Notion
Town on the coast of Ionia S of Kolophon, 55 km S of Smyrna. Called by Thucydides (3.34) Notion of the Kolophonians, the city was assessed in the Delian Confederation at one-third of a talent, separately from Kolophon. The two cities were always closely connected, and by Aristotle's time were politically fused into one; Notion was called in Hellenistic times Kolophon on Sea or New Kolophon. The city was never very prosperous in its own right and seems never to have struck coins.
The site is on a hill directly above the sea, at the mouth of a small stream, the Halesos or Ales. It occupies two summits enclosed by a circuit wall of Hellenistic or earlier date some 3 km long, with at least four gates; much of this wall is still in fair condition. On the W summit are the foundations of a small temple, identified by an inscription as that of Athena; the altar is on the E front. Lower down to the E is the site of the agora, adjoined on the E by a rectangular building with seats on three sides, perhaps a council chamber. The theater lies at the W foot of the E hill; it is small, with 27 rows of seats, of Greek form but reconstructed in Roman times. Part of the retaining wall and a vaulted passage survive. The stage building is buried. Above the theater is a second agora. The necropolis was on the next hill to the N; the tombs are mostly rock-cut or sunk in the ground, only a few being constructed of masonry.
BIBLIOGRAPHYR. Demangel & A. Laumonier in BCH 47 (1923) 353f; G. E. Bean, Aegean Turkey (1966) 185-90.
G.E. BEAN