LIPARA (city)
Ancient polis on island of Lipari
- Kind of place
- City
- Where
- 38.47° N, 14.95° E
The island is identified as the seat of Hephaestus. Aeneid 8.407 Cyclopes forge steel in vast caverns on the island. Aeneid 8.407 The island features smoking rocks towering above a vast vault. Aeneid 8.407
Described in the sources
The island lies in a straight line between Sicily and Italy, approximately one hundred and fifty stades away from Sicily. Callimachus, Hymn 3 ¶2 +2 Aeolus, son of Hippotes, established a city on the islands in the Tyrrhenian Sea and became king after forming a shared government. Diodorus 4.67 +1 Lipara is located in the Tyrrhenian Sea. Diodorus 5.12 Lipara is an island that contains a town. Pliny, Nat. Hist. 3.14 ¶6 The island was called Lipara in later days. Callimachus, Hymn 3 ¶2 Aeolus founded the city and named it Lipara. Diodorus 4.67 The entire island is referred to as Vulcania. Aeneid 8.407 The island is named after Liparus, a former king. Pliny, Nat. Hist. 3.14 ¶6 Other islands follow Lipara in the Tyrrhenian Sea. Diodorus 5.12 Lipara is one of seven islands known as the Aeolides. Diodorus 5.7
Gods and worship
The local baths help heal sick people in a remarkable way. Diodorus 5.10
Stories and history
Liparus succeeded Æolus as the ruler of the area. Pliny, Nat. Hist. 3.14 ¶6 Cyclopes hollowed out the large vault on the island. Aeneid 8.407 The settlers and locals merged to form a single community. Diodorus 5.9 The inhabitants constructed a city on the island of Lipara. Pausanias 10.11.4 The island supplies its inhabitants with many kinds of fish. Diodorus 5.10 The community defeated Tyrrhenian pirates in many sea fights. Diodorus 5.9 A goodly troop of astaci with the finest flavor are found there. Athenaeus 3.64 They occupied the islands and expelled the existing inhabitants. Pausanias 10.11.3 The local inhabitants received the arriving settlers with kindness. Diodorus 5.9 According to Antiochus, their leader was a Cnidian named Pentathlus. Pausanias 10.11.3