Caria

Caria (Latin Caria ) is an ancient landscape in south-western Asia Minor in modern Turkey and in ancient times was an independent kingdom. As a side area to the east of the Greek world, was exposed to the many and varied cultural influences, to Caria is characterized as a mixed culture area.

Term

The concept of Caria derives etymologically from the Hittite language and means " land of the Carians " ( to this people see Carians ). However, Caria was not just a name for the country that the Carian people occupied each, but also for other Greek towns, such as for the eastern castle of Megara.

Geography

The region consisted largely of mountains and hills, where there were only few levels. These mountains were crossed by small rivers, the most important were the meanders and its tributaries Marsyas and Harpasos. In the southeast, also ran the Xanthos and the Indos. The coast was also very mountainous, while the few levels confined to the estuaries. This made ​​for a more difficult access to the interior. The coast were preceded by numerous islands, the most important Pharmakussa, Patmos, Lepsia, Leros, Kalymna, Kos, Nisyros, Telos, Chalkia, Syme, Rhodes and Rhodussa were. Because of the very rugged terrain initially developed only isolated small villages and later larger towns. The most important settlements were the centuries Priene, myNS, Heraclea, Miletus, Bargylia, Myndos, Halicarnassus, Knidos, Daidala, Magnesia, Tralles, Nysa, Alabanda, Stratonikeia, Mylasa, Labraunda, Caunos and Aphrodisias in the course.

In the north, bordering the region of Lydia, where the mountains Messogis probably represented the limit. To the east lay Phrygia and Lycia in the south. Thus, the total area of ​​the historic region was about 480 km ².

Economy

In the mountains agriculture on a large scale was not possible. It was therefore limited to the few plains and river estuaries. There, grain, wine and oil was grown and operated livestock. The region, however, was of great importance for trade. In the Mäanderebene on the coast was the end point of a road from the interior, which had been established along the river course. Along the coast was next to a large lake road that connected the East with the Aegean Sea and the mainly benefited the coastal towns.

History

The people of the Carians and Caria was first called BC 1800-1200 in ancient Assyrian and Hittite texts as Karkissa. Only then Homer mentioned the Carians again. After a Greek description of the 5th century BC migrated this from the Ionian Islands in Asia Minor. The Carians themselves however, described themselves as old-established inhabitants, which also Homer confirmed. Linguistic investigations came to the conclusion that the Carian language was related to Hittite, and therefore the immigration had to have come from the interior.

Between 1200 and 800 BC migrated increasingly a Greeks and mingled with the native Carians, resulting in a mixed culture originated. A little later the region came under the control of the Lydian king Alyattes before BC dropped by 547/46 to the Achaemenid Empire. In this it was almost always relatively independent integrated. The administrative capital of the satrapy was Halicarnassus. Between 469/466 and 412 BC, a part of the country was occupied by the Greeks before the Persian sovereignty was restored. In the fourth century the dynasty of Hekatomniden could maintain relative independence and Hekatomnos ' youngest son Pixodaros eventually extend their influence even to Lycia. In 334 BC, the region was conquered by Alexander the Great again. After his death she moved to the wars between the Diadochenreichen often the ruler until they gradually fell in the years 129-42 BC to the Roman Empire.