Colophon

Colophon was an ancient city in Ionia, in what is now the Menderes district of Izmir Province in Turkey, founded near the end of the second millennium BC as one of the earliest of the twelve cities of the Ionian League. Its name comes from the Greek word for summit, reflecting its position on a ridgeline, and it was the birthplace of the philosopher Xenophanes and the poets Antimachus and Mimnermus. The city gave its name to colophony, the resin harvested from its pine trees and used on the bow hairs of stringed instruments; once one of the strongest Ionian cities, known for its cavalry and luxury, Colophon declined after Gyges of Lydia conquered it in the 7th century BC and never recovered after Lysimachus destroyed it in the 3rd century BC.