Thyatira

38.9227.836388888889Koordinaten: 38 ° 55 'N, 27 ° 50'

Thyat (s) ira (Greek τὰ Θυάτειρα ), today Akhisar in Turkey, in ancient times was an important commercial and industrial city in the Anatolian countryside Lydia. She lay in the Lycus valley, on the road from Pergamum, Sardis.

History

The name Thyateiras suggests that it was originally a Lydian settlement. During the Hellenistic period, after 281 BC, Seleucus I moved there to military colonists. The city remained about a hundred years, until 188 BC, under Seleucid control, and then fell into the hands of the Attalids Eumenes II of Pergamum. With their entire kingdom Thyateira came after Aristonikosaufstand 129 BC to Rome and then became part of the province of Asia.

Thyatira was known for its textile industry and purple dyeing, which is repeatedly covered in inscriptions. Emperor Caracalla raised the city to the suburb of its own 215 conventus iuridicus after they had been part of the court region of Pergamon. Since 297 Thyateira belonged to the province of Lydia, in the Byzantine period on the subject of Thrakesion.

Early Christianity

In the New Testament Thyateira met Acts (Acts ) 16, 14; Apocalypse 1, 11; 2, 18, ​​24

Acts 16: 14 f contains a singular reference to a native of Thyatira named Lydia seller of purple, which was baptized as the first in Europe of Paul with her throughout the house. The fact that this episode originally read as a founding legend of the Christian church in Thyatira, is not very likely.

Imbalanced is the mention Thyateiras in the Apocalypse of John. The Christian community is the beneficiary of the fourth epistle (Rev 2, 18-29 ) to the seven churches. In addition to praise for the community to have not decreased but increased in their spiritual life (2, 19), of course, is also the blame: There is a group in the community against which the community defines itself insufficient (2, 20). This group is headed by a self-proclaimed prophetess, because of their pernicious effect with the names of the Old Testament is called Queen Jezebel (see 1 Kings 16-2 Kings 9. ): She seduces parts of the community to " fornication" and for consumption meat offered to idols.

This charge is identical to the to the church at Pergamum ( 2, 14 ) and is there to " Nicolaitans " (2, 15, see 2, 6) related. This manifestly heretical group is known only from the Apocalypse and therefore difficult to describe in more detail or to even identify. Anyway, it seems to have been a libertine group, under the direction of a prophetic woman, possibly a manifestation of early Gnosticism.

The patristic tradition under the name of " Nicolaitans " to those mentioned in the Acts Nikolaos of Antioch ( 6, 5 ) back, one of the Seven Jerusalem. Maybe this memory contains a historical core, safe provable is not so.

In the early church history Thyateira plays an important role as a center of Montanism ( Epiphanius, Haereses 51, ​​33).

The name shall continue as titular Orthodox. As Metropolitan of Thyatira in charge of the British Isles Greek Orthodox bishop is called with headquarters in London. The Catholic Church has a titular that name.

Excavation site

In Thyatira 1974-1975, extensive excavations have been carried out. The excavation site is located in a fenced square in the city center Akhisar. On display are ruins of a basilica from the 5th or 6th century on the site of the former agora and the remains of colonnaded streets and arcades dating from the 4th century. Of the numerous inscriptions found a part has been moved to the Museum of Manisa.

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