Aboniteichos

Aboniteichos (Gr. polytonic|Ἀβώνου τεῖχος, Ethnos: polytonic|Ἀβνουτειχείτης: "İnebolu") was a town on the coast of Paphlagonia, memorable as the birthplace of the impostor Alexander, of whom Lucian has left us an amusing account in the treatise bearing his name.Citation | last = Smith | first = William | author-link = William Smith (lexicographer) | contribution = Aboniteichos | editor-last = Smith | editor-first = William | title = Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography | volume = 1 | pages = 5 | publisher = Walton & Maberly | place = London | year = 1857 | contribution-url = http://books.google.com/books?id=_sYPAAAAYAAJ ] According to Lucian, Alexander petitioned the emperor (probably Antoninus Pius) that the name of his native place should be changed from Aboniteichos to Ionopolis; and whether the emperor granted the request or not, we know that the town was called Ionopolis in later times. [Lucian, "Alex" § 58] Not only does this name occur in Marcian of Heraclea [Marcian of Heraclea, "Peripl." p. 72] and Hierocles, [Hierocles, p. 696] but on coins of the time of Antoninus and Lucius Verus we find the legend "Ionopoliton" (polytonic|ΙΩΝΟΠΟΛΙΤΩΝ), as well as "Abonoteichiton" (polytonic|ΑΒΩΝΟΤΕΙΧΙΤΩΝ). The modern İnebolu is evidently only a corruption of Ionopolis. [Strabo, p. 545] [Arrian, "Periplus Ponti Euxini" p. 15] [Ptol. v. 4 § 2] [Stephanus of Byzantium, "s. v." polytonic|Ἀβώνου τεῖχος]

It was the site of a second century AD temple of Appollo. [CathEncy|wstitle=Ionopolis]

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