The Location of Homeric Thryoessa

Abstract

In Nestor's narration (<i>Iliad</i> 11.670-761) of a conflict between the Pylians and Epeians, the Epeians march against a <i>polis</i> called Thryoessa, situated on the Alpheios River, at 'the extremity of sandy Pylos.' The Pylian forces then march northwards and defeat the Epeians, driving them deep into their own territory. Strabo (8.3.24, 29) locates Thryoessa at the site of Epitalion, just a few kilometres to the south of the Alpheios River and not far from its mouth. Bölte (1934, 327-8), however, on the basis of certain perceived topographical difficulties raised by the relevant Homeric passage, rejects this location, preferring to place Thryoessa at the site of the modern village of Strefi, some kilometres to the north of the Alpheios and a considerable distance inland. Although scholars have tended to concur, a closer scrutiny of Bölte's arguments, combined with a consideration of both archaeological evidence which has come to light since he wrote (Eder 2011, 106-11) and more recent approaches to understanding the Homeric text (Alden 2000, 1-47, 74-6, 88-101), reveals that we need to reassess his conclusions.