MARONEIA
Thrace, Greece.
A prosperous
Kikonian city on the coast, not far from the modern town
of Maronia. It was traditionally founded by Maron,
priest of Apollo at Ismaros and grandson of Dionysos.
Together with the other Kikonian cities of Ismaros and
Xantheia, it was already in existence in the 7th c. The
principal cult was devoted to the triad of Zeus, Dionysos, and Maron. A fine local coinage began in the 6th c.
and continued until the union of Thrace with Macedonia.
The city was especially noted for its strong wine, like
that which was given by Maron to Odysseus, who used
it to intoxicate Polyphemos. Reinach reported many
Byzantine and Venetian remains as well as architectural
fragments of white marble. A small marble theater was
destroyed early in the 20th c.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Hom.
Od. 9.196;
Hdt. 7.109;
Plin.
4.43, 6.217, 14.6.54; Strab. 7, fr. 44 (45); 5. Reinach in
BCH 5 (1881) 87f; 8 (1884) 50; C. Avezou & C. Picard in
BCH 37 (1913) 141f; S. Casson,
Macedonia,
Thrace and Illyria (1926)
MI.
M. H. MC ALLISTER
