Abonoteichos

Abonoteichos or Abonouteichos (Greek: Ἀβώνου τείχος, Avonou teichos, demonym: Ἀβωνοτειχίτης, Avonoteichites), later Ionopolis (Ἰωνόπολις; Turkish: İnebolu), was an Ancient city in Asia Minor, on the site of modern Inebolu (in Asian Turkey) and remains a Latin Catholic titular see.

History

Abonoteichos was a town on the coast of Paphlagonia, memorable as the birthplace of the impostor Alexander, founder of the cult of Glycon, of whom Lucian has left us an amusing account in the treatise bearing his name.[1] According to Lucian, Alexander petitioned the Roman 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.[2]

Not only does this name occur in Marcian of Heraclea[3] and Hierocles,[4] but on coins of the time of Antoninus and Lucius Verus we find the legend Ionopoliton (Ἰωνοπολιτῶν, Ionopoliton), as well as Abonoteichiton (Ἀβωνοτειχιτῶν, Avonotichiton). The modern Turkish name İnebolu is evidently only a corruption of Ionopolis.[5][6][7][8]

It was the site of a 2nd-century AD temple of Apollo.[9]

Ecclesiastical history of Ionopolis

It was important enough in the Roman province of Paphlagonia to become a suffragan bishopric of the Metropolitan of its capital Gangra, but faded later.

Titular see

The diocese was nominally revived as a Latin Catholic titular bishopric under the name Ionopolis, which was spelled Jonopolis in the Roman Curia (besides Italian 'Gionopoli) from 1929 to 1971.

It is vacant since decades, having had the following incumbents, both of the lowest (episcopal) and intermediary (archiepiscopal) ranks :

Notes

  1. ↑ Smith, William (1857), "Aboniteichos", in Smith, William, Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography 1, London: Walton & Maberly, p. 5
  2. ↑ Lucian, Alex § 58
  3. ↑ Marcian of Heraclea, Peripl. p. 72
  4. ↑ Synecdemus, p. 696
  5. ↑ Strabo, p. 545
  6. ↑ Arrian, Periplus Ponti Euxini p. 15
  7. ↑ Ptol. v. 4 § 2
  8. ↑ Stephanus of Byzantium, s. v. Ἀβώνου τείχος
  9. ↑  "Ionopolis". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. 1913.

References

Sources and External links

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