Priene - Priene (English spelling) Priēnē

The remains of an ancient Greek city on the west coast of the Turkish Anatolian (Asia Minor) Peninsula. It is located about 13 km upstream from the mouth of the Menander (Menderes) River. Its origins date back to the Greek colonization of Ionia, but it was relocated around 350 BC with a city plan, and became a typical Hellenistic city with a population of 4,000. This is the ruins we see today (excavated between 1895 and 1899). The acropolis is located at the 371m high mountain peak of Theronea at the rear of the city, and the city area is surrounded by a 2.5km long wall that stretches up the southern slope of Mount Mykaley to a height of about 100 meters (130m above sea level). The paved streets cross each other at right angles, and there are about 80 insulas (city blocks) in a grid pattern. In the centre are the Hellenistic features of the stoa (colonnade), the agora (square) surrounded by government offices, the bouleuterion (assembly hall, seating approximately 640 people), and a little further away, temples and a theatre (also used as a court of law), while on the lowlands at the southern end, along the city walls, there remains a gymnasium (sports stadium) and stadium (athletics stadium). It also had water facilities, making it a beautiful, three-dimensional town. Many inscriptions have also been excavated. It did not fare well during the Roman period, and although it recovered for a time, it fell into ruin in the 13th century.

[Yoshiki Kanazawa]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

トルコ領アナトリア（小アジア）半島西岸の古代ギリシア都市遺跡。メナンデル（メンデレス）川の河口から約13キロメートル上流にある。起源はギリシア人のイオニア植民にさかのぼるが、紀元前350年ごろ都市計画をたてて移設し、人口4000の典型的なヘレニズム都市となった。これが今日の遺跡である（1895～1899発掘）。背面の標高371メートルの山頂テロネイアをアクロポリスとし、それを含む延長2.5キロメートルの壁で取り囲まれた市域は、ミカレー山稜(さんりょう)南斜面をはい上がるように約100メートルの高み（標高130メートル）にまで延びる。舗装街路が直交し、碁盤目のインスラ（街区）が約80ある。中心部にはヘレニズム様式の特色であるストア（列柱廊）や官衙(かんが)で囲まれたアゴラ（広場）、ブーレウテリオン（議堂、約640席）、やや離れて諸神殿・劇場（法廷にも利用された）、南端の低地には城壁沿いにギムナジオン（体育場）やスタディオン（競技場）が遺存する。水道設備もあり、立体的な美しい町であった。碑文も多数出土した。ローマ時代には振るわず、一時回復したが13世紀に荒廃した。

［金澤良樹］

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例