Argyroupoli, Rethymno
Argyroupoli (Greek: Αργυρούπολη) is a village in the municipality of Lappa, Rethymno regional unit, Crete, Greece, population 403 (2011 census), altitude 260m. It was previously known as Lappa or Lampa, Stimboli, and Polis.
Name
It is the site of the ancient city (polis) of Lappa. In the Middle Ages, it was named Stimpoli(s) by reinterpretation as a single word ("in the city"), later simply Polis.[1] Until 1669, the name Αργυρούπολις 'Silver City' was used. In the seventeenth century, it was also called facetiously Σαμαρόπολις, Γαϊδαρόπολις 'donkey city', or Γαϊδουρόπολις. From 1868-1878, it was called Stambólköj in Turkish (that is, 'Stambol village'). The name Αργυρούπολις or Αργυρόπολις was revived in 1878.[2]
The name of the municipality of Lappa of which it is a part is a revival of the ancient name for the city.
History
Lappa was probably a colony of Tarrha.
It was taken by storm and almost entirely destroyed by the Romans. The emperor Augustus restored it and in consideration of the aid rendered him in his struggle with Marcus Antonius, he bestowed on the citizens their freedom, and with it the right of coinage.
Population
Population of the modern town of Argyroupoli:[3]
| 1928 | 1940 | 1951 | 1961 | 1971 | 1981 | 1991 | 2001 | 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 767 | 836 | 704 | 669 | 501 | 453 | 396 | 402 | 403 |
Ecclesiastical history
Lappa or Lampa was an episcopal see, suffragan of Gortyn.
Le Quien (Oriens Christianus, II, 268) mentions the following bishops:
- Petrus, who attended the First Council of Ephesus, 431;
- Deneltius, at the Council of Chalcedon, 451;
- Prosdocius, in 458;
- John, who appealed to Rome against his metropolitan Paul, and attended the Council of Constantinople, 667;
- Epiphanius at the Second Council of Nicaea, 787.
The episcopal see is mentioned in the Notitiae episcopatuum as late as the twelfth and thirteenth centuries.[4]
It was re-established by the Orthodox Church about the end of the nineteenth century; the bishop resides in the monastery of Preveli.
It is also a titular see of the Catholic Church under the name Lappa[5][6] and previously under the name Lampa.[4]
Notes
- cf. Names of Istanbul#Stamboul
- Demetrius John Georgacas, "The Names of Constantinople", Transactions and Proceedings of the American Philological Association 78:347-367 (1947) JSTOR 283503, p. 360, footnote 80
- Hellenic Statistical Authority, Digital Library (ELSAT), Census (Greek and English) Archived 2013-05-18 at the Wayback Machine
- Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). . Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
- Annuario Pontificio 2013 (Libreria Editrice Vaticana 2013 ISBN 978-88-209-9070-1), "Sedi titolari", p. 913
- The Hierarchy of the Catholic Church, s.v. Lappa
External links
