Spalathra ( grc, Σπάλαθρα) or Spalauthra (Σπάλαυθρα), also called Spalethre (Σπαλέθρη) and Spalathron (Σπάλαθρον), 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 Magnesia, in

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 tribe ...

, upon the Pagasetic Gulf. It is conjectured that this town is meant by

Lycophron Lycophron (; grc-gre, Λυκόφρων ὁ Χαλκιδεύς; born about 330–325 BC) was a Hellenistic Greek tragic poet, grammarian, sophist, and commentator on comedy, to whom the poem ''Alexandra'' is attributed (perhaps falsely). Life and ...

, who describes Prothous, the leader of 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 ...

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 '' Odys ...

'', as ὁ ἐκ Παλαύθρων (Σπαλαύθρων). The town is also mentioned in the

Periplus of Pseudo-Scylax The ''Periplus of Pseudo-Scylax'' is an ancient Greek periplus (περίπλους ''períplous'', 'circumnavigation') describing the sea route around the Mediterranean and Black Sea. It probably dates from the mid-4th century BC, specifically ...

as a city in Magnesia, together with Iolcus, Coracae, Methone and

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'', Oli ...

. The toponym is related to the Greek word "σπάλαθρον", meaning

fire poker A fire iron is any metal instrument for tending a fire. Types There are three types of tools commonly used to tend a small fire, such as an indoor fireplace fire or yule log: the spade, the tongs and the poker itself. These tools make it poss ...

.Jorge Martínez de Tejada Garaizábal
''Instituciones, sociedad, religión y léxico de Tesalia de la antigüedad desde la época de la independencia hasta el fin de la edad antigua (siglos VIII AC-V DC)'', doctoral thesis, p.936. Madrid: Universidad Complutense de Madrid (2012).
Perhaps from the shape of the peninsula on which it sat. Spalathra was located within the limits of modern

Chorto Chorto ( el, Χόρτο) is a seaside village is the municipal unit of Argalasti in Magnesia, Greece. Its population in 2011 was 147. Chorto is located by the Pagasetic Gulf, 4 km south of Argalasti. There are several beach hotels and res ...

References

Ancient Magnesia Populated places in ancient Thessaly Former populated places in Greece Cities in ancient Greece Thessalian city-states {{AncientThessaly-geo-stub