Thymiaterium or Thymiaterion (Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: Θυμιατήριον),[1] Scylax called it Thymiaterias (Θυμιατηρίας),[2] was an ancient Carthaginian colony in present-day Morocco. The Periplus (Περίπλους) of Hanno the Navigator claims that he founded it on his journey of exploration beyond the Pillars of Hercules.[3] [4] The manuscript is a copy of another Greek work which translated the Punic original and is part of the Codex Palatines Graecus 398 which belongs to the Heidelberg University.[3]
According to Hanno, he founded the colony, the first of his journey, two days' sail past the Pillars of Hercules.[5] Schoff, citing Karl Müller, identified it with the town of Mehedia, currently known as Mehdya. The location of Thymiaterium is also given at Mehedia in the Atlas of Ancient & Classical Geography.[6] Hanno may have been deliberately vague about the location of colonies he founded to prevent enemies of Carthage from finding them.[7]
Karl Müller, Geographi Græci Minores, vol. 1, Firmin-Didot, 1882