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Modern Description: Asine is probably associated with spolia in and around the medieval fortress of Koroni.
Although Xen. Hell. 7.1.25 places Asine in Λακαινα, the Messenian town is presumably meant, since Lakaina is probably equivalent to Lakonike, the territory controlled by Sparta; it is explicitly distinguished from Laconian Asine at e.g. Strabo 8.4.1 (τής Μεσσηνιακής Άσίνης) and Steph. Byz. 131.11-13 (Άσίνη, πόλις Λακωνική ... δευτέρα Μεσσήνης παρα τήν Λακωνικήν). The city-ethnic is Άσιναΐος (Xen. An. 5.3.4; Hell. 7.1.25; IG ii2 8387a (C4)); it is specified as Άσιναΐος εγ Μεσσαν[ίας] in SEG 12 219 = BCH 77 (1953) 166 (Delphi, 322-310).
Paus. 4.34.12 locates Asine 40 stades (7.3 km) from Kolonides and a similar distance from Cape Akritas. Hdt. 8.73.2 locates it προς τή Καρδαμύλη, which must mean opposite Kardamyle. The polis is usually (so Barr.) located at Bourgo Koronis (mediaeval Coron, the name having migrated hither), possibly legendary Rhion (see introduction to this chapter). Asine was sometimes identified with Homer’s Antheia (Strabo 8.4.5). Valmin (1930) 169 suggests that Rhion is the eastern part of Cape Akritas, on the western side of the Thouriate Gulf, rather than its northeastern side. For a summary of the arguments about its location, see Hope Simpson (1972) 97-98 n. 91 (citing Roebuck (1941) 19-22; contra Valmin (1930) 164-68, 169, (1934-35) 44-46). The earliest find is an early Archaic Protocorinthian sherd (cf. Valmin (1930) 178; Hope Simpson (1957) 249).Cf., however, SEG 11985 (second century ad), a decree of Korone found at modern Koroni, which the editors in SEG suspect may cause the orthodox view to be revised, though Roebuck (1941) 19-22 presumes that the stone was transported from the site of ancient Korone (no. 316) at Petalidi. See also Meyer (1978) 198-99.
Asine is implicitly called a polis in Hdt. 8.73.2, where polis is used in the urban and/or political sense; in Ps.-Skylax 46, where polis is used in the urban sense, Asine (presumably the Messenian one, cf. infra) is listed as the first toponym after the heading πόλεις αί'δε (though Mothone (no. 319), listed second, ought to have been named first). Otherwise it is called a polis only in post-Classical sources: e.g. IG iv 679 (C3l-C2e) where the polis of the Άσιναίων asks to take part in the rites of Demeter at Hermione.
The internal collective use of the city-ethnic occurs in Hellenistic decrees (e.g. SEG 11 986 (C3-C2)). The external collective use occurs in Xen. Hell. 7.1.25, and the external individual use in Xenophon’s references to Neon of Asine (infra), in IG ii2 8387a (C4) and in SEG 12 219 (322-310), a grant of proxeny, theorodokia, etc. by Delphi to two citizens of Asine.
Asine was peopled with the expelled population of Argolic Asine (Dryopians, cf. Hdt. 8.73.2) when it was destroyed (Theopomp. fr. 383 apud Strabo 8.6.11; Paus. 3.7.4, 4.8.3, 14.3; cf. 4.24.4, 34.9) after the First Messenian War (Lazenby (1972) 85; Harrison and Spencer (1998) 154). Its territory was supposedly exempt from the general allotment of land after the conquest of Messenia (Paus. 4.24.4).
In 425, during the Sphakteria campaign, the Spartans sent to Asine for timber with which to make siege engines (Thuc. 4.13.1) . Later, in the Peloponnesian War, the Spartan commander Gylippos had ships sent there (Thuc. 6.93.3).
Neon of Asine (most likely from Messenian Asine) took a leading part in the expedition of the Ten Thousand (Xen. An. 5.3.4, etc.; he is also called Λακωνικός, 7.2.29 (for a possible reason for the variation, see Shipley (1997) 209)). In 369 or 368 the Arkadians attacked Asine; again, presumably Messenian Asine is meant (and it is not contradicted by τής Λακαίνης) since there was a Spartan garrison (φρουρά) there; they defeated it, killing its Spartiate commander and devastating the outskirts (proasteion) of the city (Xen. Hell. 7.1.25). After the Spartans lost part of Messenia, the Asinaians were allowed to remain in their homeland (κατα χώραν, Paus. 4.27.8); Asine was in fact within the part of Messenia retained by Sparta until 338 (Shipley (2000) 385). Hence, perhaps, it is put in Lakedaimon, not Messenia, by Ps.-Skylax 46. After 338/7 it may have belonged to a Messenian koinon (cf. Lazenby (1972) 90). The population was presumably a mixture of Argolic Asinaians (Dryopians; cf. Hdt. 8.73.2) and pre-existing Messenians and/or Lakedaimonians.
Asine was certainly perioikic; the use of its ethnic for its citizen Neon conforms to the rule whereby Lakedaimonian perioikoi are identified by their city-ethnics (Shipley (1997) 209; Hansen (1996b) 185).
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asine_(Messenia)
Wikidata ID: Q16488997
Trismegistos Geo: 345
Manto: 10127951

Info: Hansen, Inv. 2004

Sample descriptions, a test fraction of the monumental Inventory of Archaic and Classical Poleis (Oxford 2004) of M. Hansen et al., for mobile use only.

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