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The Thesmophoria ( Ancient Greek : Θεσμοφόρια ) was an ancient Greek religious festival, held in honor of the goddess Demeter and her daughter Persephone . It was held annually, mostly around the time that seeds were sown in late autumn – though in some places it was associated with the harvest instead – and celebrated human and agricultural fertility. The festival was one of the most widely celebrated in the Greek world. It was restricted to adult women, and the rites practiced during the festival were kept secret. The most extensive sources on the festival are a comment in a scholion on Lucian , explaining the festival, and Aristophanes ' play Thesmophoriazusae , which parodies the festival.

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65-623: The Thesmophoria was one of the most widespread ancient Greek festivals. The fact that it was celebrated across the Greek world suggests that it dates back to before the Greek settlement in Ionia in the eleventh century BCE. The best evidence for the Thesmophoria concern its practice in Athens , but there is also information from elsewhere in the Greek world, including Arcadia , Sicily and Eretria . The festival

130-601: A deep gulf between Priene and Miletus, but which has been gradually filled up by this river's deposits. Two east–west mountain ranges divide the region and extend out into the Aegean as peninsulas. The first begins as Mount Sipylus between the Hermus and Caÿster river valleys and continues out as the Erythrae peninsula , which faces the island of Chios. The second is the Messogis range between

195-523: A flourishing city. In the eighth century, Ionian Greeks are recorded in Near Eastern sources as coastal raiders: an inscription of Sargon II (ca 709–07, recording a naval expedition of 715) boasts "in the midst of the sea" he had "caught the Ionians like fish and brought peace to the land of Que Cilicia and the city of Tyre ". For a full generation earlier, Assyrian inscriptions had recorded troubles with

260-613: A large expedition to Asia Minor to defend the cities and attack the Persians, which landed in Ephesus. From there he invaded Phrygia and Lydia, sacking Sardis in 395 BC. But the outbreak of the Corinthian War forced him to withdraw in 395 BC. The region was under Persian control by about 390 BC, when the Persian satrap arbitrated a boundary dispute between Miletus and Myus. Sparta, Athens, and

325-591: A treatment sometimes referred to as chemical castration , however the high doses required often cause a range of side effects which may limit compliance . Other antiandrogens such as finasteride and spironolactone may also lower sex drive, as can certain antipsychotics such as benperidol . Estrogens can act as anaphrodisiacs in men by suppressing testosterone production by the testicles . Herbal anaphrodisiacs have been employed by various religious sects and orders throughout history. Barrister Sir Edward Marshall Hall theorised that murderer Hawley Harvey Crippen

390-546: Is Younan (یونان), a transliteration of "Ionia", through Old Persian Yauna . The same is true for the Hebrew word, "Yavan" (יוון) and the Sanskrit word " yavana ". The word was later adopted in Arabic , Turkish , and Urdu as well as in other places. Ionia appears as the major setting in these novels: Many scholars believe the biblical Yavan refers to the alleged ancestor of

455-494: Is even a term for the phenomenon among one particularly notorious group – SSRI -induced sexual dysfunction ); however, psychotropic drugs are not currently prescribed for reliable anaphroditic effects. Antiandrogens such as cyproterone acetate and medroxyprogesterone acetate , or the LHRH agonist leuprolide , are sometimes prescribed to convicted male sex offenders who are released on parole in an effort to stop them reoffending, in

520-568: Is typically an unintended consequence and not often the main reason for use. While alcohol is used socially because it initially reduces mental inhibitions, studies have shown that over time alcohol physically decreases arousal and makes achieving climax more difficult. For this reason, alcohol is considered an anaphrodisiac. Opioids , a class of pain-reducing substances which include morphine , heroin , and hydrocodone , are anaphrodisiacs. Side effects of certain antidepressant medications commonly include those taking anaphrodisiac form (there

585-615: The Bronze Age collapse , but the lack of contemporary sources makes the sequence of events unclear. The ancient Greeks believed that the Ionians were the descendants of Ion (either a son or grandson of Hellen , the mythical ancestor of the Greeks) and had migrated from Greece to Asia Minor in mythic times. The story is attested from the Classical period. Herodotus states that in Asia the Ionians kept

650-459: The Greek privative prefix ἀν- , denoting negation, and aphrodisiac , from the Greek goddess of love, Aphrodite . Some people use anaphrodisiacs in order to curb a very high libido or due to hypersexuality . However anaphrodisiacs are also used by those with an average libido, at times due to having incessant schedules. Some common anaphrodisiacs are ethanol (alcohol) and tobacco , but this

715-611: The Persian invasion of Greece . But the fleet of the Ionians was defeated off the island of Lade , and the destruction of Miletus after a protracted siege was followed by the reconquest of all the Asiatic Greeks, insular as well as continental. The victories of the Greeks during the Persian invasion of Greece and the liberation of Thrace , Macedon , and Ionia from the Persian Empire had

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780-503: The Roman , Byzantine and Ottoman Empires but were forced to vacate the region in 1922 after the events of the Greek Genocide which culminated with the population exchange between Turkey and Greece. The suburbs of Nea Ionia and Nea Smyrni were primarily settled by refugees from Ionia and still maintain an Ionian identity. From the 7th century BC, Ionia, and in particular Miletus ,

845-594: The Archaic period, "the Ionian poleis were among the cultural, intellectual, and political leaders of the Greek world." The region prospered economically due to the contributions of immigrants , traders, and other social classes from at least 750 BCE to well after 510 BCE . The twelve Ionian cities formed a religious and cultural (as opposed to a political or military) confederacy, the Ionian League , of which participation in

910-502: The Caÿster and Maeander ranges, which becomes the Mycale peninsula, which reaches out towards the island of Samos. None of these mountain ranges exceed 1,200 metres (3,940 ft). Ionia enjoyed the reputation in ancient times of being the most fertile region of Asia Minor. Herodotus declares "in terms of climate and weather, there is no fairer region in the whole world." The etymology of

975-688: The Empire. Ionia was settled by the Greeks probably during the 11th century BC. The most important city was Miletus (the Millawanda/Milawata of Hittites). There is no record of any people named Ionians in Late Bronze Age Anatolia but Hittite texts record contact with Ahhiyawans ("Achaeans") without being clear on their location. Miletus and some other cities founded earlier by non-Greeks received populations of Mycenaean Greeks . Greek settlement of Ionia seems to have accelerated following

1040-527: The Great in 335 BC. Ephesus was conquered by Philip II of Macedon in 336 BC in preparation for the invasion of Persia, which took place under his son Alexander the Great . After the battle of the Granicus in 334 BC most of the Ionian cities submitted to Alexander, except for Miletus, which was taken only after a long siege. Alexander presented his invasion as a liberation of the Greeks of Asia and therefore treated

1105-715: The Hellenistic period was the Synod of the Dionysiac Artists of Ionia and the Hellespont, which was established around 250 BC and had its headquarters successively in Teos, Ephesus, Myonnesus , and Lebedus. Ionia became part of the Roman province of Asia in 133 BC, which had its capital at the Ionian city of Ephesus. Ionia had no formal place in the Roman administration of the province, which

1170-592: The Ionian League was primarily a religious organisation rather than a political one. Although they did sometimes act together, civic interests and priorities always trumped broader Ionian ones. They never formed a real confederacy. The advice of Thales of Miletus to combine in a political union was rejected. In inscriptions and literary sources from this period, Ionians generally identify themselves by their city of origin, not as "Ionians." The cities became prosperous. Miletus especially was, in an early period, one of

1235-547: The Ionians generously, granting them freedom, autonomy, and tax-free status. In the conflict that broke out between Alexander's successors after his death in 323 BC and throughout the Hellenistic Age that followed, Ionia was a contested territory, divided between the Antigonid , Seleucid , and Ptolemaic kingdoms. Cities were regularly forced to switch allegiance from one monarch to another, but they were also able to play

1300-609: The Ionians" had married girls from Caria . He defines Ionians as all peoples who were descended from Athenians and celebrated the Apaturia festival, which aligns with the expansive Athenian definition of Ionian identity. The Spartans dissolved the Athenian Empire at the end of the Peloponnesian War in 404 BC. The Spartans installed harmosts (governors) in the cities, but had to withdraw them because they had promised Ionia and

1365-504: The Ionians, who escaped on their boats. About 700 BC Gyges , first Mermnad king of Lydia , invaded the territories of Smyrna and Miletus, and is said to have taken Colophon. His son Ardys conquered Priene. In the middle of the 7th century, the Cimmerii ravaged a great part of Asia Minor, including Lydia, and sacked Magnesia on the Maeander , but were defeated when they attacked Ephesus. It

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1430-610: The Maeander ; Glaucus of Chios , Melas, Micciades, Archermus, Bupalus and Athenis of Chios . Notable works of the school still extant are the famous archaic female statues found on the Athenian Acropolis in 1885–1887, the seated statues of Branchidae, the Nike of Archermus found at Delos, and the objects in ivory and electrum found by D. G. Hogarth in the lower strata of the Artemision at Ephesus. The Persian designation for Greek

1495-519: The Near East, compare Aramaic 𐡉𐡅𐡍𐡉𐡍 (* Yawnayīn ), Hebrew יָוָן ( yāwān ), Arabic يُونَان ( yūnān ), Demotic Egyptian wynn (/wəjˈniːn/) and Coptic ⲟⲩⲁⲓⲛⲓⲛ ( ouainin ). From the 18th century BC the region was a part of the Hittite Empire with possible name Arzawa , which was destroyed by invaders during the 12th century BC together with the collapse of

1560-581: The Pan-Ionic festival was a distinguishing characteristic. This festival took place on the north slope of Mt. Mycale in a shrine called the Panionium . The foundation took place late in the Archaic period, but the exact date is unclear. This is also when stories of the Ionian migration are first attested. All of these initiatives were probably aimed at emphasising Ionian distinctiveness from other Greeks in Asia. But

1625-541: The Persian king. Art and archaeology show that Ionia was characterised by "openness and adaptability" towards the Lydians, Persians, and their eastern neighbours in this period. Lydian products and luxury objects were widespread. The Persians used "Yaunā" (Ionian) as a catch-all term for all Greeks, dividing them into "Yaunā of the mainland" in Asia Minor, "Yaunā dwelling by the sea" in the Aegean islands, "Yaunā dwelling across

1690-444: The ancient peoples of Ionia. [REDACTED] Media related to Ionia at Wikimedia Commons 38°12′N 27°30′E  /  38.2°N 27.5°E  / 38.2; 27.5 Anaphrodisiac An anaphrodisiac (also antaphrodisiac or antiaphrodisiac ) is a substance that quells or blunts the libido . It is the opposite of an aphrodisiac , something that enhances sexual appetite. The word anaphrodisiac comes from

1755-470: The cities of Ionia, but also Aeolis and Mysia to the north. Caria to the south was initially its own region, but was folded into the Ionikos phoros in 438 BC. The Athenians advanced an expansive definition of Ionian identity, which included most of the communities under their control and emphasised common descent from Athens. This was probably intended to legitimise their rule over the region. It clashed with

1820-834: The cities of the Province of Asia in the Roman Imperial period, Ionian cities emphasised their Ionian identity as "one of the purest, 'primordial' forms of Greekness," while their rivals denounced Ionians as overly influenced by oriental luxury and recalled their support for the Persians in the late fifth and early fourth centuries BC. Most sources discussing Ionian founding myths belong to this period. Ionian cities retained local month names and continued to count years by eponymous magistrates rather than adopting era dating like most other cities in Asia Minor. Distinctive Ionian personal names remained common. Greeks continued to live in Ionia through

1885-438: The compound in liquorice root, can lower levels of testosterone. The findings back up a previous study about the hormonal effects of liquorice (whose results could not be replicated in other studies in the past). The Iranian scientists came to the conclusion that the regular consumption of liquorice can lower libido in men. However, the study also showed that the level of testosterone normalizes after abstinence of liquorice within

1950-457: The conversion of 17α-hydroxyprogesterone to androstenedione to testosterone. In one study a group of men were given an anaphrodisiac and the effect on the metabolism of mineralocorticoids in these men was recorded. During the period of administration, the testosterone concentrations decreased and the serum 17α-hydroxyprogesterone concentrations increased. Testosterone levels fell by about 40% after administration and returned to normal after usage

2015-583: The division into twelve cities that had prevailed in Ionian lands of the north Peloponnese, their former homeland, which became Achaea after they left. However, the story of the migration is recounted most fully by the Roman-period authors Strabo and Pausanias . They report that the Ionians were expelled from the Peloponnese by Achaians , and were granted refuge in Athens by King Melanthus . Later, when Medon

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2080-616: The effect of enfranchising their kinsmen on the other side of the Aegean, and the Battle of Mycale (479 BC), in which the defeat of the Persians was in great measure owing to the Ionians, secured their emancipation. They henceforth became the dependent allies of Athens within the Delian League . In the Athenian tribute lists , one of the regions of the empire is the Ionikos phoros , a region that includes

2145-502: The effect of herbal anaphrodisiacs on men and women. These include studies on the effect of substances on both hormone levels and behaviour. The mechanism of the active component of some plant-based anaphrodisiacs may be the inhibition of enzymes that catalyze the conversion of sex-hormone precursors into androstenedione , which promotes the reduction of sexual urges. Studies have demonstrated that some of these products inhibit 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase and 17,20-lyase, which catalyzes

2210-418: The festival mixes authentically Thesmophoric elements with elements from other Greek religious practice, especially the worship of Dionysus . According to the scholiast on Lucian, during the Thesmophoria pigs were sacrificed , and their remains were put into pits called megara . An inscription from Delos shows that part of the cost of the Thesmophoria there went towards paying for a ritual butcher to perform

2275-547: The festival seems to have taken place in the summer, and been associated with the harvest, instead. In other places the festival lasted for longer – in Syracuse, Sicily , the Thesmophoria was a ten-day long event. The main source about the rituals of the Thesmophoria comes from a scholion on Lucian 's Dialogues of the Courtesans . A second major source is Aristophanes ' play Thesmophoriazusae ; however, Aristophanes' portrayal of

2340-529: The festival. In fact, participation was expected of all Attic wives, and could serve as a form of proof of marriage. In Athens, the Thesmophoria took place over three days, from the eleventh to the thirteenth of Pyanepsion . This corresponds to late October in the Gregorian calendar , and was the time of the Greek year when seeds were sown. The Thesmophoria may have taken place in this month in other cities, though in some places – for instance Delos and Thebes –

2405-526: The islands of Samos and Chios . Smyrna , originally an Aeolic colony, was afterwards occupied by Ionians from Colophon, and became an Ionian city. The Ionian school of philosophy , centered on 6th century BC Miletus , was characterized by a focus on non-supernatural explanations for natural phenomena and a search for rational explanations of the universe, thereby laying the foundation for scientific inquiry and rational thought in Western philosophy. Ionia

2470-571: The kings off against one another in order to get better terms for themselves. Despite the political situation, the Ionian League continued to operate throughout the period. Following their victory in the War with Antiochus in 189 BC, the Romans placed Ionia under the control of the Attalid Kingdom , which retained the region until it was annexed by Rome in 133 BC. One of the major theatrical associations of

2535-550: The most important commercial cities of Greece, and in its turn became the parent of numerous other colonies, which extended all around the shores of the Euxine Sea and the Propontis from Abydus and Cyzicus to Trapezus and Panticapaeum. Phocaea was one of the first Greek cities whose mariners explored the shores of the western Mediterranean. From an early period, Ephesus , though it did not send out any colonies of importance, became

2600-513: The other Greek communities in Asia to the Persians. In 401, the Ionian cities and Sparta supported Cyrus the Younger , the Persian overlord of Asia Minor, in his attempt to seize the throne from his brother, King Artaxerxes II but he failed. Artaxerxes tasked Tissaphernes , the satrap of Lydia and Caria , with retaking the Ionian cities, and the Spartans opposed him. In 396 BC, Agesilaus led

2665-481: The other mainland Greek states formally acknowledged Persian possession of Ionia and the other Greek cities in Asia Minor in the Peace of Antalcidas in 387 BC. In this period, Ionia was a separate satrapy, rather than part of Lydia - the only time in the region's history that formed an administrative unit. Ionian cities appear to have retained a considerable amount of autonomy until the conquest of Asia Minor by Alexander

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2730-427: The pits for some time. Possibly they were thrown in during one festival and retrieved the next year. However, if they were thrown in during the Thesmophoria and retrieved in time for the sowing of seeds that year, then they may have only been left for a few weeks before being taken out again. The first day of the Thesmophoria at Athens was known as anodos ("ascent"). This is usually thought to be because on this day

2795-504: The psychedelic LSD , have been reportedly used to drastically increase sexual pleasure. MDMA in combination with a PDE5 inhibitor (trade names Viagra , Levitra , and Cialis ) is termed "sextasy". This combination increases libido and performance simultaneously. A PDE5 inhibitor taken alone has no effect on sex drive, suggesting that serotonergic euphoriants like MDMA may actually increase libido while decreasing performance, similar to alcohol . A 2003 study has found that glycyrrhizin ,

2860-475: The region before the archaic period . Ionia proper comprised a narrow coastal strip from Phocaea in the north near the mouth of the river Hermus (now the Gediz ), to Miletus in the south near the mouth of the river Maeander , and included the islands of Chios and Samos . It was bounded by Aeolia to the north, Lydia to the east and Caria to the south. The cities within the region figured significantly in

2925-437: The region stretching from the Archaic philosophers down to his own day - in contrast to the intellectual life of mainland Greece, which he presents as a thing of the past. Other authors sometimes use "Ionia" as a metonym for the whole province of Asia. Decreased political agency for the Greek cities under Rome, led to increased focus on cultural identity as a source of civic prestige. In the fierce rivalries that raged between

2990-594: The restrictive definition of Ionian identity that was maintained by the Ionian League. Herodotus, who came from Halicarnassus , a Dorian city in southwestern Asia Minor which was also part of the Athenian Empire, writes in opposition to the Ionian League's claims that "it would be stupid to say that they are more truly Ionian or better born ...." He lists other ethnic populations among the settlers: Abantes from Euboea , Minyans from Orchomenus , Cadmeians, Dryopians , Phocians , Molossians , Arcadian Pelasgians , Dorians of Epidaurus , and others. Even "the best born of

3055-441: The sacrifices for the festival; literary evidence suggests that in other places, however, the sacrifices may have been made by the women themselves. Some time later, the rotten remains of these sacrifices were retrieved from the pits by "bailers" – women who were required to spend three days in a state of ritual purity before descending into the megara . These were placed on altars to Persephone and Demeter, along with cakes baked in

3120-566: The sea" in the Greek mainland, and "Yaunā with shields on their heads" in Macedonia. It was at the instigation of one of the tyrants, Histiaeus of Miletus , that in about 500 BC the principal cities ignited the Ionian Revolt against Persia. They were at first assisted by the Athenians and Eretria , with whose aid they penetrated into the interior and burnt Sardis, an event which ultimately led to

3185-450: The shape of snakes and phalluses. These remains were then scattered on fields when seeds were sown, in the belief that this would ensure a good harvest. According to Walter Burkert , this practice was "the clearest example in Greek religion of agrarian magic". It is not certain how long the remains of the pigs were left in the megara . The fact that they had decomposed by the time that they were retrieved shows that they had been left in

3250-575: The strife between the Persian Empire and the Greeks. Ionian cities were identified by mythic traditions of kinship and by their use of the Ionic dialect , but there was a core group of twelve Ionian cities that formed the Ionian League and had a shared sanctuary and festival at Panionion . These twelve cities were (from south to north): Miletus , Myus , Priene , Ephesus , Colophon , Lebedos , Teos , Erythrae , Clazomenae and Phocaea , together with

3315-510: The underworld, which was celebrated at the festival. Dillon suggests that a sacrifice to celebrate this ascent was performed on the first day of the festival. The second day of the festival was called the nesteia . This was a day of fasting, imitating Demeter's mourning for the loss of her daughter. On this day, the women at the festival sat on the ground on seats made of plants which were believed to be anaphrodisiac . Angeliki Tzanetou says that ritual obscenity ( Ancient Greek : αἰσχρολογία )

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3380-480: The women celebrating the festival ascended to the shrine called the Thesmophorion. Preparations for the rest of the festival were made on this day: two women were elected to oversee the celebrations. Women also set up tents on this day; they would spend the rest of the festival staying in these rather than at home. Matthew Dillon argues that the name anodos is more likely to relate to the ascent of Persephone from

3445-451: The women did not call upon Kalligeneia during the Thesmophoria. Ionia Ionia ( / aɪ ˈ oʊ n i ə / eye- OH -nee-ə ) was an ancient region encompassing the central part of the western coast of Anatolia . It consisted of the northernmost territories of the Ionian League of Greek settlements. Never a unified state, it was named after the Ionians who had settled in

3510-406: The word Ἴωνες ( Íōnes ) or Ἰᾱ́ϝoνες ( Iā́wones ) is uncertain. Various hypotheses have been proposed to explain its origins. Frisk suggests that it stems from an unknown root, * Ia -, which would be pronounced as * ya -. Nonetheless, there are several alternative hypotheses as well: The term Ἰᾱ́ϝoνες ( Iā́wones ) in turn became the source for words for Greeks in many languages of

3575-495: Was a feature of the second day of the festival; however, Dillon says that the ritual obscenity would have taken place on another day, rather than the subdued second day, and Radek Chlup argues that it took place on the third day of the festival. The third day of the Thesmophoria was kalligeneia , or "beautiful birth". On this day, women called upon the goddess Kalligeneia, praying for their own fertility. Plutarch notes that in Eretria

3640-429: Was dedicated to Demeter and her daughter Persephone and was celebrated in order to promote fertility, both human and agricultural. It was celebrated only by women, and men were forbidden to see or hear about the rites. It is not certain whether all free women celebrated the Thesmophoria, or whether this was restricted to aristocratic women; whichever was the case, non-citizen and unmarried women appear not to have celebrated

3705-475: Was discontinued. However, the actual effect of these medicines on sexual desire was not measured in the study. The amino acid 5-HTP, or 5-hydroxytryptophan , has been anecdotally reported to be a mild anaphrodisiac, as has the serotonergic empathogen MDMA , popularly known as "ecstasy". However, systematic study of these chemicals is lacking, due to the off-patent nature of 5-HTP, and the legal control of MDMA. In addition, other serotonergic euphoriant drugs, like

3770-507: Was divided into conventus districts that were totally distinct from the traditional ethnic divisions of the region. However, the Ionian League continued to function in this period. The geographer Strabo treats Ionia as the narrow coastal strip from the Hermus river in the north to the Maeander river in the south (though noting that other authorities included the plain south of the river). He treats Ephesus as its most important city and presents an unbroken tradition of intellectual culture in

3835-474: Was home to the renowned Ionian school of philosophy . The Ionian school, founded by Thales and his student Anaximander , pioneered a revolution in traditional thinking about Nature. Instead of explaining natural phenomena by recourse to traditional religion/myth, the cultural climate was such that men began to form hypotheses about the natural world based on ideas gained from both personal experience and deep reflection. According to physicist Carlo Rovelli , this

3900-480: Was not until the reign of Croesus (560–545 BC) that the cities of Ionia fell completely under Lydian rule. The defeat of Croesus by Cyrus the Great was followed by the conquest of all the Ionian cities in 547 BC. These became subject to the Persian monarchy with the other Greek cities of Asia, forming part of the satrapy of Lydia. In this position they enjoyed a considerable amount of autonomy, but were subject to local despots (called " tyrants "), who were loyal to

3965-411: Was of small extent, not exceeding 150 kilometres (90 mi) in length from north to south, with the cities located on a narrow band between the sea and the mountains, which varies in width from 60 to 90 kilometres (40 to 60 mi). So intricate is the coastline that the voyage along its shores was estimated at nearly four times the direct distance. The location of the eastern border with Lydia and Caria

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4030-664: Was selected as King of Athens, his brothers, the "sons of Codrus", led a group of Ionians and others to Asia Minor. Simultaneously, the Aeolians of Boeotia settled the coast to the north of the Ionians and the Dorians settled in Crete , the Dodecanese and in Caria . According to Pausanias, the sons of Codrus were as follows: Pausanias reports that other cities were founded or became Ionian later: In

4095-443: Was the "first great scientific revolution" and the earliest example of critical thinking, which would come to define Greek, and subsequently modern, thought. Ionia has a long roll of distinguished men of letters and science (notably the Ionian School of philosophy) and distinct school of art. This school flourished between 700 and 500 BC. The great names of this school are Theodorus and Rhoecus of Samos; Bathycles of Magnesia on

4160-404: Was using hyoscine on his wife as an anaphrodisiac but accidentally gave her an overdose and then panicked when she died. Various forms of anaphrodisiacs have been tried to cure hypersexuality in both humans and non-human animals. In both medieval history and modern times, anaphrodisiacs have been used as a tool intended to reduce the sex drive of sex offenders . Studies have evaluated

4225-417: Was vague in antiquity. The region comprised three extremely fertile valleys formed by the outflow of three rivers, among the most considerable in Asia Minor: the Hermus in the north, flowing into the Gulf of Smyrna , though at some distance from the city of that name; the Caÿster (modern Küçük Menderes River ), which flowed past Ephesus; and the Maeander , which in ancient times discharged its waters into

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