Mitylene

Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament

(Μιτυλήνη)

Mitylene, or-according to the usual spelling in classical writings and on coins-Mytilene, was the chief town in the island of Lesbos, lying on the S.E. coast, about 12 miles from the mainland of Asia Minor. Built on a peninsula which had once been an island, it had two excellent harbours, the northern for merchantmen, the southern for triremes.

Horace calls it ‘Mitylene pulchra’ ( Ep. i. xi. 17), and Cicero praises it as ‘urbs et natura de situ et descriptione aediflciorum et pulchritudine, in primis nobilis’ ( Leg. Agr. ii. 41). Mitylene was the home of Alcaeus and of Sappho, ‘an extraordinary person (θαυμαστόν τι χρῆμα), for at no period within memory has any woman been known at all to be compared to her in poetry’ (Strabo, xiii. ii. 3). For its old renown the Romans left the city free-‘libera Mitylene’ (Pliny, v. 39).

Mitylene is mentioned only incidentally in Acts (20:14). The ship in which St. Paul sailed from Assos to Patara in the month of April lay over-night either in the northern harbour of Mitylene (which Strabo mentions as μέγας καὶ βαθύς [XIII. ii. 2]), or else in the roadstead outside. Mitylene was about 30 miles S. from Assos-an easy day’s sail. It was contrary to the general practice to sail at night in the aegean, where, throughout the summer season, the N. wind commonly blows fresh in the morning and dies away towards evening. In later Christian times the whole island of Lesbos came to be called Mitylene. The Turks, who captured it in a.d. 1462, have corrupted its name into Midüllü .

Literature.-Conybeare-Howson, Life and Epistles of St. Paul , new ed., London, 1877, ii. 261; H. F. Tozer, The Islands of the aegean , Oxford, 1890, p. 134 f.; W. M. Ramsay, St. Paul the Traveller and the Roman Citizen , London, 1895, p. 291 ff.

James Strahan.

Fausset's Bible Dictionary

Capital, on S.E. side, of the island Lesbos, now Mitylen. Beautiful in situation ("pulchra ", Horace Ep. 1:11, 17, with mountains in the background) and in buildings, and enjoying the Roman citizenship. Paul stopped at it for the night in his return from his third missionary journey; between Assos and Chios. The wind blew probably from N.W., from which the harbor of Mitylene would shelter the ship. He was there on a dark moonless night; a good reason for passing the night there, and waiting daylight for the intricate passages southward to Chios and Samos (Acts 20:14-15). The native land of the poets Sappho and Alcaeus, and Arion the musician.

Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible

MITYLENE was the chief town of Lesbos on its E. coast, subsequently giving its name to the whole island. It was one of the early Æolian colonies, and one of the earliest homes of Greek lyric poetry the birthplace of Sappho and Alcæns. It attained great naval power, and founded colonies such as Sigeum and Assos. It took a prominent part in the Ionian revolt, but helped Xerxes against Greece. It joined the Athenian alliance, but revolted in b.c. 428 and was nearly annihilated. After opposing Rome in the Mithradatic War, it was made a free city. It has belonged to the Turks since a.d. 1462. Its mention in Acts 20:14 is merely incidental, St. Paul’s ship spent a night there.

A. E. Hillard.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Mityle'ne. (mutilated). The chief town of Lesbos, an island of the Aegean Sea, 7 1/2 miles from the opposite point of Asia Minor. The city is situated on the east coast of the island. Mitylene is the intermediate place, where St. Paul stopped for the night between Assos and Chios. Acts 20:14-15.

The town itself was celebrated in Roman times, for the beauty of its buildings. In St. Paul's day, it had the privileges of a free city. (It is now a place of no importance, called Mitelin. It contains about 1100 houses, Greek and Turkish, with narrow and filthy streets. - Editor).

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The ancient capital of the island of Lesbos; a seaport on the east side of the island, towards Asia Minor. Paul touched there on his way from Greece to Jerusalem, Acts 20:14 . The island is now called Mitelino; and the ruins of the city still exist near Castro.

People's Dictionary of the Bible

Mitylene (mĭt-y-lç'ne), hornless. The chief town and capital of the isle of Lesbos. Acts 20:14-15. In Paul's day it had the privileges of a free city.

Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary

The place where Paul passed in his way from Corinth to Jerusalem. (See Acts 20:14) According to the Greek, the name means cleanliness.

Morrish Bible Dictionary

Capital city of Lesbos, an island in the AEgean Sea. Acts 20:14 . The island and the city are both now called Mitylene: 39 7' N, 26 30' E .

Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary

the capital of the island of Lesbos, through which St. Paul passed as he went from Corinth to Jerusalem, Acts 20:14 .

Holman Bible Dictionary

Acts 20:14

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Acts 20:14

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

(Μιτυλήνη , Acts 20:14; written also Mytile'ne, Μυτιλήνη, which is the older and more accurate form [see Tzchucke, ad Mel. II, 2:484; of uncertain etymology), the capital of the isle of Lesbos (Ptolemy, 4:2, 29), in the AEgean Sea, about seven and a half miles from the opposite point on the coast of Asia Minor. It was a well-built town, with two harbors, but unwholesomely situated (Vitruvius, De Architect. 1:6). It was the native place of Pittacus, Theophanes, Theophrastus, Sappho, Alcaeus, and Diophanes, and was liberally supplied with literary advantages (Strabo, 13:617; Senec. Helv. 9; Pliny, 5:37; comp. Veil. Paten. 2:18). The town was celebrated for the beauty of its buildings (" Mitlene pulchra," Horace, Epist. I, 11:17; see Cicero, Rull. 2:16). It had the privileges of a free city (Pliny, N.H. 5:39). The apostle Pal touched at Mitylene overnight between Assos and Chios, during his third apostolical journey, on the way from Corinth to Judaea (Acts 20:14). It may be gathered from the circumstances of this voyage that the wind was blowing from the N.W., and it is worth while to notice that in the harbor or in the roadstead of Mitylene the ship would be sheltered from that wind. Moreover, it appears that Paul was there at the time of dark moon, and this was a sufficient reason for passing the night there before going through the intricate passages to the southward (see Conybeare and Howson's Life of St. Paul, 2:210). It does not appear that any Christian Church was established at this place in the apostolic age. No mention is made of it in ecclesiastical history until a late period; and in the 2d century heathenism was so rife in Mitylene that a man was annually sacrificed to Dionysus. In the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th centuries, however, we find bishops of Mitylene present at several councils (Magdeburg, Hist. Eccles. Cent. 2:195; 5:6; 6:6; 7:4, 253, 254; 8:6). Mitylene still exists, under the designation of Metelin, and has given its name, in the form of Miftilni, to the whole island; but it is now a place of no importance (Tournefort, Trav. 2:115; Olivier, Voyage, 2:93; Sonnini, Travels in Greece, page 366). The town contains about 700 Greek houses, and 400 Turkish; its streets are narrow and filthy (Turner, Tours the Levant, 3:299). See, generally, Pauly's Realencyklop. 5:372 sq.; Anthon's Class. Dict. s.v.; Smith's Dict. of Class. Geography, s.v.; M'Culloch's Gazetteer, s.v.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

mit - i - lē´nḗ , mit - i - lyē´nyḗ ( Μιτυλήνη , Mitulḗnē , or Μυτιλήνη , Mutilḗnē as usually on coins):

1. Importance and History:

In antiquity the most important city of the Asiatic Aeolians and of the island of Lesbos. It had 2 harbors and strong fortresses. The city was noted for its high culture and for its zeal for art and science from the earliest times. The island, under the leadership of Mitylene, revolted in 428 Bc from the Athenian confederacy. The city was besieged by the Athenians and finally taken. The inhabitants of Mitylene were treated with great severity; the walls were dismantled, and the city was deprived of its power on the sea. In the time of Alexander the Great, Mitylene suffered most through the Persians, and later by the occupation of the Macedonians, but afterward regained its power and prosperity, and still later was favored by the Roman emperors, being made a free city by Pompey.

In the Middle Ages, the name Mitylene was applied to the whole island. The present capital, often called simply Castro, has a large castle built on the site of the ancient acropolis (in 1373). The city was conquered by the Turks in 1462. It contains 14 mosques, 7 churches, and has a population of about 15,000.

2. Paul's Visit:

On his third missionary journey, Paul traveled to the Hellespont from Philippi, thence through the Troad by land to Assos on the southern side - where extensive excavations were carried on in 1881 by an American archaeological expedition - thence by ship to Mitylene (Acts 20:14 ), where he spent the night. Leaving Lesbos, he sailed southward to a point opposite the island of Chios (Acts 20:15 ). There is no record that a Christian church had been established in Mitylene at this time.

Literature.

Tozer, Islands of the Aegean , 121,134 f, 136; Ramsay, St. Paul the Traveler , 291 ff.

Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblial Literature

Mityle´ne, the capital of the isle of Lesbos, in the Ægean Sea, about seven miles and a half from the opposite point on the coast of Asia Minor. It was a well-built town, but unwholesomely situated. It was the native place of Pittacus, Theophanes, Theophrastus, Sappho, Alcæus, and Diophanes. St. Paul touched at Mitylene in his voyage from Corinth to Judea . It does not appear that any Christian church was established at this place in the apostolic age. No mention is made of it in ecclesiastical history until a late period; and in the second century heathenism was so rife in Mirylene that a man was annually sacrificed to Dionysus. In the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth centuries, we, however, find bishops of Mitylene present at several councils. Mitylene still exists, and has given its name, in the form of Mytilni, to the whole island; but it is now a place of no importance.