Knidos

Cnidus (Greek Κνίδος; Latin Cnidus ) is an ancient port city in southwestern Asia Minor.

Location

Knidos is located on the tip of the south-western Turkish Datça Peninsula ( rarely also: Reşadiye Peninsula), about 35 km from Datca, across from the Greek island of Kos (Turkish Istanköy ). Whether since its inception Knidos was located on the tip of the peninsula and was moved only in the late classical period from the middle of the peninsula at today's Datça there is controversial (see Bankel, Blumel, Demand versus Bean Cook and mountain ).

History

Knidos and slaves who came from Knidos, have already been mentioned in Linear B documents from the Mycenaean Pylos. Excavations Minoan and Mycenaean finds to younger days. So far, however, is not yet clear whether the site was inhabited Minoan or Mycenaean also. The city was a Doric ( re) creation and a member of the Doric Pentapolis. To 580 BC the city was involved in the colonization of Sicily and the Hellenion in Naucratis; 565/564 she was under Persian rule. Around 550 left the city to build a treasury at Delphi. 477 she was a member of the Delian Confederacy, 412 was the waste to Sparta, then re- Persian rule. To 394 defeated the Athenian Conon as a Persian admiral in the naval battle of Cnidus, the Spartan fleet. In the 3rd century BC Ptolemaic mostly, they came under Rhodian influence 190, 167, she was released.

In the Roman Empire Knidos belonged to the province of Asia. 263-467 AD, the city struck again and again by strong earthquakes. In late antiquity it was a bishopric and is still a Roman Catholic titular Cnidus. Middle of the 7th century the town was destroyed by an Arab fleet.

Special

The city was through their medical school and one of Aphrodite of Praxiteles Aphroditestatue with the famous ( Aphrodite of Knidos ). At or in the city of Knidos was located the Triopion, the Federal Doric sanctuary.

Biblical mention

The place Knidos is also mentioned in the Bible. In Acts 27.7 reports the author Lukas on the fourth missionary journey of Paul as follows: " For many days we did little ride and arrived with difficulty to the level of Knidos. Then let the wind to change the course forced. "

Famous citizens

• Ctesias of Cnidus, Greek historians
• Eudoxus of Cnidus, mathematician and philosopher
• Sostratus of Knidos, Hellenistic architect