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Greek city of Boione in iolis
Bronze 11mm (0.95 grams) Struck circa 300 B.C.
Reference: Sear 4173; B.M.C. 17.101,1-3
Female head left, wearing earring and necklace.
BOIΩNITI/KON above and below bull standing right.
Site uncertain; possibly in the
vicinity of Larissa Phrikonis.
You are bidding on the exact
item pictured, provided with a Certificate of Authenticity and Lifetime
Guarantee of Authenticity.
Aeolis or Aeolia or Aiolis was an area that comprised the west
and northwestern region of
Asia Minorr
, mostly along the coast, and also several offshore islands
(particularly Lesbos
), where the
Aeolian
Greek
city-states were located. Aeolis incorporated the southern parts of
Mysia
which
bounded it to the north,
Ionia
to the
south, and Lydia
to the east.
Geography
Aeolis was an ancient district on the western coast of
Asia Minor
. It extended along the
Aegean Sea
from the entrance of the
Hellespont
(now the
Dardanelles
) south to the
Hermus River
(now the Gediz River). It was named for the Aeolians, some of
whom migrated there from
Greece
before
1000 BC. Aeolis was, however, an ethnological and linguistic enclave rather than
a geographical unit. The district often was considered part of the larger
northwest region of Mysia.
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Greek settlements in western Asia Minor, Aeolian area in dark red..
According to Homer’s
description,
Odysseus
,
after his stay with the
Cyclopes
,
reached the island of
Aeolia
, who provided him with the west wind
Zephyr
.
In early times, by the 8th century BC, the Aeolians’ twelve most important
cities were independent, and formed a league (Dodecapolis):
Cyme
,
Larissa
(also called
Phriconis
),
Neonteichos
,
Temnus
, Cilla
,
Notion
,
Aegiroessa
,
Pitane
,
Aegae
,
Myrina
, Gryneion
, and Smyrna
.
The most celebrated of the cities was
Smyrna
(modern
Izmir, Turkey
), but in 699 BC, Smyrna became part of an Ionian confederacy.
The remaining cities were conquered by
Croesus
, king
of Lydia
(reigned
560-546 BC). Later they were held successively by the
Persians
,
Macedonians
,
Seleucids
Attalus III
, the last king of
Pergamum
, bequeathed Aeolis to
Rome in 133 BC. Shortly afterward, it was
made part of the Roman
province of Asia
. At the partition of the
Roman
Empire
(395 AD), Aeolis was assigned to the East Roman (Byzantine) empire
and remained under Byzantine rule until the early 15th century, when the
Ottoman Turks
occupied the area.
Natives of Aeolis
-
Autolycus of Pitane
- Andriscus
-
Elias Venezis
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