![]() |
Heraclea ad Latmum (Heracleia by Latmus) | |||
|
|
||
On the Agora | |||
Today Herakleia lies in a former bay of the Mediterranean Sea, called Latmikos kolpos (Latmic Gulf) in ancient times, separated by sedimentation processes and transformed into fresh water. The village is situated at the foot of the Latmos Mountains, which are difficult to access. Among the remains of the ancient city stands the village Kapıkırı. According to legend, the burial cave of Endymion was near Heraklia. In ancient Heracleia the moon goddess Selene was particularly venerated. |
|||
Heraclia's predecessor settlement Latmos was built around 1000 B.C. by Greeks expelled from the inhospitable but safe rocky landscape of the Latmos Mountains.
|
|||
|
|||
The Temple of Athena | |||
Around 300 BC the Hellenistic new foundation Herakleia replaced the old (10 minutes walk away) Latmos. The exact date and the authorship of this foundation are disputed. The Duodez-Diadoche Pleistarchos, in any case, apparently made Heracleia the capital of his empire, which included parts of Caria, and renamed the city Pleistarcheia. However, after the end of his reign, which did not last for too long, they returned to the original name of Heracleia.
|
|||
|
|||
Remains of the city fortifications | |||
Just as controversial as the question of foundation is the question of who was responsible for the development of the massive fortifications, which were at the cutting edge of military technology, and the extensive road network (but only accessible to pack animals and pedestrians), which both opened up the city's territory and secured the connection to the regional traffic routes. |
|||
|
|||
One of the city gates | |||
Rome gave freedom to Heracleia, who had wisely changed sides before the defeat of the Seleucid Antiochos III against Rome, in the early 2nd century BC. The golden century of the city began. In 133 BC Heracleia and Caria became part of the Roman province of Asia. |
|||
|
|||
The substructure of the Agora | |||
|
|||
However, Herakleia, which was situated away from the city, did not win the favour of imperial or senatorial sponsors. Only a Roman miniature spa changed the old Hellenistic townscape. In the 6th century, Herakleia was still the second largest city in the province of Caria. |
|||
|
|||
|
|||
Building remains below the Agora | |||
|
|||
In the 7th century, the Latmos Mountains were inhabited by monks from Sinai and became a holy mountain comparable to Athos. At the end of the 14th century, the Ottomans defeated the competing Turkish regional dynasts in southwestern Asia Minor.
|
|||
|
|||
|
|||
Remains of the port facility |
|||
|
|||
The 6.5 km long, 2-3 m wide walls, some 6 m high and reinforced with 65 towers, are an excellent example of Hellenistic fortifications. Also known are the Agora (forecourt of today's village school) and an Athena temple west of it.
|
|||
Photos: @chim, Monika P. | |||
Translation aid: www.DeepL.com/Translator | |||
Source: Wikipedia and others | |||
|