ITHO´ME
ITHO´ME (
Ἰθώμη: Eth.
Ἰθωμήτης, Adj.
Ἰθωμαῖος).
1.
A town of Histiaeotis in Thessaly, described by Homer as the “rocky Ithome” (
Ἰθώμη κλωμακόεσσα, Il. 2.729), is placed by Strabo within a quadrangle formed by the four cities, Tricca, Metropolis, Pelinnaeum, and Gomphi. (
Strab. ix. p.437.)
It probably occupied the site of the castle which stands on the summit above the village of
Fandri. Leake observed, near the north-western face of the castle, some remains of a very ancient Hellenic wall, consisting of a few large masses of stone, roughly hewn on the outside, but accurately joined to one another without cement. (Leake,
Northern Greece, vol, iv. p. 510.)
2.
A mountain fortress in Messenia, where the Messenians long maintained themselves against the Spartans in the First Messenian War.
It was after-wards the citadel of Messene, when this city was founded by Epaminondas. For details, see
MESSENE 
