Myrica or Myrika, also called Myrikion ( grc, Μυρικιών) and Therma, was a city and bishopric in

Galatia Salutaris Galatia () was the name of a province of the Roman Empire in Anatolia (modern central Turkey). It was established by the first emperor, Augustus (sole rule 30 BC – 14 AD), in 25 BC, covering most of formerly independent Celtic Galatia, with it ...

(in Asia Minor), known for its

hot springs A hot spring, hydrothermal spring, or geothermal spring is a spring produced by the emergence of geothermally heated groundwater onto the surface of the Earth. The groundwater is heated either by shallow bodies of magma (molten rock) or by circ ...

Description

Because of the mention of the hot springs in the signature of the bishop at the

Council of Chalcedon The Council of Chalcedon (; la, Concilium Chalcedonense), ''Synodos tēs Chalkēdonos'' was the fourth ecumenical council of the Christian Church. It was convoked by the Roman emperor Marcian. The council convened in the city of Chalcedon, Bith ...

, William Mitchell Ramsay identified this city with the town known in his time (19th century) as Saint Agapetos (in Greek Ἅγιος Ἀγαπητός). He interpreted as a change of name, not of location, the contrast between earlier sources such as this, which speak of a bishopric of Myrika (Myrica), and the references to a see of Saint Agapetos in later '' Notitiae Episcopatuum'' and in the signature of a bishop at the

Quinisext Council The Quinisext Council (Latin: ''Concilium Quinisextum''; Koine Greek: , ''Penthékti Sýnodos''), i.e. the Fifth-Sixth Council, often called the Council ''in Trullo'', Trullan Council, or the Penthekte Synod, was a church council held in 692 at ...

of 692. However, Ramsay also mentioned the existence within Galatia Salutaris of other hot springs at "the Merkez of the Haimane", and some identify with "the ancient Myrica Therma" the volcanically heated baths of

Haymana, Ankara Haymana is a town and district of Ankara Province in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey, 72 km south of the capital, Ankara. According to the 2010 census, the population of the district is 33,886, of whom 9,091 live in the town of Haymana. ...

, which are reputed to have healing properties, especially for arthritis, rheumatism and gynaecological disorders. The identification of the episcopal see of Myrica given in the ''

Annuario Pontificio The ''Annuario Pontificio'' (Italian for ''Pontifical Yearbook'') is the annual directory of the Holy See of the Catholic Church. It lists the popes in chronological order and all officials of the Holy See's departments. It also provides names ...

'' is "Merkez".''Annuario Pontificio 2013'' (Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2013, ), p. 931 Modern scholars place its site near Yeşilyurt, Asiatic Turkey.

References

{{Authority control Populated places in ancient Galatia Former populated places in Turkey Populated places of the Byzantine Empire History of Ankara Province Galatia (Roman province) Catholic titular sees in Asia