an Ionian city of Asia Minor, on the small river Hales or Halesus, about 8 miles from Ephesus, and a short distance from the sea-coast. It is said to have been founded by the mythical Andromon at the same time with Notium, which became its harbour. The first event of importance in the history of Colophon was the seizure by some of its inhabitants of the city of Smyrna, which they were allowed to retain unopposed. Colophon was in its turn taken by Gyges, king of Lydia; and at the opening of the Peloponnesian war by the Persians, for whom the factions of the townsmen prepared an easy victory. The Persians themselves were at length driven out by the Colophonians with the aid of the Athenians, who exerted themselves to restore and repeople the city. After the death of Alexander, Colophon, with some neighbouring cities was destroyed, and its inhabitants led away to settle in Ephesus. Notium appears to have escaped this calamity, for we find that in B.C. 190 Antiochus of Syria was compelled to retire from before its walls after an unsuccessful siege. To these representatives of the old Colophonians the Romans afterwards granted immunity, as a reward for their fidelity.

Colophon was the third of the seven cities which claimed the honour of having given birth to Homer. Minnemus, the famous elegiac poet, was a native of Colophon; as were also the poets Antimachus, Hermesianax, Phoenix, and Nicander, the musician Polymnestus, and the satirist Xenophanes.

in Bibliography, the concluding lines of early printed works, which, previous to the introduction of title-pages, usually contained the title, the date, the name of the author and of the printer, &c. The term is said to be derived from the Greek proverb ὁρῶς Καλοῦσαι ἐπιγραφήν (q.d., he gave the finishing stroke), alluding to the Colophonian cavalry, which was so excellent, according to Strabo, that victory was assured to that side on which it fought.