Alalcomenae

Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography

ALALCO´MENAE


1. (Ἀλαλκομεναι,Strab., Paus.; Ἀλαλκομένιον, Steph. B.; Eth. Ἀλαλκομενιεύς, Ἀλαλκομεναῖος, Ἀλαλκομένιος : Sulinári), an ancient town in Boeotia, situated at the foot of Mt. Tilphossium, a little to the E. of Coroneia, and near the lake Copais. It was celebrated for the worship of Athena, who was said to have been born there, and who is hence called Alalcomeneis (Ἀλαλκομενηΐς) in Homer. The temple of the goddess stood, at a little distance from the town, on the Triton, a small stream flowing into the lake Copais. Beyond the modern village of Sulinári, the site of Alalcomenae, are some polygonal foundations, apparently those of a single building, which are probably remains of the peribolus of the temple. Both the town and the temple were plundered by Sulla, who carried off the statue of the goddess. (Hom. Il. 4.8; Paus. 9.3.4, 9.33.5, seq.; Strab. pp. 410, 411, 413; Steph. B. s. v.;Leake, Northern Greece, vol. 2. p. 135; Forchhammer, Hellenica, p. 185.)


2. Or ALCOMENAE(Ἀλκομεναί), said to be a town in Ithaca (Plut. Quaest. Graec. 43; Steph. B. s. v.), or in the small island Asteris in the neighbourhood of Ithaca. (Strab. p. 456.)