Gomfoi Γόμφοι | |
|---|---|
 Location within the regional unit | |
  Gomfoi | |
| Coordinates:39°27′N21°41′E / 39.450°N 21.683°E /39.450; 21.683 | |
| Country | Greece |
| Administrative region | Thessaly |
| Regional unit | Trikala |
| Municipality | Pyli |
| Area | |
| • Municipal unit | 58.5 km2 (22.6 sq mi) |
| Population (2021)[1] | |
| • Municipal unit | 4,097 |
| • Municipal unit density | 70.0/km2 (181/sq mi) |
| • Community | 818 |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
| Vehicle registration | ΤΚ |
Gomfoi (Greek: Γόμφοι, before 1930: Ραψίστα -Rapsista;[2]Latin:Gomphi) is a village and a formermunicipality in theTrikala regional unit,Thessaly,Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipalityPyli, of which it is a municipal unit.[3] The municipal unit has an area of 58.482km2.[4] Population 4,097 (2021). The seat of the municipality was inLygaria. Gomfoi is located inThessalian Plain, near the riverPamisos. It is 5km northeast ofMouzaki, and 12km southwest of the city ofTrikala. A town existed on the site of present Gomfoi inancient times, which was renamed Philippoupolis (Greek: Φιλιππούπολις) during the reign ofPhilip II of Macedon. The area joined modernGreece in 1881.
Ancient Gomfoi - Gomphi in classical sources - was a town ofHistiaeotis inAncient Thessaly, situated upon a tributary of thePeneius, and near the frontiers ofAthamania andDolopia. Its position made it a place of historical importance, since it guarded two of the chief passes into the Thessalian plains: "that of Musáki, distant two miles (three km), which was the exit from Dolopia, and the pass of Portes, at a distance of four miles (six km), which led into Athamania, and through that province toAmbracia."[5][6]
In the war againstPhilip V of Macedon,Amynander of Athamania, king of the Athamanes, in co-operation with the Roman consulTitus Quinctius Flamininus, having descended from the latter pass, first tookPheca, a town lying between the pass and Gomphi, and then Gomphi itself, 198 BCE. The possession of this place was of great importance to Flamininus, since it secured him a communication with theAmbracian Gulf, from which he derived his supplies. The route from Gomphi to Ambracia is described byLivy as very short but extremely difficult. The capture of Gomphi was followed by the surrender of the towns named Argenta, Pherinium, Timarum, Ligynae, Strymon, and Lampsus, the position of which is quite uncertain.[7] When Athamania revolted from Philip in 189 BCE, he marched into their country by the above-mentioned pass, but was obliged to retire with heavy loss.[8] There can be no doubt that it was by the same route that the Roman consulQuintus Marcius Philippus marched from Ambracia into Thessaly in 169 BCE.[9]
In the campaign betweenJulius Caesar andPompey in 48 BCE, the inhabitants of Gomphi, having heard of Caesar's repulse atDyrrhachium, shut their gates against him, when he arrived at the place fromAeginium; but he took the place by assault in a few hours. Caesar, in his account of these events, describes Gomphi as the "first town in Thessaly to those coming from Epirus."[10] Coins minted at Gomphi survive. The Byzantine authorHierocles notes that Gomphi was a bishopric in later times.
The municipal unit Gomfoi is subdivided into the following communities:
After the start of Kallikratis programme, Municipality of Gomfoi was annexed by the Municipality of Pyli.
In the 2014 municipal elections, two of the four vice mayors elected (Stavros Ziakas and Viron Katsivelos) come from and live in Gomfoi. They are thought to be the more active members of the local government, as Vice-Mayor of Cleaning Operations and Vice-Mayor of Culture respectively
| Year | Community population | Municipality population |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 1,207 | - |
| 1991 | 1,187 | 5,484 |
| 2001 | 1,096 | 5,154 |
| 2011 | 962 | 4,782 |
| 2021 | 818 | 4,097 |
Most of the village's residents are either farmers or workers in the public sector. The area of Gomfoi is famous for its wine since the ancient years. The main agricultural products of the area aregrapes andcorn.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Smith, William, ed. (1854–1857). "Gomphi".Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography. London: John Murray.
Places adjacent to Gomfoi | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||||||||||||
