List of ancient toponyms and regional name changes with brief etymologies and citations (Iberia/Spain, Crete, Thrace, Macedonia, India, Mauritania, Sicily, Italy, Pontus, etc.).
ταῖς Ἱσπανίαις, ἡσσώμενος δὲ ὑπὸ Οὐιριάθου σπονδὰς πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐποιήσατο». ταύτην κεκλῆσθαί φησιν Ἰβηρίαν ἐν Ἑλληνικῶν γʹ «τὴν δὲ Ἱσπανίαν Ἕλληνες τὰ πρῶτα Ἰβηρίαν ἐκάλουν, οὔπω ξύμπαντος τοῦ ἔθνους τὴν προσηγορίαν μεμαθηκότος, ἀλλ´ ἀπὸ μέρους τῆς γῆς, ὅ ἐστι πρὸς ποταμὸν Ἴβηρα, Ἰβηρίαν καὶ ἀπ´ ἐκείνου ὀνομάζονται, τὴν πᾶσαν οὕτω καλοῦντες. ὕστερον δέ φασιν αὐτὴν μετακεκλῆσθαι Πανίαν». Καμμανία μοῖρα Θεσπρωτίας. μετωνομάσθη δὲ Κεστρινία. Γρηστωνία χώρα Θρᾴκης πρὸς τῇ Μακεδονίᾳ. Θουκυδίδης δευτέρᾳ ( 99, 100). Δαρδανία· οὕτω πρότερον ἐκαλεῖτο ἡ Σαμοθρᾴκη· καὶ Δαρδανία χώρα Τρῳάδος, ἣ Τευκρὶς πρότερον ἐκαλεῖτο. Δαρσανία πόλις Ἰνδική. Διωνία πόλις, ἣν συγκαταλέγει ταῖς Κυπρίαις πόλεσι Θεόπομπος πεντεκαιδεκάτῃ Φιλιππικῶν. Ἐλινία χώρα Θεσπρωτίας. Ζειρηνία πόλις Θρᾴκης. Θεόπομπος Φιλιππικῶν γʹ. Ζηρανία χώρα Θρᾴκης. Ἔφορος εἰκοστῷ ἑβδόμῳ. Καρμανία χώρα τῆς Ἰνδικῆς. Στράβων πεντεκαιδεκάτῃ. Καρνία πόλις Ἰωνίας. Νικόλαος τετάρτῳ. Κρημνία· οὕτως πρότερον ἐκαλεῖτο Γόρτυν πόλις Κρήτης. Θυνία ἡ χώρα τῶν Θύνων. Καστανία πόλις πλησίον Τάραντος. Κηφηνία..... Χθονία· οὕτως καλεῖται ἡ Κρήτη. Λουσιτανία ὅμορος τῆς Βαιτίκης. Λυκαονία χώρα Λυκίας τε καὶ Ἰσαυρίας. Μαριανδυνία χώρα τοῦ Πόντου. Εὔπολις Χρυσῷ γένει «ὁρῶ. θεῶ νῦν τήνδε Μαριανδυνίαν». ἀπὸ Μαριανδυνοῦ τινος Αἰολέως. Μαυριτανίαι δύο, ἡ μὲν Τιγγιτανή, ἡ δὲ Καισαρησία. Μιλωνία πόλις Σαυνιτῶν ἐπιφανεστάτη. Διονύσιος ιζʹ. Μυγδονία μοῖρα Μακεδονίας καὶ ἑτέρα Φρυγίας τῆς μεγάλης. ἀπὸ Μυγδόνος. ἐλέγετο καὶ Μυχθονία. Μυονία πόλις Φωκίδος. Παυσανίας ιʹ (c. 38, 8). λέγεται καὶ Μύων. Μυρμιδονία χώρα τῶν Μυρμιδόνων· οὕτω γὰρ ἡ Αἴγινα ἐκλήθη. Ναρνία πόλις Σαυνιτῶν ἀπὸ τοῦ παραρρέοντος ποταμοῦ Νάρνου, ὡς Διονύσιος ὀκτωκαιδεκάτῳ Ῥωμαϊκῆς ἀρχαιολογίας. Νικωνία πόλις ἐν τῷ Πόντῳ πρὸς ταῖς ἐκβολαῖς τοῦ Ἴστρου. Στράβων ἑβδόμῃ. Ξιφωνία πόλις Σικελίας. Θεόπομπος Φιλιππικῶν τριακοστῷ ἐνάτῳ. Ξυνία πόλις Θεσσαλίας. Πολύβιος ἐνάτῳ. Παιονία. Πανία ἐπίνειον Κιλικίας περὶ τὸ Ἀλήϊον πεδίον. οὕτως ἐκαλεῖτο καὶ ἡ Ἀρκαδία. Παρθενία κώμη Πόντου πλησίον καὶ Σάμος πρότερον ἐκλήθη Παρθενία. Παφλαγονία ἀπὸ Παφλαγόνος τοῦ Φινέως παιδός. Πελαγονία χώρα Σικελίας. Πηλαγονία μοῖρα Μακεδονίας. Πολυρρηνία πόλις Κρήτης ἀπὸ τοῦ πολλὰς ῥῆνας τουτέστι πρόβατα ἔχειν. Ποσειδωνία πόλις Ἰταλίας. Ποτιδανία πόλις Αἰτωλίας. Ῥιζηνία πόλις Κρήτης. Ῥιθυμνία πόλις Κρήτης. Σατορνία ἡ Ἰταλία πρῶτον ἐκαλεῖτο. Σιγνία πόλις Ἰταλίας, ὡς Στράβων πέμπτῃ. Σιδωνία πόλις Τρῳάδος. Σιθωνία μέρος Θρᾴκης. Σικανία ἡ περίχωρος Ἀκραγαντίνων. Τελχινία πρότερον ἡ Σικυὼν ἐκαλεῖτο καὶ ἡ Κρήτη. Σιωνία πόλις Ποντική. Ταρκυνία πόλις Τυρρηνίδος ἀπὸ Τάρκωνος. Κρανία· οὕτως ἐκαλεῖτο Ταρσὸς ἀπὸ κρανίου. Ὑττηνία πρότερον ἐκαλεῖτο τετράπολις τῆς
…in the Spains; but, being defeated by Viriathus, he made a truce with him.” He says that it was called Iberia in the third book of the Greek [Histories]: “The Greeks at first called Spain Iberia, since the name of the whole nation had not yet been learned, but from a part of the land, that which lies by the river Iberus, they were named Iberians from that, calling the whole land so. Later, they say, it was renamed Pania.”
Cammania, a district of Thesprotia; it was renamed Cestrinia. Grestonia, a region of Thrace on the side of Macedonia. Thucydides in the second book (99, 100). Dardania: thus Samothrace was formerly called; and Dardania is also a region of the Troad, which was formerly called Teucris. Darsania, an Indian city. Dionia, a city, which Theopompus includes among the Cyprian cities in the fifteenth book of the Philippica. Elinia, a region of Thesprotia. Zeirenia, a city of Thrace. Theopompus, Philippica book 3. Zerania, a region of Thrace. Ephorus in the twenty-seventh book. Carmania, a region of India. Strabo in the fifteenth book. Carnia, a city of Ionia. Nicolaus in the fourth book. Cremnia: thus Gortyn, a city of Crete, was formerly called. Thynia, the land of the Thyni. Castania, a city near Tarentum. Cephenia…. Chthonia: thus Crete is called. Lusitania, bordering on Baetica. Lycaonia, a region of Lycia and Isauria. Mariandynia, a region of Pontus. Eupolis in the Chrysoi Genos: “I see; I now behold this Mariandynia.” From a certain Mariandynus, an Aeolian. There are two Mauritanias, one Tingitana, the other Caesariensis. Milonia, a most notable city of the Samnites. Dionysius book 17. Mygdonia, a district of Macedonia and another of Greater Phrygia, from Mygdon; it was also called Mychthonia. Myonia, a city of Phocis. Pausanias book 10 (c. 38, 8); it is also called Myon. Myrmidonia, the land of the Myrmidons; for thus Aegina was called. Narnia, a city of the Samnites, from the river Narnus that flows by it, as Dionysius says in the eighteenth book of the Roman Antiquities. Niconia, a city in Pontus at the mouths of the Ister. Strabo in the seventh book. Xiphonia, a city of Sicily. Theopompus, Philippica in the thirty-ninth book. Xynia, a city of Thessaly. Polybius in the ninth book. Paeonia. Pania, a harbor-town of Cilicia about the Aleian plain; thus Arcadia too was called. Parthenia, a village of Pontus near [the coast]; and Samos too was formerly called Parthenia. Paphlagonia, from Paphlagon, the son of Phineus. Pelagonia, a region of Sicily. Pēlagonia, a district of Macedonia. Polyrrhenia, a city of Crete, from having many ῥῆνες, that is, sheep. Poseidonia, a city of Italy. Potidania, a city of Aetolia. Rhizenia, a city of Crete. Rhythymnia, a city of Crete. Saturnia: Italy was first called so. Signia, a city of Italy, as Strabo in the fifth book. Sidonia, a city of the Troad. Sithonia, a part of Thrace. Sicania, the territory around the Acragantines. Telchinia: thus Sicyon was formerly called, and Crete as well. Sionia, a Pontic city. Tarcynia, a city of Tyrrhenia, from Tarcon. Crania: thus Tarsus was called, from a skull. Hyttenia was formerly called a tetrapolis of the…