Neapolis (Ionia)
ancient city of Ionia, in modern-day Turkey
Neapolis (Ancient Greek: Νεάπολις), was a town on the coast of ancient Ionia, south of Ephesus, on the road between Anaea and Marathesium. It was a small place which at first belonged to the Ephesians, and afterwards to the Samians, who received it in exchange for Marathesium. Scholarship in the 19th century identified its site with the place then called Scala Nova, at a distance of about three hours' walk from the site of ancient Ephesus; but William Martin Leake believed that this place marks the site of the ancient Marathesium, and that the ancient remains found about halfway between Scala Nova and Tshangli or Changli (modern Güzelçamlı), belong to the ancient town of Neapolis, and Charles Fellows identified Neapolis with Tshangli or Changli itself.
Modern scholars treat its site as unlocated.
References
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Smith, William, ed. (1854–1857). "Neapolis". Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography. London: John Murray.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Neapolis (Ionia)” is ancient city of Ionia, in modern-day Turkey. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Neapolis, Ionia and ancient, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “ancient city of Ionia, in modern-day Turkey” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated Mar 24, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q11938650. Authority coordinates are 37.825, 27.250. None of the 1 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1854 and 1857.
Modern boundaries and familiar names can conceal earlier jurisdictions or structures that do not align with the present site. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Neapolis (Ionia)”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Neapolis (Ionia) primary sources, Neapolis (Ionia) archive and Neapolis research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Neapolis (Ionia)”?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Neapolis (Ionia)” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.