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Datus (Greece)

Datus or Datos, also Datum or Daton, was an ancient Greek city located in Macedonia, specifically in the region between the river Strymon and the river Nestos. It was founded by colonists from Thasos at 360 BCE, with the help and support of the Athenian exiled orator Callistratus of Aphidnae. Datos was a seaport, close to Mount Pangaion with its rich gold veins and to another Thasian colony, Crenides. The two colonies provoked the Thracians but at the same time gave Philip II of Macedon the justification for penetrating the area and founding Philippi in 356 BCE. The name was also applied to a wide region. There was some conjecture that Datus was the same as the later Neapolis, A proverb current in antiquity celebrated Datus for its "good things."

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Datus or Datos (Ancient Greek: Δάτος), also Datum or Daton (Δάτον and Δᾶτον), was an ancient Greek city1 located in Macedonia, specifically in the region between the river Strymon and the river Nestos. It was founded by colonists from Thasos at 360 BCE, with the help and support of the Athenian exiled orator Callistratus of Aphidnae.2 Datos was a seaport,3 close to Mount Pangaion with its rich gold veins4 and to another Thasian colony, Crenides. The two colonies provoked the Thracians but at the same time gave Philip II of Macedon the justification for penetrating the area and founding Philippi in 356 BCE. The name was also applied to a wide region.5 There was some conjecture that Datus was the same as the later Neapolis (near modern Kavala),6 A proverb current in antiquity celebrated Datus for its "good things."7

See also

See also

References

References

  1. An Inventory of Archaic and Classical Poleis: An Investigation Conducted by The Copenhagen Polis Centre for the Danish National Research Foundation by Mogens Herman Hansen, 2005, Index
  2. An Inventory of Archaic and Classical Poleis: An Investigation Conducted by The Copenhagen Polis Centre for the Danish National Research Foundation by Mogens Herman Hansen, 2005, page 855
  3. Strabo. Geographica. Vol. vii. p. 311. Page numbers refer to those of Isaac Casaubon's edition.
  4. Herodotus. Histories. Vol. 9.75.
  5. Benjamin H. Isaac, The Greek Settlements in Thrace Until the Macedonian Conquest, p. 30.
  6.  Smith, William, ed. (1854–1857). "Neapolis". Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography. London: John Murray.
  7. Zenob. Prov. Graec. Cent. 3.71; Harpocrat. s.v. Δάτος

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