Dionysupolis or Dionysoupolis or Dionysopolis ( grc, Διονύσου πόλιςStephanus of Byzantium, Ethnica, §D233.1
/ref> and Διονυσόπολις) was a town of ancient Thrace, later of

Moesia Moesia (; Latin: ''Moesia''; el, Μοισία, Moisía) was an ancient region and later Roman province situated in the Balkans south of the Danube River, which included most of the territory of modern eastern Serbia, Kosovo, north-eastern Alban ...

, on the river Ziras. It was founded as a Thracian settlement in was founded still in V century BC, but was later colonised by the

Ionian Ionic or Ionian may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Ionic meter, a poetic metre in ancient Greek and Latin poetry * Ionian mode, a musical mode or a diatonic scale Places and peoples * Ionian, of or from Ionia, an ancient region in western ...

ancient Greeks and given the name Cruni or Krounoi (Κρουνοί). It was named Krounoi from the nearby founts of water. It was renamed as Dionysopolis after the discovery of a statue of

Dionysus In ancient Greek religion and myth, Dionysus (; grc, Διόνυσος ) is the god of the grape-harvest, winemaking, orchards and fruit, vegetation, fertility, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstasy, festivity, and theatre. The Romans ...

in the sea. Later it became a Greek- Byzantine and Bulgarian fortress. The town also bore the name Matiopolis. It existed within the present town of Balchik, Bulgaria. In the beginning of III century BC the city was relatively independent and included in the system of fortifications built by Diadohite. In VI century the town was destroyed by an earthquake and the population moved within the new fortification, whose construction began at the end of the V and beginning of VI century. Later, in VII century the town is possession of the Bulgars and Slavs and was renamed first to Karvuna, and after that - Balik, after the name of Boyar Balik, who used it as a capital of its domain. One of the most important discoveries in borders of the ancient Dionysopolis is the Temple of Greet mother-goddess Cybele. Many of the artifacts found there can be seen in Balchik History museum. Since 1994 the site has the status of cultural monument of national significance.

References

Populated places in ancient Thrace Former populated places in Bulgaria Greek colonies in Thrace Ionian colonies in Thrace Greek colonies in Scythia Minor Thracian towns {{Dobrich-geo-stub