Editing Troy (section)

=== Classical and Hellenistic Troy (Troy&nbsp;VIII) ===

{{Primary sources section|date=June 2024}}

According to Herodotus, the Persian king [[Xerxes I of Persia|Xerxes]] sacrificed 1,000&nbsp;cattle at the sanctuary of Athena Ilias while marching towards Greece.<ref>{{cite book |author=[[Herodotus]] |title=[[Histories (Herodotus)|Histories]] |at=7.43}}</ref> Following the Persian defeat in 480–479, Ilion and its territory became part of the continental possessions of [[Mytilene]] and remained under Mytilenaean control until the unsuccessful [[Mytilenean revolt]] in 428–427. Athens liberated the so-called Actaean cities (called 'Actaean' cities because they were located on the ἀκτή (aktē) or promontory of the mainland north of Lesbos.<ref>Thucydides, book IV, section 52, Loeb Classic Library, Vol 2, p. 300, note 1</ref>) including Ilion and enrolled these communities in the [[Delian League]]. Athenian influence in the Hellespont waned following the oligarchic coup of 411, and in that year the Spartan general Mindaros emulated Xerxes by likewise sacrificing to Athena Ilias. From c.&nbsp;410–399, Ilion was within the sphere of influence of the local dynasts at [[Lampsacus]] (Zenis, his wife Mania, and the usurper Meidias) who administered the region on behalf of the Persian satrap [[Pharnabazos II, Satrap of Phrygia|Pharnabazus]].

In 399, the Spartan general [[Dercylidas]] expelled the Greek garrison at Ilion who were controlling the city on behalf of the Lampsacene dynasts during a campaign which rolled back Persian influence throughout the [[Troad]]. Ilion remained outside the control of the Persian satrapal administration at [[Dascylium]] until the [[Peace of Antalcidas]] in 387–386. In this period of renewed Persian control c.&nbsp;387–367, a statue of [[Ariobarzanes of Phrygia|Ariobarzanes]], the satrap of [[Hellespontine Phrygia]], was erected in front of the temple of Athena Ilias.<ref>{{cite book |author=[[Diodorus Siculus]] |title=[[Bibliotheca historica]] |at=17.17.6}}</ref> In 360–359 the city was briefly controlled by [[Charidemus]] of [[Oreus]], a Euboean mercenary leader who occasionally worked for the Athenians.<ref>{{cite book |author=[[Demosthenes]] |title={{grey|[no title cited]}} |at=23.154–157 |postscript=;}}<br/>{{cite book |author=[[Aeneas Tacticus]] |title=Περὶ τοῦ πῶς χρὴ πολιορκουμένους ἀντέχειν |language=el |trans-title=How to Survive a Siege |at=24.3–14}}</ref> In 359, he was expelled by the Athenian Menelaos son of Arrabaios, whom the Ilians honoured with a grant of [[proxeny]]—this is recorded in the earliest civic decree to survive from Ilion.<ref>''Inschriften von Ilion'' 23.</ref> In May 334 [[Alexander the Great]] crossed the Hellespont and came to the city, where he visited the temple of Athena Ilias, made sacrifices at the tombs of the Homeric heroes, and made the city free and exempt from taxes.<ref>{{cite book |author=Arrian |title=Anabasis |at=1.11–12}}<br/> {{cite book |author=[[Diodorus Siculus]] |title=[[Bibliotheca historica]] |at=17.17–18}}<br/> {{cite book |author=[[Plutarch]] |title=Life of Alexander |at=15}}<br/>{{cite book |author-link=Justin (historian) |author=Marcus Junianus Justinus Frontinus |title-link=Historia Philippicae et Totius Mundi Origines et Terrae Situs |title=Historia Philippicae (et Totius Mundi) |at=9.5.12}}<br/> {{cite book |author=[[Strabo]] |title=[[Geographica]] |at=13.1.26, 32}}</ref> According to the so-called 'Last Plans' of Alexander which became known after his death in June 323, he had planned to rebuild the temple of Athena Ilias on a scale that would have surpassed every other temple in the known world.<ref>{{cite book |author=[[Diodorus Siculus]] |title=[[Bibliotheca historica]] |at=18.4.5}}</ref>

[[Antigonus Monophthalmus]] took control of the Troad in 311 and created the new city of [[Alexandria Troas|Antigoneia Troas]] which was a [[synoikism]] of the cities of [[Skepsis]], [[Cebren|Kebren]], [[Neandreia]], [[Hamaxitus|Hamaxitos]], [[Larisa (Troad)|Larisa]], and [[Kolonai]]. In c.&nbsp;311–306 the ''[[koinon]]'' of Athena Ilias was founded from the remaining cities in the Troad and along the Asian coast of the [[Dardanelles]] and soon after succeeded in securing a guarantee from Antigonus that he would respect their autonomy and freedom (he had not respected the autonomy of the cities which were synoikized to create Antigoneia).<ref>''Inschriften von Ilion'' 1.</ref> The ''koinon'' continued to function until at least the 1st century AD and primarily consisted of cities from the Troad, although for a time in the second half of the 3rd century it also included [[Myrlea]] and [[Chalcedon]] from the eastern [[Propontis]].<ref>Regarding Myrlea and Calchedon: ''Inschriften von Ilion'' 5–6.</ref> The governing body of the ''koinon'' was the ''synedrion'' on which each city was represented by two delegates. The day-to-day running of the ''synedrion'', especially in relation to its finances, was left to a college of five ''agonothetai'', on which no city ever had more than one representative. This system of equal (rather than proportional) representation ensured that no one city could politically dominate the ''koinon''.<ref>{{cite journal |first=D. |last=Knoepfler |year=2010 |title=Les agonothètes de la Confédération d'Athéna Ilias: une interpretation nouvelle des données épigraphiques et ses conséquences pour la chronologie des émissions monétaires du Koinon |language=fr |journal=Studi Ellenistici |volume=24 |pages=33–62}}</ref> The primary purpose of the ''koinon'' was to organize the annual Panathenaia festival which was held at the sanctuary of Athena Ilias. The festival brought huge numbers of pilgrims to Ilion for the duration of the festival as well as creating an enormous market (the ''panegyris'') which attracted traders from across the region.<ref>{{cite book |title=Panegyris |first=L. |last=Robert |series=Monnaies antiques en Troade |place=Paris, FR |year=1966 |pages=18–46}}</ref> In addition, the ''koinon ''financed new building projects at Ilion, for example a new theatre c.&nbsp;306 and the expansion of the sanctuary and temple of Athena Ilias in the 3rd century, in order to make the city a suitable venue for such a large festival.<ref>''Re. theatre'':
* ''Inschriften von Ilion'' 1.
''Re. temple'':
* {{cite journal |first=C.B. |last=Rose |title=The temple of Athena at Ilion |journal=Studia Troica |volume=13 |year=2003 |pages=27–88}}
''See contra'':
* {{cite journal |first=D. |last=Hertel |title=Zum Heiligtum der Athena Ilias von Troia&nbsp;IX und zur frühhellenistischen Stadtanlage von Ilion |language=de |journal=Arch. Anz. |year=2004 |pages=177–205}}</ref>

In the period 302–281, Ilion and the Troad were part of the kingdom of [[Lysimachus]], who during this time helped Ilion synoikize several nearby communities, thus expanding the city's population and territory.{{efn|In a description of the region, [[Strabo]] reports that
: "[Lysimachus] adds to this circle the cities of antiquity already destroyed".
: [Λυσίμαχος] συνῴκισέ τε εἰς αὐτὴν τὰς κύκλῳ πόλεις ἀρχαίας ἤδη κεκακωμένας.<ref>{{cite book |author=[[Strabo]] |title=[[Geographica]] |at=13.1.26}}</ref>
These probably included [[Birytis]], [[Gentinos]], and Sigeion.<ref>{{cite book |first=J.M. |last=Cook |title=The Troad |publisher=Oxford |year=1973 |page=364}}</ref><br/>Birytis and Gentinos are not securely located, but recent excavations at Sigeion appear to independently confirm Strabo's account by indicating an abandonment date soon after c.&nbsp;300.<ref>{{cite book |first=Th. |last=Schäfer |title=Kazı Sonuçları Toplantısı |at=32.2: 410–412 |year=2009 |postscript=;}}<br/> {{cite book |first=Th. |last=Schäfer |title=Kazı Sonuçları Toplantısı |year=2012 |at=33.2: 248–249}}</ref> This may have been punishment for Sigeion resisting Lysimachus in 302.<ref>{{cite book |author=[[Diodorus Siculus]] |title=[[Bibliotheca historica]] |at=20.107.4}}</ref>
}}
Lysimachus was defeated at the [[Battle of Corupedium]] in February&nbsp;281 by [[Seleucus I Nikator]], thus handing the Seleucid kingdom control of [[Asia Minor]], and in August or September 281 when Seleucus passed through the Troad on his way to [[Lysimachia (Thrace)|Lysimachia]] in the nearby Thracian Chersonese Ilion passed a decree in honour of him, indicating the city's new loyalties.<ref>''Inschriften von Ilion'' 31.</ref> In September Seleucus was assassinated at Lysimachia by [[Ptolemy Keraunos]], making his successor, [[Antiochus I Soter]], the new king. In 280 or soon after Ilion passed a long decree lavishly honouring Antiochus in order to cement their relationship with him.{{efn|
A minority of scholars instead attempt to date this inscription to the reign of Antiochus&nbsp;III (222–187&nbsp;BC).<ref>''Inschriften von Ilion'' 32.</ref>
}}
During this period Ilion still lacked proper city walls except for the crumbling Troy&nbsp;VI fortifications around the citadel, and in 278 during the [[Gallic invasion of the Balkans|Gallic invasion]] the city was easily sacked.<ref>{{cite book |author=[[Strabo]] |title=[[Geographica]] |at=13.1.27}}</ref> Ilion enjoyed a close relationship with Antiochus for the rest of his reign: for example, in 274 Antiochus granted land to his friend Aristodikides of Assos which for tax purposes was to be attached to the territory of Ilion, and c.&nbsp;275–269 Ilion passed a decree in honour of Metrodoros of Amphipolis who had successfully treated the king for a wound he received in battle.<ref>''Inschriften von Ilion'' 33 (Aristodikides), 34 (Metrodoros).</ref>