Rhypes (), or Rhypae or Rhypai (Ῥύπαι) was a

polis Polis (: poleis) means 'city' in Ancient Greek. The ancient word ''polis'' had socio-political connotations not possessed by modern usage. For example, Modern Greek πόλη (polē) is located within a (''khôra''), "country", which is a πατ ...

(city-state) of ancient Achaea, 30 stadia west of

Aegium Aegium or Aigion (), 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 Selinountas (river), river Selinus, 30 stadion (unit ...

, and was one of the original twelve Achaean cities. It had ceased to be a member of the

Achaean League The Achaean League () was a Hellenistic period, Hellenistic-era confederation of polis, Greek city-states on the northern and central Peloponnese. The league was named after the region of Achaea (ancient region), Achaea in the northwestern Pelopon ...

in the time of

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 ...

, who mentions Leontium in its place. Rhypes, however, continued to exist down to the time of

Augustus Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian (), was the founder of the Roman Empire, who reigned as the first Roman emperor from 27 BC until his death in A ...

; but this emperor destroyed the city and transferred its inhabitants to

Patrae Patras (; ; Katharevousa and ; ) is Greece's third-largest city and the regional capital and largest city of Western Greece, in the northern Peloponnese, west of Athens. The city is built at the foot of Mount Panachaikon, overlooking the Gulf ...

, and its territory (Ῥυπίς, or ἡ Ῥυπική) was divided between Aegium and Pharae. Its ruins were seen by Pausanias, in the 2nd century, at a short distance from the main road from Aegium to Patrae. We learn from

Strabo Strabo''Strabo'' (meaning "squinty", as in strabismus) was a term employed by the Romans for anyone whose eyes were distorted or deformed. The father of Pompey was called "Gnaeus Pompeius Strabo, Pompeius Strabo". A native of Sicily so clear-si ...

that this town was mentioned by

Aeschylus Aeschylus (, ; ; /524 – /455 BC) was an ancient Greece, ancient Greek Greek tragedy, tragedian often described as the father of tragedy. Academic knowledge of the genre begins with his work, and understanding of earlier Greek tragedy is large ...

as κεραυνίας Ῥύπας, or "Rhypes stricken by the thunderbolt." It was the birthplace of

Myscellus Myscellus, or MyscelusOvid, ''Metamorphoses'' 15.19, 26. (), son of Alemon, was a native of the Achaean polis Rhypes and the legendary founder of Crotone, Crotona in 710 BC. According Ovid, the god Hercules appeared to Myscelus in a dream and comma ...

, the founder of Croton. In the territory of Rhypes there was a suburb called Leuctrum (Λεῦκτρον), and also a seaport named Erineum (Ἐρινεόν or Ἐρινεὸς λιμήν) which is mentioned by

Thucydides Thucydides ( ; ; BC) was an Classical Athens, Athenian historian and general. His ''History of the Peloponnesian War'' recounts Peloponnesian War, the fifth-century BC war between Sparta and Athens until the year 411 BC. Thucydides has been d ...

, and which is described by Pausanias as 60 stadia from Aegium. The site of Rhypes is located south of modern Koumari.

References

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

See also

References