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Modern Description: Chief city of Perrhaebia (Strab. 9.439f), identified with modern Elassona. Located at the N end of a small (5 km N-S, 10 km E-W) isolated plain N of the E Thessalian plain, it is on a crossroad where roads from W and E Macedonia (via the Bouloustana or Sarandaporou pass, and the Stena Petras), from the W Thessalian plain, and from Larissa in the E plain join. It appears in the Iliad (2.739 'white Olosson';), probably issued Perrhaebian coinage 480-400 and 196-146 B.C. It apparently played a negligible role in history.
The ancient acropolis was a steep-sided, white clay hill flanked by the deep ravines of the Elassonitikos (ancient Titaresios) and a tributary (Kouradhiaris). On the acropolis is a monastery of the Panaghia Olympiotissa. Some traces of isodomic ancient walls remain N of the monastery, and blocks and inscriptions are built into it. The ancient lower city was in the plain on the right bank of the Titaresios, but only very slight (1924) traces of the city walls remain. Ancient graves have been found on the left bank. Some 4th c. B.C. statuary and Roman grave reliefs have come from the city and its plain. There is a small archaeological collection in Elassona. (T. S. MACKAY)
Wikidata ID: Q16613530
Trismegistos Geo: 12058
Manto: 9720476

Info: Princeton Encyclopedia

(Princeton Encyclopedia of Classical Sites, from Perseus Project)

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