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INTER NA TION A L SOCIETY OF
OLYMPIC HISTORIANS
T h e O ly m p ic
L e g a c y
o f A le x a n d ira T ro a s
Robert A. Mechikoff, Athena L. Trakadis & Barbara Rieger
twenty minute drive south o f Hom er’s legendary
city o f Troy is another historical site that is rarely
visited by tourists. Alexandria Troas has been largely for­
gotten. However in ancient times, this Greek city was an
important destination and hosted biblical personalities,
Roman emperors, and was the home o f two athletes who
won at Olympia.
In antiquity, the area was called Wilusa by the Hittites
who inhabited the region. Later on it was called the Troas
or the Troad. Today it is part o f Turkey and is situated
in the northwest on the Biga Peninsula, bordered by the
Dardanelles on the northwest and the Aegean Sea to the
west. Contemporary nomenclature continues to identify
this scenic region o f northwestern Turkey as the Troas
or Troad.
Alexandria Troas has a rich history. The Greek histo­
rian Strabo (63 B.C. - 21 A.D.) identified the original city
and precursor to Alexandria Troas as Sigia.1 This polis
was likely established in the early Archaic period by
A
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Greek settlers from the island o f Tenedos, the present day
Turkish island o f Bozcaada. After the death o f Alexander
the Great (356 B.C. - 323 B.C.), his empire was divided
among his remaining generals. Antigonus I (382 B.C. 301 B.C.) was the first to claim this region as his own.
His first decree ordered the inhabitants o f Sigia and the
surrounding area to relocate. The relocation established a
new city, circa 310 B.C., and known as Antigonia Troas.
Lysimachus (361 B.C. - 281 B.C.) was a bodyguard of
Alexander the Great as well as a successor or diadochus.
He took an interest in the Troas and defeated Antigonia I
and his son, Demetrius at the battle o f Ipsus in 302 B.C.
One o f his first decrees was to change the name o f the
city to Alexandria Troas in order to honor Alexander the
Great.2 There were 15 cities named after Alexander the
Great in antiquity. Alexandria, the great city in Egypt, is
the most recognized today.
Alexandria Troas flourished during the Hellenistic
era (323 B.C. - 146 B.C.). Its location on the Hellespont
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INTERNA TION A L SOCIETY OF
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5
Second Timothy 4: 13.
6
Hyde, Walter Woodbridge. Olympic Victor M onuments and Greek
Art. Harvard College, 1922. P. 206 & 345; a marble base at Olym pia
has an inscription that claims Acestorides, son o f Hermocreon,
winner at the Olympic games was the first athlete from Alexandria
Troas to win here. However, we know that Pausanias identifies
Phaedim us as the first athlete from Alexandria Troas to become
an Olympic champion. W. Dittenberger/K. Purgold (Eds), Die
Inschriften von Olympia, 1986, no. 184; Cf. J. Bingen, BCH 77,
1953, 630-633; L. Moretti, Olympionikai, i vincitori negli antichi
50
olimpici, Atti della Accad. dei Lincei, Memorie, V ill, 1959, 141
no. 590.
7
Ibid., Edward Dodwell E.S.Q. F.S.A. Classical and Topographical
Tour Through Greece During The Years 1801, 1805, and 1806.
P.439.
8
Schwertheim, Elmar. “Beating the Competitors” in History Today,
June 13,2007.
9
Ibid.
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