Magarsa ( grc, Μάγαρσα), or Magarsus or Magarsos (Μάγαρσος), or Megarsus or Megarsos (Μέγαρσος), was a town in the eastern part of

ancient Cilicia Cilicia (); el, Κιλικία, ''Kilikía''; Middle Persian: ''klkyʾy'' (''Klikiyā''); Parthian: ''kylkyʾ'' (''Kilikiyā''); tr, Kilikya). is a geographical region in southern Anatolia in Turkey, extending inland from the northeastern coa ...

, situated on a height close to the mouth of the river

Pyramus Pyramus and Thisbe are a pair of ill-fated lovers whose story forms part of Ovid's ''Metamorphoses''. The story has since been retold by many authors. Pyramus and Thisbe are two lovers in the city of Babylon who occupy connected houses. Their ...

Alexander the Great Alexander III of Macedon ( grc, wikt:Ἀλέξανδρος, Ἀλέξανδρος, Alexandros; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the Ancient Greece, ancient Greek kingdom of Maced ...

, previous to the

Battle of Issus The Battle of Issus (also Issos) occurred in southern Anatolia, on November 5, 333 BC between the Hellenic League led by Alexander the Great and the Achaemenid Empire, led by Darius III. It was the second great battle of Alexander's conquest of ...

, marched from Soli to Megarsus, and there offered sacrifices to Athena Megarsis, and to Amphilochus, the son of

Amphiaraus In Greek mythology, Amphiaraus or Amphiaraos (; Ancient Greek: Ἀμφιάραος, Ἀμφιάρεως, "very sacred") was the son of Oicles, a seer, and one of the leaders of the Seven against Thebes. Amphiaraus at first refused to go with Adra ...

, the reputed founder of the place. It seems to have formed the port of

Mallus Mallus may refer to: *Mallus (Cilicia), an ancient city in Cilicia, Anatolia * Mallus (Pisidia), an ancient city in Pisidia, Anatolia * Mallus (''Legends of Tomorrow''), a mysterious entity in the American superhero television series * Marco Mallu ...

.Lycoph. 439; It was later re-founded and renamed in

Hellenistic In Classical antiquity, the Hellenistic period covers the time in Mediterranean history after Classical Greece, between the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC and the emergence of the Roman Empire, as signified by the Battle of Actium in ...

times as

Antiochia ad Pyramum Antiochia ad Pyramum ( grc-gre, Ἀντιόχεια πρὸς τὸν Πύραμον) was an ancient coastal city of Cilicia, on the Pyramus (also Pyramos, now the Ceyhan Nehri) river, in Anatolia. It was the successor settlement to Magarsa. The ...

(Antioch on the Pyramus). Its site is located near Dörtdirek,

Karataş Karataş ( gr, Μέγαρσος, Mègarsos) is a small city and a district in Adana Province, on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey, 47 km from the city of Adana, between the rivers of Seyhan and Ceyhan, the Pyramos of Antiquity. The city of K ...

, in Asiatic Turkey.

References

Populated places in ancient Cilicia Former populated places in Turkey History of Adana Province {{category commons, Magarsus Antique City, Magarsa