Mytilene

or Mitylene

A Greek city and port in the southeast of the island of Lesbos (qv), of which it was the principal city-state. Originally located on another, much smaller island or islet (now joined to Lesbos), Mytilene later expanded onto the territory of the main island. The settlement possessed a fine double harbor, facing toward Asia Minor, and even before 700 it controlled Aeolian cities on the mainland. It was the hometown of Alcaeus (born c 620) and perhaps also of Sappho; a local autocrat (tyrant) Melanchros was overthrown by the brothers of Alcaeus, who himself, as a young man, opposed the next rulers Myrsilus and Pittacus (one of the Seven Wise Men), although he had fought under Pittacus' command in a war against the Athenians, contesting the possession of Sigeum (Yenişehir) at the entrance of the Propontis (Dardanelles) (c 600).

A period under Persian control was terminated by the battle of Mycale (479), after which Mytilene—by now issuing an extensive coinage of electrum (pale gold)—joined the Delian Confederacy under the leadership of Athens, in the privileged position of an ally contributing ships to the League; and at this time Mytilene controlled almost the whole island of Lesbos, except Methymna. The city's unsuccessful attempt to detach itself from what had now become the Athenian empire in 428/7, during the early years of the Peloponnesian War, provided an opportunity for one of Thucydides' most trenchant analyses. The occasion was a debate in the Assembly at Athens in which the leading Athenian politician Cleon argued for the ruthless annihilation of Mytilene on grounds of imperialistic self-interest. A political opponent named Diodotus prevailed against him with somewhat milder counsels. Yet even these were harsh enough, since they severely penalized the ringleaders, while 2,700 Athenian colonists were brought in to occupy the land of the defeated subject-ally, employing its own citizens as tenant serfs; its fleet, too, was confiscated, the town's fortifications were dismantled, and its possessions on the mainland (Peraea) detached, with disastrous financial results for Mytilene.

It rebelled again, briefly, in 412—once more incurring dire punishment—but then remained a strong point for the Athenians until their final defeat at Aegospotami (405). Thereafter, with interruptions, Spartan and Athenian domination twice alternated, until the Persians established control in 357. After further vicissitudes, however, they were expelled by Alexander the Great (322), who declared the newly liberated Mytilene a free and independent ally, and enlarged its territory. Meanwhile Aristotle had taught for a short time at the city (344/3).

In Hellenistic times, although retaining autonomous institutions, it successively came under the suzerainty of Antigonus I Monophthalmos, Lysimachus, the Ptolemies and the Seleucid monarch Antiochus III the Great. During Antiochus' war with the Romans (190) it supported their cause (subsequently forming a League with three other Lesbian cities), but when Mithridates VI of Pontus fought against Rome, it took his side (owing to excessive taxation), and was destroyed after a siege (80–79). However, the historian Theophanes of Mytilene, who was one of Pompey the Great's chief advisers, persuaded him to restore the city's freedom (within the province of Asia), which was confirmed by Augustus (31 BC–AD 14), suspended by Vespasian (AD 69–79), and restored by Hadrian (117–38). In these imperial times, Mytilene became a favorite holiday resort. Its local coinage, which continued until the time of Gallienus (253–68), depicted an interesting series of local notables, heroes and benefactors, including Pittacus, Alcaeus, Sappho, the deified Theophanes and a philosopher of the Augustan epoch named Lesbonax, as well as his son who was described as a new Dionysus. In the later empire, Mytilene belonged to the province of Insulae (the Islands).

A recently completed architectural survey of its acropolis has revealed the remains of walls and traces of at least eighteen identifiable buildings. The almost completely circular shape of the theater, now excavated, shows it to be one of the oldest in Greek lands; Pompey the Great was said to have imitated its plan when he built the first stone theater at the capital. The area beside the Mytilenean theater has yielded discoveries of mosaic pavements of the third century BC, which depict scenes from the plays of the Athenian New Comedy dramatist Menander. The outskirts of the city display remains of the Roman aqueduct that brought water from a lake (now drained).