Ἐλεοῦς | |
 Elaeus and theHellespont | |
  Elaeus Shown within Turkey | |
| Location | Seddülbahir,Çanakkale Province,Turkey |
|---|---|
| Region | Thracian Chersonese |
| Coordinates | 40°3′35″N26°13′50″E / 40.05972°N 26.23056°E /40.05972; 26.23056 |
| Type | Settlement |
| History | |
| Builder | Colonists fromTeos |
Elaeus (Ancient Greek:ἘλαιοῦςElaious, laterἘλεοῦςElaeus), the “Olive City”, was anancient Greek city located inThrace, on theThracian Chersonese. Elaeus was located at the southern end of the Hellespont (now theDardanelles) near the southernmost point of the Thracian Chersonese (now theGallipoli peninsula) in modern-dayTurkey. According to the geographerScymnus, Elaeus was founded by settlers fromIonianTeos, while thePseudo-Scymnus writes that it was a colony ofAthens and was founded by Phorbas[1]
The most important cities of the Chersonese wereLysimachia,Pactya,Gallipoli,Alokopennesos,Sestos,Madytos and Elaeus. The peninsula was renowned for its wheat. It also profited from its strategic location on the main trade route between Europe and Asia, as well as the possibility of controlling shipping toCrimea. For these reasons, Elaeus later received colonists fromAthens, who built fortifications there.
According toPlutarch, the city was founded by anEphesian who was called Hegesistratus, after he consulted theoracle at Delphi.[2]
The last resting place of themythological heroProtesilaus was said to be at Elaeus, near a steep coastal cliff. According to Homer’sIliad,[3] Protesilaus was the first Greek to set foot on land during theTrojan War, for which - according to the will of the gods - he was also the first to die. Histomb at Elaeus lay on the European coast oppositeTroy, and became a destination for pilgrimages by members of thecult of Protesilaus. Later, the temple housedvotive offerings, and was surrounded by a settlement. In antiquity, the location was variously under Athenian, Persian, Spartan and later Macedonian control.
During thesecond Persian invasion of Greece (480 - 479 BCE), the Persian headquarters was temporarily located at Elaeus.[4] Under Persian occupation, the governorArtayctes desecrated the sacred grove of Protesilaus.[5] For this, he was captured and crucified in 479 BCE by the Athenian generalXanthippos, the father ofPericles.
In 411 BCE, the Athenian squadron underThrasyllus escaped with difficulty fromSestus to Elaeus;[6] and it was here, just before the fatalBattle of Aegospotami (405 BCE), that the 180 Atheniantriremes arrived in time to hear thatLysander was master ofLampsacus.[7] Astele dating from the year 340 BCE, at which time Elaeus was governed by Athens, contains an inscription inIonian script.[8] The stele proclaimed that the Athenians gave certain privileges, such as political rights and ownership of property, to the people of Elaeus, and that the Athenian generalChares was charged with watching over them. Elaeus belonged to theDelian League, and from 375 BCE to theSecond Athenian League.
Alexander the Great is said to have visited Elaeus at the start of his Persian campaign in the spring of 334 BCE, in order to visit the temple of Protesilaus. Here he made an offering, before crossing the Dardanelles, and himself becoming the first of his army to set foot in Asia. In 200 BCE, Elaeus surrendered voluntarily toPhilip V of Macedon.[9] but in 190 BCE the citizens made overtures to theRomans.[10]
Imperial coins were struck at Elaeus in the time of the Roman emperorCommodus, of which a few remain. They depict Protesilaus as a warrior standing on the bow of a ship, ready to be the first to spring onto the enemy shore.[11]Constantine's fleet in theCivil wars of the Tetrarchy, 323 CE, took up its moorings at Elaeus, while that ofLicinius was anchored off the tomb of Ajax, in theTroad.[12]Justinian fortified this important position.[13]
During theFirst World War, French and British troops temporarily occupiedCape Helles andMorto Bay. The French Army encountered ancient remains while digging trenches. Fortuitous excavations were thus undertook under fire;[14] operations were mainly supervised by AssyriologistÉdouard Dhorme and exhumed artefacts were sent to theLouvre. French excavations resumed from 1920 to 1923.[15]
Smith, William, ed. (1854–1857). "Elaeus".Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography. London: John Murray.{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)| Geographic | |
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