Damalis () was a coastal town of

ancient Bithynia Bithynia (; ) was an ancient region, kingdom and Roman province in the northwest of Asia Minor (present-day Turkey), adjoining the Sea of Marmara, the Bosporus, and the Black Sea. It bordered Mysia to the southwest, Paphlagonia to the northeast a ...

located on the

Bosphorus The Bosporus or Bosphorus Strait ( ; , colloquially ) is a natural strait and an internationally significant waterway located in Istanbul, Turkey. The Bosporus connects the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara and forms one of the continental bo ...

near Chrysopolis.

Polybius Polybius (; , ; ) was a Greek historian of the middle Hellenistic period. He is noted for his work , a universal history documenting the rise of Rome in the Mediterranean in the third and second centuries BC. It covered the period of 264–146 ...

calls the town Bus or Bous (Βοῦς, meaning cow in Greek). The name Damalis means '

heifer Heifer may refer to: * Heifer (cow), a young cow before she has had her first calf * Frank Heifer (1854–1893), American outfielder and first baseman * '' The Heifer'' (''La vaquilla''), 1985 Spanish comedy film * Heifer International, a charit ...

', and

Arrian Arrian of Nicomedia (; Greek: ''Arrianos''; ; ) was a Greek historian, public servant, military commander, and philosopher of the Roman period. '' The Anabasis of Alexander'' by Arrian is considered the best source on the campaigns of ...

, quoted by

Eustathius Eustathius or Eustathios (Greek Εὐστάθιος) is a Greek masculine given name, in English rendered Eustace. It may refer to: * Saint Eustace, martyr (d. 118) * Sint Eustatius, Dutch island in the Caribbean * Eustathius of Antioch, Patriarch ...

, has a story about it.''Eustath. ad Dionys. Per.'' 140. According to

Greek mythology Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the Ancient Greece, ancient Greeks, and a genre of ancient Greek folklore, today absorbed alongside Roman mythology into the broader designation of classical mythology. These stories conc ...

, Io landed when she crossed the strait and people erected a bronze cow on the spot.A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology, Damalis
Damalis was the name of the wife of the Athenian general

Chares of Athens Chares of Athens () was a 4th-century BC Athenian military commander (Strategos), who for a number of years was one of Athens's foremost commanders. He was also a well connected politician enabling him to procure the commands he desired, commands ...

. She accompanied him and while the fleet was stationed near

Byzantium Byzantium () or Byzantion () was an ancient Greek city in classical antiquity that became known as Constantinople in late antiquity and Istanbul today. The Greek name ''Byzantion'' and its Latinization ''Byzantium'' continued to be used as a n ...

, she died. She was said to have been buried here and have been honoured with a monument of the shape of a cow. Its site is located at Kızkule in Asiatic Turkey.

References

Populated places in Bithynia Former populated places in Turkey Places in Greek mythology History of Istanbul Province {{Istanbul-geo-stub