Xylinepolis or Xylenopolis ( el, Ξυλίνη πόλις, meaning: wooden city/town) was a
temporary military fortress
A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...
(''
phrourion'') in the
naval base of
Patala, founded in 325 BC by
Alexander the Great. It is mentioned by
Pliny the Elder. Alexander's admiral
Nearchus
Nearchus or Nearchos ( el, Νέαρχος; – 300 BC) was one of the Greek officers, a navarch, in the army of Alexander the Great. He is known for his celebrated expeditionary voyage starting from the Indus River, through the Persian Gulf and e ...
stayed there for four months before his voyage.
William Woodthorpe Tarn argues that Pliny was mistaken in his reference to the town, and that Pliny's source merely mentioned a , meaning a town made of wood. According to Tarn the town was therefore a pre-existing Indian town rather than one founded by Alexander.
See also
*
List of cities founded by Alexander the Great
References
Memoir on the Eastern Branch of the River Indus, Giving an Account of the Alterations Produced on It by an Earthquake, Also a Theory of the Formation of the Runn, and Some Conjectures on the Route of Alexander the Great; Drawn up in the Years 1827-1828, Lieutenant Alex, pp 586-587
External links
*Alexander the Great: his town
Military history of ancient Greece
Cities founded by Alexander the Great
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