ATARNEUS
ATARNEUS or
ATARNA (
Ἀταρνεύς,
Ἄταρνα: Eth.
Ἀταρνεύς, Eth.
Ἀταρνείτης), a city of Mysia, opposite to Lesbos, and a strong place.
It was on the road from Adramyttium to the plain of the Caicus. (
Xen. Anab. 7.8. 8) Atarneus seems to be the genuine original name, though Atarna, or Atarnea, and Aterne (Pliny) may have prevailed afterwards. Stephanus, who only gives the name Atarna, consistently makes the ethnic name Atarneus. Herodotus (
1.160) tells a story of the city and its territory, both of which were named Atarneus, being given to the Chians by Cyrus, for their having surrendered to him Pactyes the Lydian. Stephanus (s. v.
Ἄπαισος) and other ancient authorities consider Atarneus to be the Tarne of Homer (
Hom. Il. 5.44); but perhaps incorrectly.
The territory was a good corn country. Histiaeus the Milesian was defeated by the Persians at Malene in the Atarneitis, and taken prisoner. (
Hdt. 6.28,
29.)
The place was occupied at a later time by some exiles from Chios, who from this strong position sallied out and plundered Ionia. (
Diod. 13.65;
Xen. Hell. 3.2. 11) This town was once the residence of Hermeias the tyrant, the friend of Aristotle. Pausanias (
7.2.11) says that the same calamity betel the Atarneitae which drove the Myusii from their city [
MYUS]; but as the position, of the two cities was not similar, it is not quite clear what he means. They left the place, however, if his statement is true; and Pliny (
5.30), in his time, mentions Atarneus as no longer a city. Pausanias (
4.35.10) speaks of hot springs at Astyra, opposite to Lesbos, in the Atarneus. [
ASTYRA]
The site of Atarneus is generally fixed at
Dikeli-Koi. [p. 1.253]There are autonomous coins of Atarneus, with the epigraph ATA. and ATAP.
There was a place near Pitane called Atarneus. (Strab. p. 614.)
[
G.L]
