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Destinations Guide

DYMI (KTA), Ancient city, PATRA


Information on the area


Mythology (6)

Historic figures

Dymas

Perseus Encyclopedia

Dymas, (Dumas), a son of Aegimius, and brother of Pamphylus and Hyllus. The three tribes into which each Doric state was divided, derived their names from these three brothers, and were called accordingly Hylleis, Dymanes, and Pamphyli. Dymas and Pamphylus were believed to have lived from the time of Heracles until the conquest of Peloponnesus, when both fell. (Apollod ii. 8.3; Schol. ad Pind. Pyth. li. 121, where the third brother is called Dorus; Paus. vii. 16.3.) There are three other mythical personages of this name. (Hom. Il. xvi. 719; Apollod. iii. 12.5 ; Ov. Met. xi. 761; Hom. Od. vi. 22; Virg. Aen. ii 310, 428.)

This text is from: A dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology, 1873 (ed. William Smith). Cited Oct 2005 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks


Ancient myths

Heroes

Sostratus

A Dymaean, loved by Herakles, his tomb.

Ancient literary sources (2)

Perseus Encyclopedia

Dyme

A town in Achaea, anciently called Palea, annexed by Augustus to Patrae, Aratus defeated by Cleomenes at.

Strabo

Dyme

   And he ( Hecataeus of Miletus) says, further, that Dyme is an Epeian and an Achaean city. However, the early historians say many things that are not true, because they were accustomed to falsehoods on account of the use of myths in their writings; and on this account, too, they do not agree with one another concerning the same things. Yet it is not incredible that the Epeians, even if they were once at variance with the Eleians and belonged to a different race, later became united with the Eleians as the result of prevailing over them, and with them formed one common state; and that they prevailed even as far as Dyme. For although the poet has not named Dyme, it is not unreasonable to suppose that in his time Dyme belonged to the Epeians, and later to the Ionians, or, if not to them, at all events to the Achaeans who took possession of their country.

This extract is from: The Geography of Strabo (ed. H. L. Jones, 1924), Cambridge. Harvard University Press. Cited Dec 2003 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains comments & interesting hyperlinks.


History (2)

Foundation/Settlement of the place

Eight small towns co-settled to create Dyme in 750 BC.

Battles

Between Lacedaemonians and Achaeans

Cleomenes, the son of Leonidas, the son of Cleonymus, king of the other royal house, won a decisive victory at Dyme over the Sicyonians under Aratus, who attacked him, and afterwards concluded a peace with the Achaeans and Antigonus.

Information about the place (3)

Perseus Project index

Perseus Project index : Dyme, Palea, Paleia

Harpers Dictionary of Classical Antiquities

Dyme

(Dume) or Dymae (Dumai). A town in the west of Achaia, near the coast; one of the twelve Achaean towns.

Greek & Roman Geography (ed. William Smith)

Dyme

  (Dume, Dymae, Liv. xxvii. 31: Eth. Dumaios, also Dumios, Steph. B. s. v., Dymaeus, Cic. ad Att. xvi. 1; The territory he Dumaia, Pol. v. 17: nr. Karavostasi).
  A town of Achaia, and the most westerly of the 12 Achaean cities, from which circumstance it is said to have derived its name. (Herod. i. 145; Pol. ii. 41; Strab. viii. p. 387.) It was situated near the coast, according to Strabo 60 stadia from the promontory Araxus, and according to Pausanias 30 stadia from the river Larisus, which separated its territory from Elis. It is further said by Strabo (viii.) to have been formed out of an union of 8 villages, one of which was called Teuthea; and it is probable, that some of the different names, by which the city is said to have been called, were originally the names of the separate villages. Thus, its more ancient name is stated by Pausanias to have been Paleia (Paleia), and by Strabo to have been Stratus (Stratos). The poet Antimachus gave it the epithet Cauconis, which was derived by some from the iron Caucon in the neighbourhood, and by others from the Caucones, who were supposed to have originally inhabited this district. (Strab., Paus. vii. 17. § 5, seq.) After the death of Alexander the Great, Dyme fell into the hands of Cassander, but his troops were driven out of the city by Aristodemus, the general of Antigonus, B.C. 314. (Diod. xix. 66.) This city had the honour, along with Patrae, of reviving the Achaean League in 280; and about this time or shortly afterwards its population received an accession from some of the inhabitants of Olenus, who abandoned their town. (Pol. ii. 41.) In the Social War (B.C. 220, seq.), the territory of Dyme, from its proximity to Elis, was frequently laid waste by the Eleans. (Pol. iv. 59, 60, v. 17.) It is mentioned by Livy in the history of the war between Philip and the Romans, and Pausanias says that, in consequence of its being the only one of the Achaean cities which espoused the cause of the Macedonian king, it was plundered by the Romans (Paus. l. c.). From this blow it never recovered; and it is said to have been without inhabitants when Pompey settled here a large number of Cilician pirates. In the civil wars which followed, some of these new inhabitants were expelled from their lands, and resumed in consequence their old occupation. (Strab. pp. 387, 665; Appian Mithr. 96; Plut. Pomp. 28; Cic. ad Att. xvi. 1, Dymaeos agro pulses mare infestum habere, nil miruim.) Both Strabo and Pliny (iv. 6) call Dyme a colony; but this statement appears to be a mistake, since we know that Dyme was one of the towns placed under the authority of Patrae, when it was made a Roman colony by Augustus (Paus. l. c.); and we are expressly told that no other Achaean town except Patrae was allowed the privilege of self-government. The remains of Dyme are to be seen near the modern village of Karavostasi.
  In the territory of Dyme, near the promontory Araxus, there was a fortress, called Teichos, which was said to have been built by Hercules, when he made war upon the Eleans. It was only a stadium and a half in circumference, but its walls were 30 cubits high. It was taken by the Eleans under Euripides in the Social War, B.C. 220, but it was recovered by Philip and restored to the Dymaeans in the following year. Its site is perhaps occupied by the castle of Kallogria. (Pol. iv. 59, 88) There were also two other places in the territory of Dyme, between the city and the frontiers of Elis, named Hecatombeon (Ekatombaion) and Langon (Langon, the latter of which, however, appears properly to have belonged to the Eleans. Near Hecatombaeon Aratus and the Achaeans were defeated by Cleomenes, who followed up his victory by gaining possession of Langon, B.C. 224. (Pol. ii. 51; Plut. Cleom. 14.)

This text is from: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854) (ed. William Smith, LLD). Cited May 2004 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks


Archaeological sites (1)

Ancient walls

Dymaion Wall

Monuments reported by ancient authors (2)

Ancient temples

Temple of Athena

The people of Dyme have a temple of Athena with an extremely ancient image.

Ancient sanctuaries

Sanctuary of Dindymenian Mother and Attis

The people of Dyme have a temple of Athena with an extremely ancient image; they have as well a sanctuary built for the Dindymenian mother and Attis.

Biographies (1)

Generals

Aristaenetus

Aristaenetus(Aristainetos), of Dymae, an Achaean general, the commander of the Achaean cavalry on the right wing in the battle of Mantineia, B. C. 207. (Polyb. xi. 11)

Olympic games (1)

Ancient olympic champions, stadium

Oebotas

Son of Oenias, a Dymaean, Olympic victor, his grave, sacrifices offered to him, his statue at Olympia.

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