location of Mount Thourion in Greece | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 188 m (617 ft) |
| Coordinates | 38°30′0.91″N 22°49′28.05″E / 38.5002528°N 22.8244583°E |
| Geography | |
| Location | Central Greece |
| Climbing | |
| First ascent | Antiquity |
| Easiest route | Hike |
Mount Thourion or Thurium Mons was the name of a conical hill in Ancient Greece. A temple to the cult of the Muses may have been situated here.[1]
The location of the hill was gradually forgotten[2] and was rediscovered in February 1990 by an archaeologist and four graduate students from the University of California, Berkeley.[3] In Plutarch's “Life of Sulla”, the hill is noted as having been the site of a monument to two townsmen of Chaeronea named Homoloichos and Anaxidamos, for their assistance to Sulla during the Battle of Chaeronea. The two showed Sulla's troops a back way up Thourion, enabling them to surprise the invading Pontic soldiers.[4]
In gratitude, a monument was erected on the summit with their names carved on it in Greek letters.[5] The rediscovered monument was a marble block, about three feet wide and one foot high, inscribed with three words “HOMOLOICHOS,” “ANAXIDAMOS,” and “aristis” (Greek for heroes).[6]
A site likely to be that of the temple of Apollo Thourios was also found.
References
[edit]- ^ Jennifer Larson (2001). Greek Nymphs: Myth, Cult, Lore. p. 138. ISBN 0-19-514465-1.
- ^ Pritchett, W. Kendrick (1 July 1958). "Observations on Chaironeia". American Journal of Archaeology. 62 (3): 307–311. doi:10.2307/501959. JSTOR 501959. S2CID 191378872.
- ^ Camp, John; Ierardi, Michael; McInerney, Jeremy; Morgan, Kathryn; Umholtz, Gretchen (July 1992). "A Trophy from the Battle of Chaironeia of 86 B. C.". American Journal of Archaeology. 96 (3): 443–455. doi:10.2307/506067. JSTOR 506067. S2CID 191377509.
- ^ Plutarch (1916). "Life of Sulla". The Parallel Lives. Vol. IV (Loeb Classical Library ed.). p. 385. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
As Sulla drew near to Chaeroneia, the tribune who had been stationed in the city, with his men in full armour, came to meet him, carrying a wreath of laurel. 6 After Sulla had accepted this, greeted the soldiers, and animated them for the coming danger, two men of Chaeroneia accosted him, Homoloïchus and Anaxidamus, and engaged to cut off the troops in possession of Thurium if he would give them a few soldiers; for there was a path out of sight of the Barbarians, leading from the so‑called Petrachus along past the Museum to that part of Thurium which was over their heads, and by taking this path it would not be difficult, they said, to fall upon them and either stone them to death from above, or force them into the plain.
- ^ Plutarch (1916). "Life of Sulla". The Parallel Lives. Vol. IV (Loeb Classical Library ed.). p. 391. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
... here is another planted on the crest of Thurium, to commemorate the envelopment of the Barbarians there, and it indicates in Greek letters that Homoloïchus and Anaxidamus were the heroes of the exploit.
- ^ Seff, Philip (1996). "Birth of a Legend". Petrified lightning and more amazing stories from "Our fascinating earth". Chicago, Ill: Contemporary Books. pp. 123–4. ISBN 0-8092-3250-2.
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