On the name of Messambria Pontica

Cercetări Arheologice 31.2, 2024, 313-320
https://doi.org/10.46535/ca.31.2.02



On the name of Messambria Pontica

Authors: Ivo Topalilov

Keywords:

etymology, city-name, west Pontic colony, Thracians, Greeks

Abstract:

The present text deals with the etymology of the name of one of the Western Pontic colonies, Messambria Pontica. Although it has been a topic of discussion since antiquity, the problem is still not considered resolved, with debates continuing among modern scholars. Many questions remain unanswered, such as whether the name is a single word or a compound, whether it is of Greek or Thracian origin, or whether it is composed of a combination of two Thracian glosses, two Greek glosses, or a mixture of Thracian and Greek elements. In fact, the etymology of the name sheds light on the earliest period of the colony’s history, which in turn raises additional challenges for scholars to address.

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How to cite: Ivo Topalilov, On the name of Messambria Pontica, Cercetări Arheologice, Vol. 31.2, pag. 313-320, 2024, doi: https://doi.org/10.46535/ca.31.2.02

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