ABOLLA
ABOLLA (
Ἄβολλα), a city of Sicily, mentioned only by Stephanus Byzantinus (s. v.), who affords no clue to its position, but it has been supposed, on account of the resemblance of the name, to have occupied the site of
Avola, between Syracuse and
Noto. A coin of this city has been published by D'Orville (
Sicula, pt. ii. tab. 20), but is of very uncertain authority. (Eckhel, vol. i. p. 189 ; Castell.
Sicil. Vet. Num. p. 4.) [
E.H.B]
ABONI-TEICHOS (
Ἀβώνου τεῖχος: Eth.
Ἀβωνοτειχείτης:
Ineboli), a town on the coast of Paphlagonia with a harbour, memorable as the birthplace of the impostor Alexander, of whom Lucian has left us an amusing account in the treatise bearing his name. (
Dict. of Biogr. vol. i. p. 123.)
According to Lucian (
Alex. § 58), Alexander petitioned the emperor (probably Antoninus Pius) that the name of his native place should be changed from Aboni-Teichos into Ionopolis ; and whether the emperor granted the request or not, we know that the town was called Ionopolis in later times. Not only does this name occur in Marcianus and Hierocles; but on coins of the time of Antoninus and L. Verus we find the legend
ΙΩΝΟΠΟΑΙΤΩΝ, as well as
ΑΒΩΝΟΤΕΙΧΙΤΩΝ. The modern
Ineboli is evidently only a corruption of Ionopolis. (Strab. p. 545; Arrian,
Peripl. p. 15; Lucian,
Alex., passim; Marcian.
Peripl. p. 72;
Ptol. 5.4.2; Hierocl. p. 696;
Steph. B. sub voce Ἀβώνου τεῖχος.）
