Gordynia

For other uses, see Gortynia

Gordynia or Gortynia or Gortynion was a settlement in ancient Macedonia, in south Axios valley, North-East of Bottiaea, in Lower Paionia. Ptolemy places Gordenia, Γορδηνία, in his list of cities in Emathia, after Idomenae and before Edessa. Plinius (HN 4.34) gives the name in plural, Gordyniae. Stephanus of Byzantium calls it Gordynia and its ethnic noun Gordyniates. In Thucydides (2.100) Gortynia and Atalanta came to terms with the Thracian army of Sitalces, out of regard for Amyntas the son of Philip, the brother of Perdiccas II, who accompanied the expedition.

Hammond places Gortynion near to Axioupoli. M.B. Hatzopoulos, near to Vardarski Rid. Hammond relates the name with Cretan Gortys and the Bottiaeans who came from Crete. Photis Petsas, to Gordias, a Brygian/Phrygian name.

Gordynia is not attested in epigraphy.

References

• A History of Macedonia Volume 1: Historical geography and prehistory By Nicholas Geoffrey Lemprière Hammond, Guy Thompson Griffith Page 171 ISBN 0198142943 (1972)
• An inventory of archaic and classical poleis By Mogens Herman Hansen, Thomas Heine Nielsen Page 794 ISBN 0198140991 (2004)