Stephanos of Byzantium - Ethnika
Aktion: a city of the Akarnanians, for those beginning from the Ambrakian Gulf. In this there was a gymnastic and equestrian contest of Apollo and a race of ships every third year. Homonymously called are the sanctuary of Apollo and the headland forming the mouth of the gulf and the city and Apollo and the citizen. Apollo is also called Aktaios and Aktiakos. Also said and Aktaiotis feminine. Arkadios in the Orthography says: "Aktia both the city and the festival". But the festival is barytone, 'ta Aktia', while the city is said in the neuter, Aktion.
External translation supplied by Brady Kiesling; reported Claude Fable 5.5 translation. Credit: Brady Kiesling and the Stephanos project (Greg Baker, Gabriel Jower, Greta Hawes, Brady Kiesling). Not individually verified; exact Greek input not supplied.
Stephanos excerpt (left) is aligned with matched Herodian passages (right). Colors indicate corresponding overlap spans.
Ἄκτιον, πόλις Ἀκαρνάνων, ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἀμβρακικοῦ κόλπου ἀρξαμένοις. ἐν ταύτῃ Ἀπόλλωνος γυμνικὸς ἀγὼν καὶ ἱππικὸς καὶ πλοίων ἅμιλλα διὰ τριετηρίδος ἦν. ὁμωνύμως δὲ λέγεται καὶ τὸ ἱερὸν τοῦ Ἀπόλλωνος καὶ ἡ ἄκρα ἡ ποιοῦσα τὸ στόμα τοῦ κόλπου καὶ ἡ πόλις καὶ ὁ Ἀπόλλων καὶ ὁ πολίτης. λέγεται καὶ Ἀκταῖος Ἀπόλλων καὶ Ἀκτιακός. λέγεται [καὶ Ἀκταιώτης] καὶ Ἀκταιῶτις θηλυκόν. Ἀρκάδιος δ´ ἐν τῇ ὀρθογραφίᾳ φησίν “Ἀκτία καὶ ἡ πόλις καὶ ἡ ἑορτή”. ἀλλ´ ἡ μὲν ἑορτὴ βαρύνεται, τὰ Ἄκ…
…). Πύθιον τὸ πάλαι μεσαίτατον τῆς ἐν Κρήτῃ Γόρτυνος. καὶ Μακεδονίας Πύθιον, ἐν ᾧ καὶ τὰ Πύθια ἐπιτελεῖται. ἔστι καὶ Πύθιον πλησίον τοῦ Ἀστακηνοῦ κόλπου. Ἄκτιον πόλις Ἀκαρνάνων πρώτη ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἀμβρακικοῦ κόλπου ἀρξαμένοις. ὁμωνύμως δὲ λέγεται καὶ τὸ ἱερὸν τοῦ Ἀπόλλωνος καὶ ἡ ἄκρα ἡ ποιοῦσα τὸ στόμα τοῦ κόλπου καὶ ἡ πόλις.