Abydos
(Ἄβυδος). (1) A town of the Troad on the Hellespont, and a Milesian colony, nearly opposite to Sestos, but a little lower down the stream. The bridge of boats which Xerxes (q.v.) constructed over the Hellespont, B.C. 480, commenced a little higher up than Abydos, and touched the European shore between Sestos and Madytus.
(2) A city of Upper Egypt, near the west bank of the Nile; once second only to Thebes, but in Strabo's time (A.D. 14) a small village. It had a temple of Osiris and a Memnonium, both still standing, and an oracle.
City in Mysia 6 km N of Çanakkale, first mentioned in the Trojan Catalogue (Il. 2.836). According to Strabo (590-91) it was occupied after the Trojan War by Thracians, until it was settled by Milesians with the consent of Gyges king of Lydia ca. 700 B.C. Burnt by Darios in 512, it formed one end of Xerxes' bridge across the Hellespont. In the Delian Confederacy it paid a tribute of four talents, but was always hostile to Athens (Dem., Aristocr. 158), and in 411 revolted from the confederacy and became a Spartan base. By the peace of Antalkidas it passed to Persia until the arrival of Alexander in 334. In 200 Abydos was attacked by Philip V and taken after a desperate resistance (Polyb. 16.29-34). After the defeat of Philip the city was given freedom by Rome (Livy 33.30), and under the Empire became an important toll station. The abundant coinage extends from the early 5th c. B.C. to the mid 3d c. A.D. Abydos possessed gold mines at a spot called variously Astyra or Kremaste (Xen. 4.8.37), but these were near exhaustion in Strabo's time.
The site, first recognized in 1675, is on the bay S of Nagara Point; the acropolis hill is called Mal Tepe. This bay is out of the main current and by far the best natural harbor in the straits. The accounts of travelers down to 1830 speak of considerable remains of walls and buildings; later, however, little or nothing could be seen. In this century the area has been a prohibited zone, and for the present state of the site no information is available.
BIBLIOGRAPHYChoiseul-Gouffier, Voyage Pittoresque (1822) 449M; W. Leaf, Strabo on the Troad (1923) 116-19; J. M. Cook, The Troad (1973) 56-57.
G. E. BEAN- Paus. 3.9.12
- a town on the Hellespont: Hdt. 5.117
- Xerxes' bridge there: Hdt. 7.33, Hdt. 7.43, Hdt. 7.44, Hdt. 7.45, Hdt. 7.95, Hdt. 7.147, Hdt. 7.174, Hdt. 8.117, Hdt. 8.130, Hdt. 9.114