Lake Cercinitis
Kerkinitis
Κερκινίτιδα (Greek)
Location of the ancient lake in Greece
Location of the ancient lake in Greece
Lake Cercinitis
LocationSerres regional unit
Coordinates40°57′22″N 23°39′18″E / 40.95611°N 23.65500°E / 40.95611; 23.65500
Typeformer lake

Cercinitis or Kerkinitis (Greek: Κερκινίτιδα) was a lake in ancient Edonis, in the lower valley of the river Strymon.[1] It was located within today's Serres regional unit and is identified with the currently dry Lake Achinos.[2]

According to Arrian, Alexander the Great's fleet was anchored in this lake before sailing to Asia Minor beach. Archaeological findings (stone anchors etc.) and inscriptions show the existence of both sailing on the lake and ancient lakeside settlements near the current villages of Paralimni, Pethelinos, Psychiko, and Mesokomi.[3]

The Strymon River flowed from its estuary to Lake Cercinitis, thus forming a waterway that allowed commercial penetration from the Strymonian Gulf to the hinterland reaching almost to the ancient city of Serres.[4]

References

  1. ↑ Arrian. "Arrian, Anabasis, book 1, chapter 11, section 3". www.perseus.tufts.edu. Retrieved 2017-10-27.
  2. ↑ Archived 2017-04-24 at the Wayback Machine D. C. Samsaris, Historical Geography of Eastern Macedonia during the Antiquity (in Greek), Thessaloniki 1976 (Society for Macedonian Studies), p. 21-22. ISBN 960-7265-16-5
  3. ↑ Archived 2018-06-24 at the Wayback Machine D. C. Samsaris, A History of Serres (in the Ancient and Roman Times) (in Greek), Thessaloniki 1999, p. 65-69 (Website of Municipality of Serres)
  4. ↑ D. C. Samsaris, La navigation dans l’ ancien lac de Cercinitis d’ après une inscription inédite trouvée dans le village actuel de Paralimnion de Serrès, Makedonika 19(1979) 421 & D. C. Samsaris, Recherches sur l' histoire de la navigation des habitants du cours inférieur du Strymon dans l' Antiquité, "Thracia Pontica I" : Premier Symposium International (Sozopol, 9–12 October 1979), Sofia 1982, pp. 259–266


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