Sites & cities that bear the name of Ancona

Ancona

Today in : Italy
First trace of activity : ca. 6th century B.C.E
Last trace of activity : today
Recorded names : Ἀγκών, Ankṓn

Description : Ancona (Ancient Greek: Ἀγκών, romanized: Ankṓn) is a city and a seaport in the Marche region in central Italy, with a population of around 101,997 as of 2015. Ancona was populated as a region by Picentes since 6th century BC who also developed a small town there. Ancona took a more urban shape by Greek settlers from Syracuse in about 387 BC, who gave it its name: Ancona stems from the Greek word Ἀγκών (Ankṓn), meaning "elbow"; the harbour to the east of the town was originally protected only by the promontory on the north, shaped like an elbow. Greek merchants established a Tyrian purple dye factory here. In Roman times it kept its own coinage with the punning device of the bent arm holding a palm branch, and the head of Aphrodite on the reverse, and continued the use of the Greek language.

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