The Cicones or Ciconians (Greek Î
aÎ¯ÎºÎ¿Î½ÎµÏ ) were a Thracian tribe, whose stronghold in the time of Odysseus was the city of Ismara (or Ismarus), located at the foot of mount Ismara, on the south coast of Thrace. They are mentioned in book two of the Iliad as having joined the war on the side of the Trojans, being led by Euphemos.

In book nine of the Odyssey written by Homer, Odysseus and his men take Ismara by surprise and slay most of the Ciconian men they come across, while burning Ciconian towns and taking Ciconian women but later Ciconian reinforcements arrive and attack the invading Achaeans, slaying so many of them that Odysseus and his men are forced to flee in their ships, with the numbers of their shipmates greatly reduced. After their departure they were ran off course for nine days by a fierce storm. After being held off course they land on the island of the Cyclops.

The Cicones are also mentioned in the book of poems Metamorphoses by Ovid. They are mentioned in Book 15 in the story of Orpheus and Eurydice, when Ovid states "From there, Hymenaeus departed through the vast upper airs, cloaked in a yellow mantle, and stretched for the edge of the Cicones and is called in vain by the voice of Orpheus" (Met. X, 1-3)

Greek Mythology

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