Trimithis
Τριμιθις | |
Wall decoration from Trimithis | |
Interactive map of Trimithis | |
| Alternative name | Amheida |
|---|---|
| Location | Dakhla Oasis, New Valley Governorate, Egypt |
| Region | Western Desert |
| Coordinates | 25°40′4″N 28°52′17″E / 25.66778°N 28.87139°E |
| Type | Ancient city |
| Length | 2.5 km |
| Width | 1.5 km |
| History | |
| Periods | Old Kingdom, New Kingdom, Roman period, Late Antiquity |
| Cultures | Ancient Egyptian, Roman, Early Christian |
| Site notes | |
| Archaeologists | Bernardino Drovetti, John Gardner Wilkinson, Ahmed Fakhry, Roger S. Bagnall |
| Condition | In ruins |
Trimithis (Ancient Greek: Τριμιθις) was an ancient Egyptian city in the Dakhla Oasis in the Western Desert. The site of the city is known today as Amheida (Arabic: أمحيدة) and is located in the New Valley Governorate of Egypt. Trimithis was a prominent urban center in Roman Egypt, with earlier occupation dating back to the Old and New Kingdoms. Under Roman rule, it featured temples, residential areas, and public buildings. Excavations have revealed a 4th-century house belonging to the wealthy councilor Serenos, a rare case of an ancient school, and a church complex.
Trimithis is notable for the rare inscriptions and wall texts preserved on plaster in the school and adjacent rooms, including literary fragments such as excerpts from a lost tragedy by Euripides, as well as Greek poems and paraphrased anecdotes from Homer and Plutarch.
Trimithis also served a military role, functioning as the headquarters of the ala I Quadorum, with a fort located at nearby el-Qasr. Evidence records the supply of provisions and attests to the presence of officers and support personnel. Research at the site began in the 19th century and has continued systematically in the early 21st century.