TMOLUS (mountain)

The river Pactolus rose from the mountain, carrying gold dust from its mines, which were nearly exhausted by the time of later writings.^{10,11,12,13,2} The mountain was described as flowing with gold, and a substance resembling silver was found in the vicinity.^14,15 The river Tarnus also flowed from this mountain, while the river Tmolus was once the only known source of the stone coticula.^13,16

The city of Sardis was situated on the side of Tmolus facing the mountain, which surrounded and bounded the city.^17,3,2 The small town of Hypæpæ bounded the mountain on the other side, while a place named Hyda lay at its foot.^8,18,19 The Meonians lived beneath the slopes, and Lydians, Mysians, and Macedonians inhabited the area around it.^20,13,2 A large mound built by Gyges was situated inside the mountain, and a white marble seat built by Persians sat on its summit.^17,2

During the global conflagration caused by Phaethon's chariot, Tmolus caught fire.²¹ The son of Leto departed from this mountain after taking revenge, and the Maenads left Tmolus to join the speaker in Thebes.^22,4 The Ionians retreated to this mountain when they feared their approaching enemies, and later the Ionian army crossed it while marching inland toward Sardis.^23,24 The people living by this mountain pledged to enslave the Greeks.²⁵

The wine from Tmolus was valued for its unique sweetness and was mixed with other wines to soften harsh flavors, making them appear older than they were.²⁶ This wine was considered suitable for both pleasure and medical purposes, and saffron fragrance was said to originate from the mountain.^27,28 In the southern parts, located thirty stadia from Nysa, the meadow called Leimon hosted festivals where the Nysaeans and surrounding people gathered.²⁹ A temple dedicated to two heroes stood near the meadow, close to the river Caÿster, and people living on the peak were said to live one hundred and fifty years.^29,9