Lapathus

• a fort or castle in Thessaly, at Tempe, Liv. 44, 2; 6.

LAPATHUS a fortress near Mount Olympus. [ASCURIS]

LAPATHUS, LAPETHUS (Λάπαθος, Strab. 14. p. 682; Λάπηθος, Ptol. 5.14.4; Plin. Nat. 5.31; Ληπηθίς, Scyl. p.41; ,Λάπιθος Hierocl.: Eth. Λαπηθεύς, Λαπήθιος: Lapitho, Lapta), a town of Cyprus, the foundation of which was assigned to the Phoenicians (Steph. B. s. v.), and which, according to Nonnus (Dionys. 13.447), owed its name to the legendary Lapathus, a follower of Dionysus. Strabo (l. c.) says that it received a Spartan colony, headed by Praxander. He adds, that it was situated opposite to the town of Nagidus, in Cilicia, and possessed a harbour and docks. It was situated in the N. of the island, on a river of the same name, with a district called LAPETHIA (Λαπηθία, Ptol. 5.14.5). In the war between Ptolemy and Antigonus, Lapathus, with its king Praxippus, sided with the latter. (Diod. 19.59.) The name of this place was synonymous with stupidity. (Suid. s. v. Λαπάθιοι.) Pococke (Trav. in the East, vol. ii. pt. 50. p. 223) saw at Lapitho several walls that were cut out of the rock, and one entire room, over the sea: there were also remains of some towers and walls. (Mariti, Viaggi, vol. 1. p. 125; Engel, Kypros, vol. i. pp. 37, 78, 174, 224, 364, 507.)

LAPATHUS a fortress in the north of Thessaly, near Tempe, which Leake identifies with the ancient castle near Rápsani. (Liv. 44.2, 6; Leake, Northern Greece, vol. iii. pp. 397, 418.)