Phidalia

Did You Know?

• A rock or promontory near the Bosporos named Phidalia was described as white and shaped like eagle wings.
• Phidalia established a sanctuary of Aphrodite in Byzantium, while Byzas built a sanctuary to Artemis nearby.
• The Greek Anthology records two inscriptions mentioning Phidalia, one on a statue of Byzas set up by the general Calliades.

Phidalia as a Heroic Defender

Phidalia, according to one tradition, was the wife of Byzas, the king and founder of Byzantium. While Byzas was away driving enemies toward Thrace, the Scythian king Odryses crossed the Ister river and laid siege to the city. Unfazed by the size of the attacking force, Phidalia gathered all the snakes in the vicinity and held them in captivity. She then made a sudden appearance before the enemy and flung the snakes at them like projectiles, causing many to be infected and ultimately saving the city. This act led to a local custom: snakes found near Byzantium were not to be killed, as they were considered benefactors. The poet Nonnus, in his work Dionysiaca, calls her "the serpent-thrower" and shows Bacchant women copying her tactic in battle. Phidalia is also linked to the Gynaikon Limen, or Women's Harbor, an anchorage close to Byzantium. According to tradition, while the city's men were absent, she and a group of women fought off an attack led by Stroibos, Byzas's brother. After routing the attackers, she pursued them all the way to the harbor, which was then named Women's Harbor in honor of the event. The harbor stood near a location called Phidalia, and the bay itself was also known as Limen Phidalias, or the bay of Phidalia.