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THYATIRA (Ancient city) TURKEY
Thyateira (ta Thuateira: Eth. Thuateirenos), a considerable city in
the north of Lydia, on the river Lycus, and on the road leading from Sardes in
the south to Germa in the north. It was anciently called Pelopeia, Euhippa, and
Semiramis. (Plin. v. 31; Steph. B. s. v. Thuateira.) Strabo (xiii. p. 625) calls
it a Macedonian colony, which probably means only that during the Macedonian period
it was increased and embellished, for Stephanus B., admitting that it previously
existed under other names, relates that Seleucus Nicator gave it the name of Thygateira
or Thyateira on being informed that a daughter (Thugater) was born to him. But
whatever we may think of this etymology, it seems clear that the place was not
originally a Macedonian colony, but had existed long before under other names,
and at one period belonged to Mysia. After the time of Antiochus Nicator, however,
it became an important place, and is often noticed in history. When the two Scipios
arrived in Asia on their expedition against Antiochus the Great, the latter was
encamped near Thyateira, but retreated to Magnesia. (Liv. xxxvii. 8, 21, 37.)
After the defeat of the Syrian king, the town surrendered to the Romans. (Liv.
xxxvii. 44; Polyb. xvi. 1, xxxii. 25; comp. Appian, Syr. 30; Strab. xiii. p. 646;
Plut. Sulla, 15; Ptol. v. 2. § 16; It. Ant. p. 336.) In Christian times Thyateira
appears as one of the seven Churches in the Apocalypse (ii. 18); in the Acts of
the Apostles (xvi. 14) mention is made of one Lydia, a purple-seller of Thyateira,
and at a still later period we hear of several bishops whose see it was. In the
middle ages the Turks changed the name of the town into Akhissar, which it still
bears. (Mich. Duc. p. 114.) Sir C. Fellows (Asia Min. p. 22), who calls the modern
place Aksa, states that it teems with relics of an ancient splendid city, although
he could not discover a trace of the site of any ruin or early building. These
relics consist chiefly of fragments of pillars, many of which have been changed
into well-tops or troughs. (Comp. Arundell, Seven Churches, p. 188, fell.; Wheeler
and Spon, vol. i. p. 253; Lucas, Troisieme Voy. p. 192, &c.; Prokesch, Denkwurdigkeiten,
iii. p. 60, foil.)
This text is from: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854) (ed. William Smith, LLD). Cited September 2004 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
Situated in the township of Akhisar, which is attached to the city of Manisa. The name suggests an ancient Lydian settlement. The city, located in the middle of the fertile Lykos valley and at the crossroads of important trade routes, was under the domination of Pergamon between the early 3d and the 2d c. B.C. It was an autonomous city, and on its coins Apollo and Artemis were represented. Apollo and Helios were especially honored. Its zenith coincided with Caracalla's visit to the city (A.D. 215). Soundings on the acropolis brought to light a part of an apsidal structure and various architectural elements (i.e. capitals, columns, column bases) from the Roman period. Little else remains except inscriptions, 21 of which, recently found, are in the Manisa Museum.
U. Serdaroglu, ed.
This text is from: The Princeton encyclopedia of classical sites,
Princeton University Press 1976. Cited Nov 2002 from
Perseus Project URL below, which contains bibliography & interesting hyperlinks.
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