Thymiaterium_and_Other_Ancient_Northwest_African_Settlements

Thymiaterium or Thymiaterion (), Scylax called it Thymiaterias (Θυμιατηρίας), was an ancient Carthaginian colony in present-day

Morocco Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to Algeria–Morocc ...

. The ''Periplus'' (Περίπλους) of

Hanno the Navigator Hanno the Navigator (sometimes "Hannon"; , ; ) was a Ancient Carthage, Carthaginian explorer (sometimes identified as a king) who lived during the 5th century BC, fifth century BC, known for his Navy, naval expedition along the coast of West A ...

claims that he founded it on his journey of exploration beyond the

Pillars of Hercules The Pillars of Hercules are the promontory, promontories that flank the entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar. The northern Pillar, Calpe Mons, is the Rock of Gibraltar. A corresponding North African peak not being predominant, the identity of ...

.Hanno: Carthaginian Explorer
/ref> According to Hanno, he founded the colony, the first of his journey, two days' sail past the Pillars of Hercules. Schoff, citing Karl Müller, identified it with the town of Mehedia, currently known as

Mehdya Mehdya (), also Mehdia or Mehedya, is a town in Kénitra Province, Rabat-Salé-Kénitra, in north-western Morocco. Previously called al-Ma'mura, it was known as São João da Mamora under 16th century Portuguese occupation, or as La Mamora under ...

. The location of Thymiaterium is also given at Mehedia in the ''Atlas of Ancient & Classical Geography''. Hanno may have been deliberately vague about the location of colonies he founded to prevent enemies of Carthage from finding them.B. H. Warmington, ''Carthage'', p. 64, New York: Frederick A. Praeger, 1960

References

Karl Müller
''Geographi Græci Minores''
vol. 1, Firmin-Didot, 1882 {{Phoenicia-stub Phoenician colonies in Morocco Ancient Morocco