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FLAVIOPOLIS (Ancient city) TURKEY
Flaviopolis (Phlabiopolis or Phlaouiopolis), a town of Cilicia, to
the west of Tarsus. From coins found at Ushak, it is manifest that this place
occupies the site of the ancient Flaviopolis. Respecting its history scarcely
anything is known, and it cannot be ascertained whether it owed its name to the
emperor Vespasian, or to some member of the family of Constantine. In later times
it was the see of a Christian bishop. (Ptol. v. 8. § 6; Arundell, Asia Minor,
vol. i. p. 116.)
Almost certainly identifiable with modern Kadirli on the river Savrun
at the NE corner of the plain and ca. 160 km from Adana. Kozan (120 km NE of Adana)
is out of the question since it has virtually no pre-Armenian remains and no trace
of an ancient road thither from the ruins of Anazarbos (Anavarza) 35 km S. According
to the Antonine Itinerary, however, Flaviopolis was the first city from Anazarbos
on the road N to Kokossos (Goksun), and a stretch of this road, with milestones
in situ, still exists. Also, ca. 5 km N of Anavarza, a Roman bridge spans the
Savrun at Tozlu and a number of inscriptions were found there in 1949. Most scholars
agree on the identification of Flaviopolis with Kadirli, for epigraphic evidence
there proves the existence of a city whose magistrates were demiurgi.
Flaviopolis was founded in A.D. 74 by Vespasian, as part of an imperial
program for the urbanization of the Cilician Plain. Until then the rural hinterland,
as well as the city of Anazarbos, was probably administered by the Tracondimotid
dynasty from Hieropolis Castabala. Some mosaic floors, inscriptions, and building
blocks have been found at Kadirli, and a 6th c. church has been excavated. Flaviopolis
was bishopric of Cilicia Secunda in the Christian era.
M. Gough, 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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