Samothrace

Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament

(Σαμοθράκη, the ‘Thracian Samos,’ in Homer Σάμος Θρηικίη; still called Samothraki)

Samothrace is an island about 30 miles S. of the coast of Thrace, 8 miles in length and 6 miles in breadth, rising to a height of 5240 ft. above the sea. Next to Pharos, it is the most conspicuous natural feature in the northern aegean. According to Homer, Poseidon took his stand on its summit to survey ‘all Ida, the city of Priam, and the ships of the Greeks’ (Il. xiii. 12 f.). Samos is probably a Semitic (Phcenician) word, from the root shamah, ‘to be high’ (see W. Leaf, Iliad, 1902, ii. 4). The island, which always enjoyed autonomy on account of its sacred traditions, was celebrated for the mysterious worship of the Cabeiri (Herod. ii. 51), which was still in full vogue when St. Paul passed and repassed the island.

The Apostle and his companions, sailing from Troas, ‘made a straight course,’ running before the wind (εὐθυδρομήσαμεν,  Acts 16:11), to Samothrace, where they cast anchor, and next day reached Neapolis. In less favourable conditions, when tacking was required, the passage in the opposite direction took five days ( Acts 20:6). Samothrace was quite harbourless-Pliny, in enumerating the aegean islands, calls it importuosissima omnium (Historia Naturalis (Pliny)iv. 23)-but it had several good anchorages.

See, further, H. F. Tozer, The Islands of the aegean, 1890, pp. 310-354.

James Strahan.

Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible

SAMOTHRACE . An island S. of Thrace and N.W. of Troas, from which place St. Paul had a straight run to it (  Acts 16:11 ). The town of the same name was on the N. side of the island. The island is mountainous, and has a summit nearly a mile above the sea level. It owes its name perhaps to its resemblance to Samos (wh. see). Samothrace played little part in Greek history, but was famous as the seat of the mysterious cult of the divinities known as Cabeiri.

A. Souter.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Samothra'ce. In the Revised Version for Samothracia .

Holman Bible Dictionary

 Acts 16:11

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

sam´ṓ - thrās ( Σαμοθρᾴκη , Samothrákē , "the Thracian Samos"; the King James Version Samothracia , sam - ṓ - thrā´sha  ; the island was formerly Dardania; for change of name see Pausanias vii. 4,3; Strabo x.457, and for a full discussion Conze, Hauser and Benndorf, Neue Untersuchungen auf South , 1880): An island in the Aegean Sea, South of Thrace opposite the mouth of the Hebrus River, and Northwest of Troas. The island is mountainous, as the name indicates (see Samos ), and towers above Imbros when viewed from the Trojan coast. The summit is about a mile high. It is mentioned in the Iliad (xiii. 12) as the seat of Poseidon and referred to by Virgil Aeneid vii. 208.

The island was always famous for sanctity, and the seat of a cult of the Cabeiri, which Herodotus (ii. 51) says was derived from the Pelasgian inhabitants (see also Aristophanes, Pax 277). The mysteries connected with the worship of these gods later rivaled the famous mysteries of Eleusis, and both Philip of Macedon and Olympias his wife were initiated here (Plut. Alex . 3).

Probably because of its sacred character the island did not figure to any extent in history, but in the expedition of Xerxes in 480 BC, one ship at least of the Samothracian contingent is mentioned as conspicuous in the battle of Salamis.

The famous "Victory of Samothrace" (now in the Louvre) was set up here by Demetrius Poliorcetes circa 300 BC, and was discovered in 1863. Since that time (1873-75), the Austrian government carried on extensive excavations (see Conze, Hauser and Benndorf, op. cit.).

In the New Testament the island is mentioned in  Acts 16:11 . From Troas, Paul made a straight run to Samothrace, and the next day sailed to Neapolis (which see) on the Thracian coast, the port of Philippi (which see). At the northern end of Samothrace was a town where the ship could anchor for the night, and on the return journey ( Acts 20:6 ) a landing may have been made, but no details are given. Pliny characterizes the island as being most difficult for anchorage, but because of the hazards of sailing by night, the ancient navigators always anchored somewhere if possible.

See under Samos .

Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblial Literature

Samothra´ce, an island in the north-east part of the Aegean Sea, above the Hellespont, with a lofty mountain, and a city of the same name. The island was celebrated for the mysteries of Ceres and Proserpine, and was a sacred asylum. Paul touched at this island on his first voyage to Europe . The island is now called Samandrachi. It is but thinly peopled, and contains only a single village.

The Nuttall Encyclopedia

A mountainous, bleak island in the Ægean Sea, NW. of the mouth of the Dardanelles; has only one village of 2000 inhabitants; was in ancient times place of Cabiri Worship ( q. v .).