Phylace (Thessaly)

Phylace or Phylake (Ancient Greek: Φυλάκη, [ˌfyˈlaˌkɛː]), was a town and polis (city-state) of Phthiotis in ancient Thessaly.^[1] According to Greek mythology, this city was founded by Phylacus. In Ancient Greece, Phylace was a kingdom. Homer writes that this was one of the places subject to Protesilaus, who was the first Greek hero killed in the Trojan War, and the place is frequently mentioned in the Homeric poems.^[2][3][4][5] It contained a temple of Protesilaus.^[6] Pliny erroneously calls it a town of Magnesia.^[7] Strabo describes it as standing between Pharsalus and Phthiotic Thebes, at the distance of about 100 stadia from the latter.^[8]

Phylace

Φυλάκη
The archaeological site of ancient Phylake.
Shown within Greece
Alternative name	Kitiki
Location	Filaki, Almyros
Region	Magnesia, Thessaly, Greece
Coordinates	39°14′28″N 22°36′04″E
Type	Ancient city, hillfort
Part of	Ancient Phthiotis
History
Founded	Neolithic period
Abandoned	Hellenistic period
Cultures	Ancient Greece

The site of ancient Phylace has traditionally been identified with a low hill at Kitiki (renamed Filaki), in the municipal unit of Filaki.^{[9][10][11][12]} As no inscriptions have been found at this location confirming the identification, it must be regarded as tentative. Another candidate is the hill of Dervisi close to Aerino (formerly Persoufli).^[12]