Mitylene

Mitylene (modern Mytilene) was the chief city of the island of Lesbos, located on the island's eastern coast in the northern Aegean Sea. The city was renowned in antiquity as a center of culture and learning; the poets Sappho and Alcaeus were among its most famous natives. Paul touched at Mitylene during his third missionary journey while sailing from Corinth to Judea (Acts 20:14), having sailed past Ephesus to avoid losing time there. He arrived at Mitylene after crossing from Assos, and spent a night there before continuing southward to Chios and Samos. The city is today still known as Mytilene and remains the capital of the island of Lesbos. Its mention in Acts reflects the well-traveled Aegean sea route that Paul regularly used in his missionary travels between Macedonia and Syria.