Talk:Pimpleia

clarification? Suggestion
The main page reads, "Pimpleia (Ancient Greek: Πίμπλεια) was a city in Pieria in Ancient Greece, located near Dion and ancient Leivithra at Mount Olympus.[1 Burckhardt] Pimpleia is described as a "κώμη" ("quarter, suburb") of Dion by Strabo.[2] The location of Pimpleia is possibly to be identified with the modern village of Agia Paraskevi near Litochoron [3 Mogens Herman Hansen]."

Firstly, Litochoro ('Litochoron'), is indeed on the slopes of Mount Olympus. Ancient Dion and its vast open-air museum is further down on lower land and about 10km to the *north*. This is all in the regional unit of Pieria and is easily confirmed. There are several places called Agia Paraskevi in Greece but none that I know of near Litochoro.

The citation (3, Mogens Herman Hansen, 2005) is accurately appended --

(In full it reads: "Pimpleia (Πιμπλεια) Callim. Hymn 4.7; Posidippus 118; Strabo 7 frf. 17 and 18 (κωμη of Dion). Possibly at Ag. Paraskevi near Litochoron, in Pieria (Schmidt (1950); Papazoglou (1988) 112). Barr. 50, HR.)"

-- yet I am at a loss to fathom its truth when it claims "Possibly at Ag. Paraskevi near Litochoron".

Of the references cited by Mogens Herman Hansen, Papazoglou is no further assistance, merely confirming that the Pierians followed the cult of Orpheus:

"La Piérie porte un nom grec, mais ses premiers habitants, ceux que les Grecs désignaient du nom de Piériens, étaient des Thraces. Expulsés de Piérie par les Macédoniens, ces Piériens sont allés s'installer au pied du Pangéefi Les cultes d'0rphée et de Dionysos, si marquants en Piérie, remontent sans doute a eux."

Nor can I find any evidence of a village called Agia Paraskevi or a place of that name in the List of settlements in the Pieria regional unit (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_settlements_in_the_Pieria_regional_unit) or lists of cities, towns, suburbs/localities and places near to Litokhoron (http://www.gomapper.com/travel/list-of-cities-near/litokhoron.html)

The closest possibility I can find is a Greek Orthodox chapel of Agia Paraskevi located in Litochoro. Saint Paraskevi was 2nd century with very many chapels named after her in various locations across Europe, including several in the greater area in and around Pieria.

Furthermore, Strabo (VII, 18) says that at the *base* of Olympus is a city called Dion (Δῖον). And it has a village nearby, Pimpleia." This supports the account cited from Burckhardt (1) who also says it is by *Dion*, not by Leivithra (modern Skotina) which is some 17km to the *south* of Litochoro. Burckhardt makes no mention of Leivithra.

Although these things are hard to pin down, Leivithra seems more connected with the death of Orpheus at the hands of the Leivithrans (Pausanias 9.30.9–11 = OF 1055 apud Jauregui M, Tracing Orpheus Studies of Orphic Fragments De Gruyter 2011 pp.339-340).

Unless someone has evidence to the contrary, I would suggest that: a) the mention of Leivithra is insufficiently supported; b) the reference to an Agia Paraskevi village as the ancient location of Pimpleia, although in Mogens Herman Hansen, is possibly based there on dubious secondary evidence, contra-indicated in ancient texts, and maybe geographically inconsistent.

If anyone can counter this with good references I will withdraw my comment: otherwise I think one should amend the main page somewhat unless somebody else does first, based on the above. I am very interested to hear further evidence on this, whichever way it may point!Parzivalamfortas 21:00, 23 June 2022 (UTC) — Preceding unsigned comment added by Parzivalamfortas (talk • contribs)