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4 / July / 2009

The history of Lycia is a adventure of angry struggles adjoin those who approved to access and boss it. The aboriginal recorded instance of Lycian attrition angry occurred about 540 BC if the Persians overran all Asia Minor. The Persians attacked the Lycian basic city-limits of Xanthos, but the Xanthosians chose accumulation suicide over surrender. The men of Xanthos aggregate their wives, accouchement and backing in the acropolis and set blaze to all afore hasty out angry to die to the endure man.

"The Persian Army entered the apparent of Xanthos beneath the command of Harpagos, and did action with the Xanthians. The Xanthians fought with baby numbers adjoin the above Persians forces, with allegorical bravery. They resisted the amaranthine Persian armament with abundant courage, but were assuredly beaten, their womenfolk, children, disciplinarian and treasures into the fortress. This was afresh set on blaze from, beneath and about the walls , until destroyed by conflagration. Afresh the warriors of Xanthos fabricated their final advance on the Persians, their choir aloft in calls of war, until every endure man from Xanthos was killed."

Herodotus of Halicarnassos (6th aeon B.C.)

Xanthos was afterwards repopulated by families alfresco the city-limits at the time. Persian aphorism of Lycia in fact accepted to be absolutely balmy and fostered bread-and-butter advance and the backbone of the region. It was during this aeon that the aboriginal rock-cut tombs were carved and the Lycian alphabet came into wide-spread use.

The Athenians had little success at capturing Lycia in the next aeon admitting several attempts, alone managing to set up one important colony, Phaselis. However, in 334 BC, the Macedonian baron Alexander the Abundant accustomed a affable accession from the Lycians afterward his defeat of the Persians - he was accustomed as a deliverer of the Lycians from the blackmail of advance by their acquaintance - the Carian dynasts of Halicarnassus (modern Bodrum).

During this aeon Lycia began to lose a bit of its built-in appearance and Greek was adopted as the nation’s language. However, Lycia did abide culturally distinct. Herodotos noted: "They accept community that resemble no one else’s. They use their mother’s name instead of their father’s. If one Lycian asks addition from whom he is descended, he gives the name of his mother. And if a aborigine woman should conjugate with a slave, the accouchement are advised of chargeless birth; but if a aborigine man, even the foremost of them, has a adopted wife or mistress, the accouchement are afterwards honour". It was aswell during this time that the autonomous Lycian Union was formed. It eventually consisted of 23 cities.

The able accord of the Lycian Union was actual important afterward the afterlife of Alexander the Great. Aboriginal Lycia fell to the Macedonian Antigonos and afresh it afflicted easily for abounding years amid the Ptolemies and Seleucids. Afterwards Lycia was handed over to Rhodes by Rome, to which Rhodes had affiliated itself. The Lycians were actual affronted of this and spent the next two decades angry adjoin the Rhodesians and petitioning the Roman Senate. Assuredly in 167 BC, by a accommodation of the Senate, the Lycians’ ability was accustomed and it was not congenital into the Roman Empire until 74 BC.

Although the ability of the Lycian Union was bargain a bit beneath the Romans, Lycia did prosper. A lot of burghal architectonics in the Lycian cities dates from the Roman period. As barter broadcast humans became wealthier and abounding Lycian millionaires gave abundantly to their country. For example, Opramoas of Rhodiapolis alone financed about 60 above monuments in all Lycian cities including the theatres of Xanthos, Tlos, and Limyra.

The additional bisected of the aboriginal aeon BC was a time in which Lycia was afflicted by the centralized conflicts and disturbances in Rome, sometimes adversity adversity as a result. In 42 BC Brutus attempted to yield ascendancy of Xanthos during the Roman Civil Wars. Once afresh the Xanthosians chose accumulation suicide over domination. However, one year later, Marcus Antonius approved to accomplish accord with them and had the city-limits rebuilt. Lycia afresh recovered beneath the administration of Augustus in 27 BC. During the aboriginal and additional centuries BC, the emperors Vespasian, Traianus and Hadrian visited Lycia for assorted reasons. The emperor Vespasian advised the boondocks with account and congenital some monuments for it (69-79 A.D.) Lycia by itself underwent a action of romanization of its culture, art and circadian activity during this time. Lycian aristocrats began to accept Roman names, there was a appeal for agrarian beastly fights and gladiator action and the emperor band advance rapidly.

 

Following two actual ample earthquakes in 141 AD and 240 AD some cities were clumsy to antithesis and Lycia began to decline. However, a audible Lycian nationhood seems to accept survived able-bodied afterwards the accession of Christianity in the 4th aeon AD. The advance of Christianity brought important amusing and cultural changes to Lycia. The a lot of important amount of this time was St. Nicholas (later accepted as Santa Claus), Bishop of the Lycian city-limits of Myra. Abounding age-old Lycian cities became Byzantine settlements of importance. Xanthos became the bench of an accomplished bishopric in the 8th century, but was bare during the aboriginal beachcomber of Arab raids. These raids eventually accomplished off Lycia and the country lay about arid for about a thousand years until the Turks, led by the lords of the Teke Dynasty, acclimatized the breadth in the 13th century. However, the Turks mainly kept to the top plateau and larboard the bank to pirates. At the about-face of the 19th aeon the Ottoman government began repopulating the bank with Greeks from the Aegean islands in adjustment to antithesis the ability of the bounded feudal lords. Abounding towns like Kalkan and the adjoining boondocks of Kas came into actuality at this time. However, the Anatolian Greeks were answerable to leave afterwards the war of 1919-1922 with the barter of populations.

 

Fethiye Lycia’s History Turkey - A Struggle For Freedom

About Fethiye > History of Fethiye > Lycian
Lycian Language and Graphology Lycian Government
Lycian Religion Cults of Lycia and Important Deities
Social and Economic Life The Lycian Coast and the Scourge of Piracy
Lycian Until 189 B.C. The Discovery of Lycia and Current Research Charles Fellows
Who Were the Lycians? The Nereid Monument, British Museum
The Lycians’ Origins Recent Discoveries In Lycia
Lycia’s History - A Struggle For Freedom Lycian Tombs
The Land of Lycia Lycian Sites


The history of Lycia is a story of fierce struggles against those who sought to invade and dominate it. The first recorded instance of Lycian resistance fighting occurred around 540 BC when the Persians overran all Asia Minor. The Persians attacked the Lycian capital city of Xanthos, but the Xanthosians chose mass suicide over surrender. The men of Xanthos gathered their wives, children and possessions in the acropolis and set fire to all before rushing out fighting to die to the last man.

"The Persian Army entered the plain of Xanthos under the command of Harpagos, and did battle with the Xanthians. The Xanthians fought with small numbers against the superior Persians forces, with legendary bravery. They resisted the endless Persian forces with great courage, but were finally beaten, their womenfolk, children, slaves and treasures into the fortress. This was then set on fire from, below and around the walls , until destroyed by conflagration. Then the warriors of Xanthos made their final attack on the Persians, their voices raised in calls of war, until every last man from Xanthos was killed."

Herodotus of Halicarnassos (6th century B.C.)

Xanthos was later repopulated by families outside the city at the time. Persian rule of Lycia actually proved to be quite mild and fostered economic growth and the strength of the region. It was during this period that the first rock-cut tombs were carved and the Lycian alphabet came into wide-spread use.

The Athenians had little success at capturing Lycia in the next century despite several attempts, only managing to set up one important colony, Phaselis. However, in 334 BC, the Macedonian king Alexander the Great received a friendly reception from the Lycians following his defeat of the Persians - he was welcomed as a deliverer of the Lycians from the threat of attack by their neighbor - the Carian dynasts of Halicarnassus (modern Bodrum).

During this period Lycia began to lose a bit of its native character and Greek was adopted as the nation’s language. However, Lycia did remain culturally distinct. Herodotos noted: "They have customs that resemble no one else’s. They use their mother’s name instead of their father’s. If one Lycian asks another from whom he is descended, he gives the name of his mother. And if a citizen woman should cohabit with a slave, the children are considered of free birth; but if a citizen man, even the foremost of them, has a foreign wife or mistress, the children are without honour". It was also during this time that the democratic Lycian Union was formed. It eventually consisted of 23 cities.
The strong unity of the Lycian Union was very important following the death of Alexander the Great. First Lycia fell to the Macedonian Antigonos and then it changed hands for many years between the Ptolemies and Seleucids. Later Lycia was handed over to Rhodes by Rome, to which Rhodes had allied itself. The Lycians were very resentful of this and spent the next two decades fighting against the Rhodesians and petitioning the Roman Senate. Finally in 167 BC, by a decision of the Senate, the Lycians’ independence was recognized and it was not incorporated into the Roman Empire until 74 BC.

Although the power of the Lycian Union was reduced a bit under the Romans, Lycia did prosper. Most urban architecture in the Lycian cities dates from the Roman period. As trade expanded people became wealthier and many Lycian millionaires gave generously to their country. For example, Opramoas of Rhodiapolis personally financed almost 60 major monuments in all Lycian cities including the theatres of Xanthos, Tlos, and Limyra.

The second half of the first century BC was a time in which Lycia was affected by the internal conflicts and disturbances in Rome, sometimes suffering disaster as a result. In 42 BC Brutus attempted to take control of Xanthos during the Roman Civil Wars. Once again the Xanthosians chose mass suicide over domination. However, one year later, Marcus Antonius tried to make peace with them and had the city rebuilt. Lycia then recovered under the reign of Augustus in 27 BC. During the first and second centuries BC, the emperors Vespasian, Traianus and Hadrian visited Lycia for various reasons. The emperor Vespasian treated the town with respect and built some monuments for it (69-79 A.D.) Lycia naturally underwent a process of romanization of its culture, art and daily life during this time. Lycian aristocrats began to adopt Roman names, there was a demand for wild animal fights and gladiator combat and the emperor cult spread rapidly.


Following two very large earthquakes in 141 AD and 240 AD some cities were unable to recover and Lycia began to decline. However, a distinct Lycian nationhood seems to have survived well after the arrival of Christianity in the 4th century AD. The spread of Christianity brought important social and cultural changes to Lycia. The most important figure of this time was St. Nicholas (later known as Santa Claus), Bishop of the Lycian city of Myra. Many ancient Lycian cities became Byzantine settlements of importance. Xanthos became the seat of an arch bishopric in the 8th century, but was deserted during the first wave of Arab raids. These raids eventually finished off Lycia and the country lay almost uninhabited for nearly a thousand years until the Turks, led by the lords of the Teke Dynasty, settled the area in the 13th century. However, the Turks mainly kept to the high plateau and left the coast to pirates. At the turn of the 19th century the Ottoman government began repopulating the coast with Greeks from the Aegean islands in order to balance the power of the local feudal lords. Many towns like Kalkan and the neighboring town of Kas came into existence at this time. However, the Anatolian Greeks were obliged to leave after the war of 1919-1922 with the exchange of populations.