Daphnus or Daphnous ( grc, Δαφνοῦς) was a city on the

Euboean Sea The Gulf of Euboea, Euboean Gulf, Euboic Sea or Euboic Gulf ( el, Ευβοϊκός Κόλπος, Evvoïkós Kólpos) is an arm of the Aegean Sea between the island of Euboea (northeast coastline) and the Greek mainland (southwest coastline). Trendi ...

, originally belonging to

ancient Phocis Phocis was an ancient region in the central part of Ancient Greece, which included Delphi. A modern administrative unit, also called Phocis, is named after the ancient region, although the modern region is substantially larger than the ancient ...

, which thus extended from the

Corinthian Gulf The Gulf of Corinth or the Corinthian Gulf ( el, Κορινθιακός Kόλπος, ''Korinthiakόs Kόlpos'', ) is a deep inlet of the Ionian Sea, separating the Peloponnese from western mainland Greece. It is bounded in the east by the Isth ...

to the Euboean sea. Its narrow territory separated the

Locri Epicnemidii Opuntian Locris or Eastern Locris was an ancient Greek region inhabited by the eastern division of the Locrians, the so-called tribe of the Locri Epicnemidii ( el, ) or Locri Opuntii (Greek: ). Geography Opuntian Locris consisted of a narrow ...

from the

Locri Opuntii Opuntian Locris or Eastern Locris was an ancient Greek region inhabited by the eastern division of the Locrians, the so-called tribe of the Locri Epicnemidii ( el, ) or Locri Opuntii (Greek: ). Geography Opuntian Locris consisted of a narrow ...

; but it was afterwards assigned to the Opuntii. The town was in ruins in the time of

Strabo Strabo''Strabo'' (meaning "squinty", as in strabismus) was a term employed by the Romans for anyone whose eyes were distorted or deformed. The father of Pompey was called "Pompeius Strabo". A native of Sicily so clear-sighted that he could see ...

, who fixes its site by describing it as distant 20

stadia Stadia may refer to: * One of the plurals of stadium, along with "stadiums" * The plural of stadion, an ancient Greek unit of distance, which equals to 600 Greek feet (''podes''). * Stadia (Caria), a town of ancient Caria, now in Turkey * Stadi ...

from

Cynus Cynus ( grc, Κῦνος, Kynos) was the principal sea-port of the Opuntian Locrians, situated on a cape at the northern extremity of the Opuntian Gulf, opposite Aedepsus in Euboea, and at the distance of 60 ''stadia'' from Opus. Livy gives an incor ...

and 120 from

Elateia Elateia ( el, Ελάτεια; grc, Ἐλάτεια) was an ancient Greek city of Phthiotis, and the most important place in that region after Delphi. It is also a modern-day town that is a former municipality in the southeastern part of Phthiotis ...

, and as having a harbour. Daphnus appears in an inscription dated to 407 BCE. Daphnus lay at the head of a pass that was one of the major arteries from northern to central Greece.

Archaeology

The site of Daphnus is near the modern village of Agios Konstantinos. The ruins of Daphnus were first noted in 1844 by

Ludwig Ross Ludwig Ross (22 July 1806, Bornhöved – 6 August 1859, Halle an der Saale) was a German classical archaeologist. He is chiefly remembered for the rediscovery and reconstruction of the Temple of Athena Nike in 1835–1836, and for his other e ...

. The ancient site was re-discovered in 2005-2007 during the construction of the main road above the modern town in the area of the Malian Gulf. The most important discovery is the very well preserved but previously unknown Sanctuary of

Asklepios Asclepius (; grc-gre, Ἀσκληπιός ''Asklēpiós'' ; la, Aesculapius) is a hero and god of medicine in ancient Religion in ancient Greece, Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology. He is the son of Apollo and Coronis (lover of ...

, containing a group of statues, and which has turned out to be one of the earliest Asklepieia on the Greek mainland, dating from the 5th century BC.

References

{{DGRG, title=Daphnus Populated places in ancient Phocis Populated places in Opuntian Locris Former populated places in Greece Cities in ancient Greece Ancient Greek cities