Ceryneia or Keryneia ( grc, Κερύνεια, also Cerynia or Kerynia (Κερυνία), Ceraunia or Keraunia (Κεραυνία), Cerauneia or Kerauneia (Κεραύνεια), Caryneia or Karyneia (Καρύνεια), was a town and

polis ''Polis'' (, ; grc-gre, πόλις, ), plural ''poleis'' (, , ), literally means "city" in Greek. In Ancient Greece, it originally referred to an administrative and religious city center, as distinct from the rest of the city. Later, it also ...

(city-state) of

ancient Achaea Achaea () or Achaia (; el, Ἀχαΐα, ''Akhaia'', ) was (and is) the northernmost region of the Peloponnese, occupying the coastal strip north of Arcadia. Its approximate boundaries were to the south the mountain range of Erymanthus, to the so ...

. It was not originally one of the 12 Achaean cities, though it afterwards became so, succeeding to the place of Aegae. Its population was increased by a large body of Mycenaeans, when the latter abandoned their city to the

Argives Argos (; el, Άργος ; grc, label=Ancient and Katharevousa, Ἄργος ) is a city in Argolis, Peloponnese, Greece and is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, and the oldest in Europe. It is the largest city in Arg ...

in 468 BCE. Ceryneia is mentioned as a member of the

Achaean League The Achaean League (Greek: , ''Koinon ton Akhaion'' "League of Achaeans") was a Hellenistic-era confederation of Greek city states on the northern and central Peloponnese. The league was named after the region of Achaea in the northwestern Pelop ...

on its revival in ; and one of its citizens, Marcus, was chosen in 255 BCE as the first sole General of the League. In the time of Strabo, Ceryneia was dependent upon

Aegium Aegium or Aigion ( grc, Αἴγιον), or Aegeium or Aigeion (Αἴγειον), was a town and polis (city-state) of ancient Achaea, and one of the twelve Achaean cities. It was situated upon the coast west of the river Selinus, 30 stadia from ...

. It was situated inland upon a lofty height, west of the river Cerynites (Bokhusia), and a little south of Helice.

Theophrastus Theophrastus (; grc-gre, Θεόφραστος ; c. 371c. 287 BC), a Greek philosopher and the successor to Aristotle in the Peripatetic school. He was a native of Eresos in Lesbos.Gavin Hardy and Laurence Totelin, ''Ancient Botany'', Routle ...

stated that the wine of Ceryneia produced abortion. The place is celebrated in

Greek mythology A major branch of classical mythology, Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the ancient Greeks, and a genre of Ancient Greek folklore. These stories concern the origin and nature of the world, the lives and activities of ...

as the location of the

Ceryneian Hind In Greek mythology, the Ceryneian hind ( grc-gre, Κερυνῖτις ἔλαφος ''Kerynitis elaphos'', Latin: ''Elaphus Ceryniti''s), was a creature that lived in Ceryneia, Greece and took the form of an enormous female deer, larger than a b ...

, the capture of which was one of the

Labours of Hercules The Labours of Hercules or Labours of Heracles ( grc-gre, οἱ Ἡρακλέους ἆθλοι, ) are a series of episodes concerning a penance carried out by Heracles, the greatest of the Greek heroes, whose name was later romanised a ...

. Its ruins have been discovered on the height, which rises above the right bank of the Cerynites, just where it issues from the mountains into the plain, near modern

Mamousia Mamousia (Greek: Μαμουσιά) is a village and a community in the municipal unit of Diakopto, Achaea, Greece. It is 6 km southwest of Diakopto, on the west side of the Vouraikos gorge. In 2011 the population was 214 for the village and 3 ...

. The modern town of Keryneia takes its name from the ancient town.

People

* Margos, (c. 300-229 BC) strategos and navarch of the

References

Populated places in ancient Achaea Former populated places in Greece Locations in Greek mythology Achaean city-states {{AncientAchaea-geo-stub