LAMPSACUS

lampsacus, an ancient greek colony in mysia, asia minor, known as pityusa or pityussa before its colonization by ionian greeks from phocaea and miletus, was situated on the hellespont, opposite callipolis (gallipoli) in thrace. it possessed a good harbour; and the neighbourhood was famous for its wine, so that, having fallen into the hands of the persians during the ionian revolt, it was assigned by artaxerxes i. to themistocles to provide him with wine, as percote did with meat and magnesia with bread. after the battle of mycale (479 b.c.), lampsacus joined the athenians, but, having revolted from them in 411, was reduced by force. it was defended in 196 b.c. against antiochus the great of syria, after which its inhabitants were received as allies of rome. lampsacus was the chief seat of the worship of priapus, a gross nature-god closely connected with the culture of the vine. the ancient name is preserved in that of the modern village of lapsaki, but the greek town possibly lay at chardak immediately opposite gallipoli. see a. l. castellan, _lettres sur la moree, l'hellespont, &c._ (paris, 1820); choiseul gouffier, _voyage pittoresque dans l'empire ottoman_ (1842).