Limyra ( grc, Λίμυρα) ( xlc, 𐊈𐊚𐊎𐊒𐊕𐊁 was a small city in ancient Lycia on the southern coast of Asia Minor, on the Limyrus River ( grc, Λιμύρος).

History

Already flourishing in the second millennium BC, the city was one of the oldest and most prosperous in Lycia; it gradually became one of the most flourishing trade centres in the Greek world. In the 4th century BC Pericles, Dynast of Lycia supported a rebellion of satraps in Asia Minor against the ruling Persians and adopted Limyra as the capital of the Lycian League; subsequently it came under control of the

Persian Empire The Achaemenid Empire or Achaemenian Empire (; peo, wikt:𐎧𐏁𐏂𐎶, 𐎧𐏁𐏂, , ), also called the First Persian Empire, was an History of Iran#Classical antiquity, ancient Iranian empire founded by Cyrus the Great in 550 BC. Bas ...

. The Persians eventually regained rule through Mausolus, the Carian satrap at Halicarnassus. After Alexander the Great ended Persian rule, most of Lycia was ruled by Ptolemy I Soter; his son

Ptolemy II Philadelphos ; egy, Userkanaenre Meryamun Clayton (2006) p. 208 , predecessor = Ptolemy I , successor = Ptolemy III , horus = ''ḥwnw-ḳni'Khunuqeni''The brave youth , nebty = ''wr-pḥtj'Urpekhti''Great of strength , gol ...

supported the Limyrans against the invading

Galatians Galatians may refer to: * Galatians (people) * Epistle to the Galatians, a book of the New Testament * English translation of the Greek ''Galatai'' or Latin ''Galatae'', ''Galli,'' or ''Gallograeci'' to refer to either the Galatians or the Gaul ...

and the inhabitants dedicated a monument, the Ptolemaion, to him in thanks. Limyra is mentioned by

Strabo Strabo''Strabo'' (meaning "squinty", as in strabismus) was a term employed by the Romans for anyone whose eyes were distorted or deformed. The father of Pompey was called "Pompeius Strabo". A native of Sicily so clear-sighted that he could see ...

(XIV, 666), Ptolemy (V, 3, 6) and several Latin authors. Augustus had adopted his grandson Gaius Caesar in 17 BC (aged 3) as his heir. In 1 BC (aged 19) Gaius Caesar was sent to Syria and in 2 AD he went to Armenia, which the Parthians had recently invaded. Gaius successfully placed a pro-Roman king on the Armenian throne but was seriously wounded after being tricked. In 4 AD, during his return to Rome, Gaius died from his wounds at Limyra.

The Site

The lower city is at the base of the acropolis hill and includes two separate walled areas. The five necropolises dating from the 4th c. BC and before demonstrate the city's importance. The mausoleum of Pericles is particularly notable for its fine reliefs and exquisite sculptures such as Perseus slaying Medusa and one of her sisters. A gate in the western city leads down through a marshy area towards the cenotaph of Gaius Caesar, grandson and heir apparent of Augustus, a massive structure standing on a stone podium and dating from around 4 AD. The Romans cut a theatre into the hill which held 8000 spectators. It was commissioned in the second century AD by an important Lycian benefactor named Opramoas of Rhodiapolis. Also from this period are a bathhouse with a complex heating system and the colonnaded streets. The Roman Bridge at Limyra, east of the city, is one of the oldest

segmental arch A segmental arch is a type of arch with a circular arc of less than 180 degrees. It is sometimes also called a scheme arch. The segmental arch is one of the strongest arches because it is able to resist thrust. To prevent failure, a segmental arc ...

bridges in the world.Sopheone Pétridès, "Limyra" in ''Catholic Encyclopedia'' (New York 1910)
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Ecclesiastical history

Limyra is mentioned as a bishopric in ''

Notitiæ Episcopatuum The ''Notitiae Episcopatuum'' (singular: ''Notitia Episcopatuum'') are official documents that furnish Eastern countries the list and hierarchical rank of the metropolitan and suffragan bishoprics of a church. In the Roman Church (the -mostly Lat ...

'' down to the 12th and 13th centuries as a

suffragan A suffragan bishop is a type of bishop in some Christian denominations. In the Anglican Communion, a suffragan bishop is a bishop who is subordinate to a metropolitan bishop or diocesan bishop (bishop ordinary) and so is not normally jurisdictiona ...

of the metropolitan of

Myra Myra ( grc, Μύρα, ''Mýra'') was a Lycian, then ancient Greek, then Greco-Roman, then Byzantine Greek, then Ottoman town in Lycia, which became the small Turkish town of Kale, renamed Demre in 2005, in the present-day Antalya Province of ...

. Six bishops are known: Diotimus, mentioned by

St. Basil Basil of Caesarea, also called Saint Basil the Great ( grc, Ἅγιος Βασίλειος ὁ Μέγας, ''Hágios Basíleios ho Mégas''; cop, Ⲡⲓⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ Ⲃⲁⲥⲓⲗⲓⲟⲥ; 330 – January 1 or 2, 379), was a bishop of Ca ...

(ep. CCXVIII); Lupicinus, present at the First Council of Constantinople, 381; Stephen, at the Council of Chalcedon (451); Theodore, at the Second Council of Constantinople in 553; Leo, at the Second Council of Nicaea in 787; Nicephorus, at the Council of Constantinople (879-880). In the '' Annuario Pontificio'' it is listed as a titular see of the Roman province of Lycia.''Annuario Pontificio 2013'' (Libreria Editrice Vaticana 2013 ), p. 917

Gallery

File:Limyra Roman Theatre 3944.jpg, Limyra Theatre from uphill File:Limyra 5110.jpg, Limyra Theatre File:Limyra 5105.jpg, Limyra Theatre corridors File:Limyra 3748.jpg, Limyra Cenotaph of Gaius Caesar File:Antalya museum march 2012 5689.jpg, Limyra Cenotaph Gaius Caesar in Antalya Museum File:Limyra 3735.jpg, Limyra Ptolemaion File:Antalya Museum feb 2015 6584.jpg, Limyra Ptolemaion relief in Antalya Museum File:Limyra 5182.jpg, Limyra Bee keeping File:Limyra 5123.jpg, Limyra tomb of Tebursseli File:Limyra 5124.jpg, Limyra tomb of Tebursseli decoration File:Limyra 5134.jpg, Limyra Temple-type tomb File:Limyra 5161.jpg, Limyra Sarcophagus of Xñtabura File:Limyra 3965.jpg, Limyra Rock graves File:Antalya Museum march 2013 7714.jpg, Limyra Heroon Pericles in Antalya Museum File:Limyra 5220.jpg, Limyra Roman Bridge

References

{{coord, 36, 20, 34.19, N, 30, 10, 13.87, E, type:landmark_region:TR_source:dewiki, display=title Catholic titular sees in Asia Ancient Greek archaeological sites in Turkey Populated places in ancient Lycia Roman towns and cities in Turkey Former populated places in Turkey Finike District