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Abydos was a city on the
Asiatic coast the Hellespont, opposite the ancient city of
Sestos, and near the city of
Çanakkale in Turkey. Abydos was founded in c. 670 at the most narrow
point in the straits which made it a favorite crossing point between Europe and
Asia. During theSecond
Peloponnesian War, a Spartan expedition led by Dercylidas reached Abydos in
411 and successfully convinced the city to defect from the
Delian League and
fight against Athens. Soon after, the Athenians defeated a Spartan fleet at
Abydos. The Athenians attacked the city in 409/408 but were defeated by
Pharnabazus, satrap of
Hellespontine Phrygia. Dercylidas held the office of harmost of Abydos until at
least c. 407. At the beginning of the Corinthian War in 394
BC, Agesilaus II, King
of Sparta, passed through Abydos into Thrace on his route back to defend
Sparta. Abydos remained an ally of Sparta throughout the war and Dercylidas
served as harmost of the city from 394 until he was replaced by Anaxibius in c.
390. In Iphicrates
defeated Anaxibius in 389. At the conclusion of the Corinthian War, under the
terms of the Peace
of Antalcidas in 387, Abydos reverted to the Persians as part of
Hellespontine
Phrygia.
In 336 it was captured by the invading Macedonian army advanced guard commanded
by Parmenion. The
following year, while Parmenion was besieging Pitane,
Memnon of Rhodes brought his
Persian army back to besiege Abydos, forcing Parmenion to abandon Pitane and
return to save the city.
Then in 334 Alexander ferried the main Macedonian army across from Sestos.
After Alexander died in 323, Abydos, as part of the satrapy of Hellespontine
Phrygia, came under the control of Leonnatus.
In 321 Arrhidaeus became satrap of Hellespontine Phrygia. The city was fought
over during the Fourth War of the Diadochi, and for a century after by the
contending successors to Alexander and then by the Romans.
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