Anciently, Magnesia ( grc, Μαγνησία) was a

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...

Ancient Greece Ancient Greece ( el, Ἑλλάς, Hellás) was a northeastern Mediterranean civilization, existing from the Greek Dark Ages of the 12th–9th centuries BC to the end of classical antiquity ( AD 600), that comprised a loose collection of cult ...

, eventually absorbed by

ancient Thessaly Thessaly or Thessalia (Attic Greek: , ''Thessalía'' or , ''Thettalía'') was one of the traditional regions of Ancient Greece. During the Mycenaean period, Thessaly was known as Aeolia, a name that continued to be used for one of the major tribes ...

. Originally inhabited by the

Magnetes The Magnetes (Greek: ) were an ancient Greek tribe. In book 2 of the ''Iliad,'' Homer includes them in the Greek Army that is besieging Troy, and identifies their homeland in Thessaly, in a part that is still known as Magnesia. They later also con ...

(Μάγνητες), Magnesia was the long and narrow slip of country between Mounts Ossa and

Pelion Pelion or Pelium (Modern el, Πήλιο, ''Pílio''; Ancient Greek/Katharevousa: Πήλιον, ''Pēlion'') is a mountain at the southeastern part of Thessaly in northern Greece, forming a hook-like peninsula between the Pagasetic Gulf and the ...

on the west and the sea on the east, and extending from the mouth of the Peneius on the north to the Pagasaean Gulf on the south. The Magnetes were members of the

Amphictyonic League In Archaic Greece, an amphictyony ( grc-gre, ἀμφικτυονία, a "league of neighbors"), or amphictyonic league, was an ancient religious association of tribes formed before the rise of the Greek ''poleis''. The six Dorian cities of coasta ...

, and were settled in this district in the

Homeric 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 t ...

times, and mentioned in the ''

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 ''Odyss ...

''. The Thessalian Magnetes are said to have founded the Asiatic cities of

Magnesia ad Sipylum Magnesia Sipylum ( el, Mαγνησία ἡ πρὸς Σιπύλῳ or ; modern Manisa, Turkey) was a city of Lydia, situated about 65 km northeast of Smyrna (now İzmir) on the river Hermus (now Gediz) at the foot of Mount Sipylus. The ...

and

Magnesia on the Maeander Magnesia or Magnesia on the Maeander ( grc, Μαγνησία ἡ πρὸς Μαιάνδρῳ or ; la, Magnesia ad Maeandrum) was an ancient Greek city in Ionia, considerable in size, at an important location commercially and strategically in ...

.Aristot. ''ap. Athen.'' 4.173; Conon 29; The towns of Magnesia were:

Aesonis Aeson or Aison ( grc, Αἰσών), also Aesonis or Aisonis (Αἰσώνίς), was a town of Magnesia in ancient Thessaly, the name of which is derived from Aeson, the father of Jason Jason ( ; ) was an ancient Greek mythological hero and le ...

Aphetae Aphetae or Aphetai ( grc, Ἀφεταί or Ἀφέται) was a port of Magnesia in Ancient Thessaly, said to have derived its name from the departure of the Argonauts from it. The Persian fleet occupied the bay of Aphetae, previous to the Battle ...

, Boebe,

Casthanaea Casthanaea or Casthanea or Kasthanaia or Kasthaneia ( gr, Κασθαναία) or Castanea or Kastanaia (Κασταναία) was a town and polis (city-state) of Ancient Magnesia, at the foot of Mount Pelium, with a temple of Aphrodite Casthanit ...

, Cercinium, Coracae, Demetrias, Eurymenae,

Glaphyrae Glaphyrae ( grc, Γλαφυραί) was a town of Magnesia in ancient Thessaly, mentioned by Homer in the Catalogue of Ships along with Boebe and Iolcus After which, the name does not subsequently occur in history. William Martin Leake Willi ...

, Homole or Homolium,

Iolcus Iolcus (; also rendered ''Iolkos'' ; grc, Ἰωλκός and Ἰαωλκός; grc-x-doric, Ἰαλκός; ell, Ιωλκός) is an ancient city, a modern village and a former municipality in Magnesia, Thessaly, Greece. Since the 2011 local gove ...

, Magnesia,

Meliboea In Greek mythology, Meliboea or Meliboia ( grc, Μελίβοια) was a name attributed to the following individuals: *Meliboea, daughter of the Titan Oceanus possibly by his sister-wife Tethys. She was the Oceanid who became the mother of King ...

, Methone,

Mylae Milazzo ( Sicilian: ''Milazzu''; la, Mylae; ) is a town (''comune'') in the Metropolitan City of Messina, Sicily, southern Italy; it is the largest commune in the Metropolitan City after Messina and Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto. The town has a p ...

Nelia Nelia or Neleia ( grc, Νηλία or Νήλεια) was a town of Magnesia in ancient Thessaly; Demetrias was situated between it and Iolcus. Strabo Strabo''Strabo'' (meaning "squinty", as in strabismus) was a term employed by the Romans for ...

Olizon Olizon ( grc, Ὀλιζών) was an ancient Greek town and polis (city-state) of Magnesia located in the region of Thessaly.. Olizon is mentioned by Homer, who gives it the epithet of "rugged"; and in the Catalogue of Ships in the ''Iliad'', O ...

Pagasae Pagasae or Pagases ( el, Παγασαί, Pagasaí), also Pagasa, was a town and polis (city-state) of Magnesia in ancient Thessaly, currently a suburb of Volos. It is situated at the northern extremity of the bay named after it (Παγασητι ...

Rhizus :''Rhizus may also refer to Ριζαίον on the Black Sea, modern Rize.'' Rhizus or Rhizous ( el, Ριζούς (ο)) was a town and polis of Magnesia in ancient Thessaly, whose inhabitants were transported by Demetrios Poliorketes to Demetr ...

, Spalaethra, and Thaumacia.

References

* Geography of ancient Thessaly Historical regions in Greece {{AncientThessaly-geo-stub