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{{short description|Fictional island in the writings of Theopompus of Chios}}
{{About|the fictional island|the island of Kos and a city there|Kos|the genus of moths|Meropis (moth){{!}}''Meropis'' (moth)}}
{{Redirect|Machimos|the ancient warrior class|Machimoi}}
{{Infobox fictional location
| name       = Meropis
| image      = 
| imagesize  = 250px
| caption    = 
| source     = ''Philippica''
| creator    = [[Theopompus]] of [[Chios]]
| genre      = [[Parody]]
| type       = Fictional island
| locations  = Eusebes, Machimos, Anostos
| races      = Méropes
}}
'''Meropis''' ([[Ancient Greek]]: {{lang|grc|Μεροπίς}}) is a fictional island mentioned by ancient Greek writer [[Theopompus]] of [[Chios]] in his work ''[[Philippica (Theopompus)|Philippica]]'', which is only fragmentarily maintained via [[Claudius Aelianus|Aelian]].<ref>Fragments see ''[[FGrHist]]'' 115 F 75.</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Winiarczyk |first=M. |date=2005 |title=Theopompus' Meropis: History of Research and an Attempt at Interpretation |url=http://cejsh.icm.edu.pl/cejsh/element/bwmeta1.element.573d82c9-4852-3a59-a2d3-b57effbba8e0 |journal=Meander |language=PL |volume=60 |issue=3 |pages=300–314 |issn=0025-6285}}</ref>

== Background ==
The story of Meropis is neither a [[utopia]] nor a political [[allegory]]; it is a parody of [[Plato]]'s [[Atlantis]], in a similar vein to the ''[[True History]]'' which parodied [[Homer]]'s ''[[Odyssey]]''.<ref>HG Nesselrath (1998). "[https://journals.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/index.php/gfa/article/view/78137/72063 Theopomps Meropis und Platon]". ''Göttinger Forum für Altertumswissenschaft'' 1: 4–7.</ref> Theopompos somewhat overstates many of Plato's aspects of the Atlantis myth.{{According to whom|date=July 2022}} While it is an Egyptian priest who is telling [[Solon]] the story of Atlantis according to Plato's ''[[Timaeus (dialogue)|Timaeus]]'', it is an [[ipotane]] (a mythical half-man half-horse creature) who is telling the Meropis story to King [[Midas]] according to Theopompus's ''Philippica''. Although Atlantis was incredibly big by Plato's account, Theopompus describes Meropis as even bigger, to make it completely absurd. Also, while the invading Atlanteans were beaten by Athens due to its perfect society, the ''Méropes'' (Μέροπες)—attacking with an army of ten million soldiers—attempt to conquer [[Hyperborea]], but return in disgrace after realizing that the Hyperboreans were the luckiest people on earth and not worth looting.<ref>HG Nesselrath (1998). "Theopomps Meropis und Platon". GFA 1: 6.</ref>

It has also been suggested that the story was meant as a criticism of [[Philip II of Macedon|Philipp II]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Zaccaria |first=Pietro |date=2016 |title=Rediscovering Theopompos: Neglected Evidence of the Meropis |url=https://www.torrossa.com/en/resources/an/3137018 |journal=Aevum: Rassegna di Scienze Storiche, Linguistiche e Filologiche |issue=XC |language=en |pages=51–70 |doi=10.1400/242053}}</ref>

While most describe Meropis as a fictional island, for a different point of view see [[Emil Forrer]] who considered the island might have been real.{{Citation needed|date=July 2022}} Meropis is also one of historical names of the Greek island of [[Kos]], ruled by [[Merops (mythology)|Merops]].<ref name=":0" />

== Geography ==
Meropis is situated beyond the world-ocean ([[Oceanus]]). Its inhabitants, the ''Méropes'', are twice as tall as other human beings and live twice as long. Theopompos describes three cities in Meropis: '''Anostos''' ({{lang|grc|Ἄνοστος}}, "Place of No Return"), '''Eusebes''' ({{lang|grc|Εὐσεβής}}, "Pious-Town") and '''Machimos''' ({{lang|grc|Μάχιμος}}, "Fighting-Town"). While the inhabitants of Eusebes are living in opulence getting neither hungry nor sick, the inhabitants of Machimos are in fact born with weapons and carry on wars steadily. The third city, Anostos, is situated on the outermost border of Meropis. It resembles a yawning abyss, does not have day or night, and is covered by cloudy, red fumes.

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== Further reading ==
*{{cite journal|author=G. J. Aalders|year=1978|title=Die Meropes des Theopomp|journal=Historia|volume=27|pages=317–327}}
*{{cite journal|author=Heinz-Günther Nesselrath|year=1998|title=Theopomps Meropis und Platon: Nachahmung und Parodie|journal=Göttinger Forum für Altertumswissenschaft|volume=1|pages=1–8|url=http://gfa.gbv.de/dr,gfa,001,1998,a,01.pdf}}

{{Continents of the world}}

[[Category:Fictional continents]]
[[Category:Fictional islands]]
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