Aipy or Aepy ( grc, Αἶπυ) was a city in ancient Elis,

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders wit ...

. It was one of the oldest towns in Elis, mentioned by

Homer Homer (; grc, Ὅμηρος , ''Hómēros'') (born ) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the '' Iliad'' and the '' Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of ...

in the

Catalogue of Ships The Catalogue of Ships ( grc, νεῶν κατάλογος, ''neōn katálogos'') is an epic catalogue in Book 2 of Homer's ''Iliad'' (2.494–759), which lists the contingents of the Achaean army that sailed to Troy. The catalogue gives the nam ...

in ''

Iliad The ''Iliad'' (; grc, Ἰλιάς, Iliás, ; "a poem about Ilium") is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the '' Odys ...

'', as one of the territories ruled by

Nestor Nestor may refer to: * Nestor (mythology), King of Pylos in Greek mythology Arts and entertainment * "Nestor" (''Ulysses'' episode) an episode in James Joyce's novel ''Ulysses'' * Nestor Studios, first-ever motion picture studio in Hollywood, L ...

. Homer uses the expression "ἐΰκτιτον Αίπυ" (ἐΰκτιτον means "well-built" and Αίπυ, the town's name, means "steep"). It is also quoted in the '' Homeric Hymn to Apollo''. There are those who believe that the name corresponds to the toponym ''A-pu2'' cited in tablets in Linear B. Its location is a mystery, which has occupied minds since at least the time of Strabo, who commented it could be considered that Aipy should be identified with a city called Margana or with a natural bastion located near

Makistos Macistus or Makistos (), or Macistum or Makiston (Μάκιστον), was a city of ancient Elis, in Greece. It is one of the six cities (along with Lepreum, Phrixae, Pyrgus, Epium, and Nudium) founded by the Minyans in the territory of the Paror ...

. It may the same as the later Epeium, a town of

Triphylia Triphylia ( el, Τριφυλία, ''Trifylia'', "the country of the three tribes") was an area of the ancient Peloponnese. Strabo and Pausanias both describe Triphylia as part of Elis, and it fell at times under the domination of the city of E ...

, which was located on a mountain, between Macistus and Heraea. The site of Epeium is tentatively identified with a site near Tripiti. Others suggest that Aipy was the later Typaneae, and locate its site between the present villages Platiana and

(both in the municipal unit of

Skillounta Skillounta is a former municipality in Elis, West Greece, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Andritsaina-Krestena, of which it is a municipal unit. The municipal unit has an area of 194.409 km2. It i ...

), where a wall of the ancient

acropolis An acropolis was the settlement of an upper part of an ancient Greek city, especially a citadel, and frequently a hill with precipitous sides, mainly chosen for purposes of defense. The term is typically used to refer to the Acropolis of Athens, ...

survives into the present, together with a theatre and an

agora The agora (; grc, ἀγορά, romanized: ', meaning "market" in Modern Greek) was a central public space in ancient Greek city-states. It is the best representation of a city-state's response to accommodate the social and political order ...

(market), now entirely in ruins.Πλατιανα
/ref>

References

Cities in ancient Peloponnese Populated places in ancient Elis Former populated places in Greece Locations in the Iliad {{ancientElis-geo-stub