Crithote (Thrace)

Crithote or Krithote (Ancient Greek: Κριθωτή or Κριθώτη) was an ancient Greek^[1] city located in Thrace, located in the region of the Thracian Chersonesos. It was on the Hellespont north of Gallipolis, and was an Athenian colony founded by Miltiades.^[2][3] It is cited in the Periplus of Pseudo-Scylax among the cities of the Thracian Chersonesos: Aegospotami, Cressa, Crithote, and Pactya.^[4]

At the time of Strabo it was in ruins. The geographer places it between the cities of Callipolis and Pactya.^[5] Pliny the Elder, for his part, says it was adjacent to the Propontis, where were also the cities of Tiristasis and Cissa.^[6]

Isocrates highlights the excellent situation, from the strategic point of view, of the city, as a point of control of the Hellespont. Wherefore, the year 365 BCE, it was conquered, along with Sestos, by the Athenians under the command of Timotheus.^[7]

Bronze coins minted by Crithote are preserved, dated between 350 BCE and 281 BCE, with the inscriptions ΚΡΙ, ΚΡΙΘΟ o ΚΡΙΘΟΥΣΙΩΝ.^[1]

Its site is located 2 miles (3 km) east of Gelibolu, in Çanakkale Province, Turkey.^[8][9]

See also

• Greek colonies in Thrace

References

1. Mogens Herman Hansen and Thomas Heine Nielsen (2004). "Thracian Chersonese". An inventory of archaic and classical poleis. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 907–908. ISBN 0-19-814099-1.
2. William Hazlitt (1851). Classical Gazetteer. London. p. 124.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
3. Suda, kappa, 2417
4. Periplus of Pseudo-Scylax, p. 67.
5. Strabo VII, fragment 55.
6. Pliny the Elder, Natural History, IV, 18.
7. Isocrates XV, 108; XV, 112.
8. Richard Talbert, ed. (2000). Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World. Princeton University Press. p. 51, and directory notes accompanying. ISBN 978-0-691-03169-9.
9. Lund University. Digital Atlas of the Roman Empire.

40°24′24″N 26°39′06″E