Phrixa

{{Short description|Town of Triphylia in ancient Elis}}

{{Coord|37.635009|N|21.71145|E|display=title|format=dms|source:http://dare.ht.lu.se/places/31048.html}}

Phrixa ({{langx|grc|Φρίξα}}){{Cite Stephanus|s.v.}} or Phrixae or Phrixai (Φρίξαι){{Cite Herodotus|4.148}} was a town of Triphylia in ancient Elis, situated upon the left bank of the Alpheius, at the distance of 30 stadia from Olympia.{{Cite Strabo|8.3.12}} It is one of the six cities (along with Lepreum, Macistus, Pyrgus, Epium, and Nudium) founded by the Minyans in the territory of the Paroreatae and Caucones. Its name was derived from Phaestus.{{Cite Stephanus|s.v. Μάκιστος}}

Phrixa is rarely mentioned in history; but it shared the fate of the other Triphylian cities.{{Cite Polybius|4.77, 80.}} It is cited by Xenophon in the war between Elis and Sparta and its allies led by Agis II about the year 400 BCE. After the end of the hostilities, Elis was forced to lose control of, among others, the city of Phrixa.{{Cite Hellenica|3.2.30}} It is also mentioned by Polybius; in the year 218 BCE, Philip V of Macedon took several cities of Elis among which was Phrixa.

Its position is determined by Pausanias, who says that it was situated upon a pointed hill, opposite the Leucanias, a tributary of the Alpheius, and at a ford of the latter river.{{Cite Pausanias|6|21|6}} This pointed hill is now called Paleofánaro, and is a conspicuous object from both sides of the river, whence the city received the name of Phaestus or Phaistos (Φαιστός) in later times.{{Cite Stephanus|s.v. Φαιστός}} The city was in ruins in the time of Pausanias, who mentions there a temple of Athena Cydonia. Upon the summit of the hill, in the 19th century when visited by archaeologists, there were still remains of Hellenic walls.{{Cite DGRG|title=Phrixa}}

The location of Phrixa is at modern Phixa.{{Cite Barrington|58}}{{cite DARE|31048}}