38°55′22″N 22°01′58″E / 38.922808°N 22.03278°E / 38.922808; 22.03278 Sperchiae or Sperchiai (Ancient Greek: Σπέρχεια) or Spercheiae or Spercheiai (Σπερχείαι)1 was a fortress in Ainis in ancient Thessaly, which, according to the description of Livy, would seem to have been situated at no great distance from the sources of the Spercheius.2 Ptolemy mentions a place Spercheia between Echinus and Thebes in Phthiotis;3 and Pliny the Elder places Sperchios in Doris.4 William Smith concludes it probable that these three names indicate the same place.5 Livy relates that the place was destroyed by the Aetolians in 198 BCE.2
Sperchiae's site is at a place called Kastrorakhi.67
References
References
- Mogens Herman Hansen & Thomas Heine Nielsen (2004). "Thessaly and Adjacent Regions". An inventory of archaic and classical poleis. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 684. ISBN 0-19-814099-1.
- Livy. Ab urbe condita Libri [History of Rome]. Vol. 32.13.
- Ptolemy. The Geography. Vol. 3.13.17.
- Pliny. Naturalis Historia. Book 4.7.13.
- Smith, William, ed. (1854–1857). "Sperchiae". Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography. London: John Murray.
- Talbert, Richard, ed. (2000). Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World. Princeton University Press. p. 55. ISBN 978-0-691-03169-9, with accompanying Map-by-Map Directory.
- Lund University. Digital Atlas of the Roman Empire.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Smith, William, ed. (1854–1857). "Sperchiae". Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography. London: John Murray.