Listed 7 sub titles with search on: Information about the place for destination: "TRALLIS Ancient city TURKEY".
City in Caria (or Ionia or Lydia), founded according to tradition
by a mixed company of Argives and barbarian Tralleis from Thrace (Strab. 649).
In 400 B.C. the Spartan Thibron attempted to take it from the Persians, but was
defeated by the strength of the place (Diod. 14.36). Taken by force by Antigonos
in 313 (Diod. 19.75), the city later came under the Seleucids and took the name
Seleuceia; this is confirmed by the coins, but Pliny's statement (HN 5.108) that
it was also called Antiocheia is unsupported and generally regarded as a mistake.
Other names which Tralles is alleged to have borne in early times are Euantheia
(Plin. loc.cit.), Polyantheia, Erymna, and Charax (Steph. Byz.). After Magnesia
Tralles passed to Eumenes and remained Pergamene until 133 B.C., even supporting
Aristonikos against the Romans. At the time of the first Mithridatic war the city
was under the tyranny of the sons of Kratippos (Strab. loc.cir.), who were apparently
responsible for the slaughter of the Roman residents. In 26 B.C. Tralles suffered
from a severe earthquake, and in gratitude for Augustus' help in restoration took
the name of Caesareia; by the end of the 1st c., however, this name had fallen
into disuse. Despite the great wealth of the citizens as recorded by Strabo, Tralles
was refused the privilege of building a temple to Tiberius on the ground that
she lacked sufficient resources. The abundant Imperial coinage continues down
to the time of Gallienus. Later Tralles, as a bishopric, ranked second after Hypaipa
under the metropolitan of Ephesos.
The site is accurately described by Strabo (648) as on a plateau,
well defended all round, with a steep acropolis. The hill is now occupied by the
army, and visitors require a military escort. Little is left of the remains visible
in the 19th and early 20th c., a theater, stadium, agora, and gymnasium, but the
finds are in the Istanbul museum, and include a fine marble statue of a young
athlete of the time of Augustus.
All that is now standing is a part of the gymnasium, comprising three
high arches of mixed masonry of stone and brick, with much mortar; this has been
dated to the 3d c. A.D. It is called Uc Goz and is conspicuous from the road and
railway, looking from a distance very like a triumphal arch. The theater faced
S at the foot of the acropolis, which rises from the N end of the plateau. It
was interesting chiefly because it had a T-shaped underground passage from the
stage building to the middle of the orchestra, but this has been obliterated.
All that now survives is an arched entrance at the level of the upper diazoma
and a fragment of the retaining wall of the cavea.
G. E. Bean, 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.
Total results on 18/7/2001: 84 Tralles, 4 Trallian, 10 Trallians
Other names which Tralles is alleged to have borne in early times are Seleuceia, Antiocheia. Euantheia, Polyantheia, Erymna, Charax and Caesareia
A flourishing commercial city of Lydia, in Asia Minor. It stood
on a plateau at the southern foot of Mount Messogis (with a citadel on a higher
point), on the banks of the little river Eudon, a northern tributary of the Maeander,
from which the city was distant eighty stadia (eight geographical miles). It was
said to have been founded by Argives and Thracian settlers on the site of an older
town called Anthea. Under the Seleucidae it bore the names of Seleucia and Antiochia.
Trallis (Tralleis, Trallis: Eth. Trallianos). A large and flourishing city of Caria, on the southern slope of mount Messogis, a little to the north of the Scamander, a small tributary of which, the Eudon, flowed close by the city, while another passed right through it. Its acropolis was situated on a lofty eminence in the north of the city. Tralles was said to have been founded by Argives in conjunction with a body of Thracians, whence its name Tralles was believed to be derived (Strab. xiv. pp. 648, 649; Hesych, s. v.; Diod. Sic. xvii. 65; Plut. Ages. 16), for it is said to have previously been called Anthea, Evanthea, Erymna, Charax, Seleucia, and Antiochia (Steph. B. s. vv. Trallis, Charax; Etym. M. p. 389; Plin. v. 29). Others, however, state that it was a Pelasgian colony, and originally bore the name of Larissa (Agath. ii. 17; Schol. ad Hom. Il. x. 429). It was situated in a most fertile district, at a point where highroads met from the south, east, and west; so that it must have been a place of considerable commerce. (Cic. ad Att. v. 1. 4, ad Fans. iii. 5, ad Quint. Frat. i. 1; Strab. xiv. p. 663.) The inhabitants of Tralles were celebrated for their great wealth, and were generally appointed asiarchs, that is, presidents of the games celebrated in the district. But the country in which Tralles was situated was much subject to earthquakes; in the reign of Augustus many of its public buildings were greatly damaged by a violent shock; and the emperor gave the inhabitants a handsome sum of money to repair the losses they had sustained. (Strab. xii. p. 579.) Out of gratitude, the Trallians petitioned to be permitted to erect a temple in honour of Tiberius, but without effect. (Tac. Ann. iv. 55.) According to Pliny (xxxv. 49), king Attalus had a palace at Tralles. A statue of Caesar was set up in the temple of Victoria at Tralles; and during the presence of Caesar in Asia a miracle is said to have happened in the temple, respecting which see Caes. Bell. Civ. iii. 105; Plut. Caes. 47; and Val. Max. i. 6. The city is very often mentioned by ancient writers (Xen. Anab. i. 4. 8, Hist. Gr. iii. 2. § 19; Polyb. xxii. 27; Liv. xxxvii. 45, xxxviii. 39; Died. xiv. 36, xix. 75; Juven. iii. 70; Ptol. v. 2. § 19; Hierocl. p. 659). During the middle ages the city fell into decay, but was repaired by Andronicus Palaeologus (G. Pachymer, p. 320). Extensive ruins of the place still exist above the modern Ghiuzel Hissar, in a position perfectly agreeing with the description of Strabo.
This text is from: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854) (ed. William Smith, LLD). Cited June 2004 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
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