Mieza
MIEZA (Μίεζα: Eth. Μιεζαῖος, Μιεζεύς), a Macedonian city, the position of which it is most difficult to ascertain. Stephanus of Byzantium (s. v.), on the authority of Theagenes, assigns to an eponymous founder, Mieza, a sister of Beroea, and granddaughter of Macedon: this legend implies that it was an important city. From the name it would seem most natural to look for it in the neighbourhood of Beroea, which agrees with Ptolemy (Ptol. 3.13.39), who classes it among the cities of Emathia. Stephanus, on the other hand, still deriving his information apparently from Theagenes, alludes to it as a τόπος Στρυμόνος, and adds that it was sometimes called Strymonium. Alexander the Great established an Aristotelian school at Mieza (Plut. Alex. M. 7); and it was famed for a stalactitic cavern. (Plin. Nat. 31.2. s. 20; Leake, North. Greece, vol. 4. p. 583.)
[E.B.J]A city known mainly from Steph. Byz., Ptolemy, Plutarch, and Pliny, and by others. In these sources and in the catalogue of the Delphic Theorodokoi (receptionists for the envoys sent to consult the oracle), it is located between Beroia and Edessa. Lately, noteworthy remains near Lefkadia in the district of Naoussa have been assigned to Mieza. Especially important was the nymphaion near Mieza where Philip established the school in which Aristotle taught Alexander and his fellow pupils for three years, beginning in 343-342 B.C. Plutarch is the chief source for this (Alex. 7): “Philip set up a school and residence for Aristotle and Alexander around the Nymphaion of Mieza, where to this day the stone chairs of Aristotle are pointed out, and his covered peripatos.” Near the nymphaion must have been the caves with stalactites which Pliny (HN 31.30) mentions: “water dripping in caves hardens into stone—called Corycideum—at Mieza in Macedonia this hangs even in the rooms themselves.”
Since 1966 remains have been uncovered between Naoussa and Kopanos which are attributed to the nymphaion, near one of the numerous gushing springs in the area. For a distance of hundreds of meters, along a rock face that is sometimes 10 m high, there are remarkable stone-cuttings: caves with artificial entrances, passage ways, niches, arrangements of steps which result in part from quarrying on site for building material, and remains of stoas. Noteworthy among the small finds are various architectural fragments, terracotta simas painted with floral motifs, and the heads of gorgons and lions, etc. These mainly date to the 4th c. B.C. The excavations are continuing. The small finds are housed in the Veroia Museum.
BIBLIOGRAPHYPh. M. Petsas, Ἀνασκαφή Ναούσης, Praktika (1938) 65-71PI; id., Ὁ Τάφος τῶν Λευκαδίων (1966) 7-18MPI; id., Νιάουστα-Γλυτουνιαύστα, Μακεδονικά 7 (1967) 81-93; id., Χρονικά Ἀρχαιολογικά, Μακεδονικά 7 (1967) 333-41PI.
PH. M. PETSASsite in Macedonia where Aristotle is said to have taught Alexander the Great (as a boy)
- Alexander
- Macedonia