Termessos

36.982530.464444444444Koordinaten: 36 ° 59 'N, 30 ° 28' O

Termessos (Greek Τερμησσός ) was an ancient city in Asia Minor in the south of present-day Turkey. She lay in the southwestern landscape Pisidia about 30 km north- west of the present city of Antalya at about 1000 meters altitude below the mountain Solymos (now Gulluk Dagi ).

History

For the first time Termessos is mentioned in Homer: "Next he fought it [= Bellerophon ], the Solymer [ that is, Termessier '] ruchtbare peoples; These he called the toughest fight he fought with men. " ( Iliad VI, 185 f ) Around 500 BC the Persian Empire had because Termessos ' defensibility of the city grant autonomy rights. Alexander the Great besieged Termessos 334/333 BC in vain: " I let my army does not decimate before an eagle's nest. " During the Diadochenkriege there came Alcetes, brother of Perdiccas to. During the Hellenistic period the city is partly the influence of the Ptolemies and the Attalids of Pergamon, was by the skilful combination of military strategy and diplomacy but always preserve identity and freedom to Roman time into it. Termessos belonged to the province Lycia et Pamphylia, in late antiquity to the province of Pamphylia. Zenodotos, Bishop of Termessos, took part in 451 at the Council of Chalcedon. In the Diocese of the titular Termessus the Roman Catholic Church is declining.

Ruins

Today, remnants of the defense rings, city walls, temples and other buildings can be visited. In particular, the ancient well-preserved theater, and the Odeion worth the walk up the mountain fortress (1050 m asl). Noteworthy is the similar to the great ancient cities very extensive in proportion necropolis.

Pictures

Rock Tombs

View of Upper Town

Sarcophagus from southern cemetery

Bouleuterion or Odeon

Grave of Alcetes