Interesting Inscriptions on a Tomb

The following inscriptions (translated by H. Engelmann) were found on the Marcia temple-tomb at Patara (I will soon be including information on this page about monumental temple-tombs). They are interesting as they tell us something about the Lycians and their tombs in the Roman period and the possible strong position of women in Lycian society.

"I, the third daughter of Alchimos III, a Lyciarch, the citizen of Patara and Sydyma, mother and woman, Marcia Aurelia Chryion, Iasonis, which is my second name, who lived only with her husband, had this entire heroon and the entire temenos built completely and with my own money for myself and for the sake of all the people that I loved: for Alchimos III, who was in the past my father and Lychiarch, and Dionysios, his son, the Archiphlax of the Lycians and for my husband Alchimos who was the grandchild of Alchimos II and for the god Apollo. No one is allowed to place their dead ones in my two sarcphagi that I had the workers build under any circumstance. The sarcophagus across the one holding my husband Alchimos is reserved for me alone, in the second are the bodies of Alchimos, my father, and Alchimos his son, and my brother Iason whose nickname is Dionysios. May those who wish to place another sarcophagus in the naos, those who will be tempted to pillage my sarcophagus and those who attempt to do so be subject to the anger and the wrath of of the powers of the gods under the ground and above, may they be given as sacrifice to the birds and the fish in the sea and may this be true for every single person in their generation for all times. They shall also pay five thousand denariis to the treasury of the empire; one third shall be for the informer. If my dear daughters, daughters of Alchimos son of Dionysios, Malate (?) and Nemeso and Alchimias whose second name is Asonis wish to put a sarcophagus in the pronaos in front of the naos or in the woods, they may only do so after the construction of the temenos. However, there can not be more than one for each person and the sarcophagi cannot be any different and they should be done under the same conditions. If these rules are not obeyed, let them pay five thousand denariis to the treasury of the empire and let one third be paid to the informer."

The second inscription reads:

"The people, men and women, who have been freed and their children and my male and female tomb slaves and their children shall be buried inside the temenos. I left five hundred denariis per year for the well-being of the tomb slaves and their children. Let those people whom I have favored in particular be buried here."

Detail of a bull's horns on a tomb with an arched facade at Pinara (see above photo), an example of the continued influence of the Lycians' Anatolian heritage - an ancient symbol of courage and power

"Pigeon-hole" rock-cut tombs at Pinara

MILETUS

Miletus, the queens of the Ionian cities, was first founded 3000 years BC. It was first inhabited by the Minoens and the by the Mycenaeans. Ionians came to Miletos 1000 BC. according to the a legend, sacred fish of Apollo dolphin guided Ionians towards present day Miletos. On arriving to Miletos, Ionians built a shrine to Apollo and called it Dephiniaon. Because of its location and its sea faring people Miletians established 90 colonies all over the Mediterranean Basin including Sinop on the Black Sea Coast, Cyscos in southern Marmara and Naucratis on the Egyptian Delta.

Miletus, modern Balat, is fifteen kilometers away from Priene. It is on a hillside surrounded by large ports at the mouth of the river Maeander at the head of the gulf of Latmus. Now the sea is far off, silted up by the river. It had trade links with countries on the Mediterranean, the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara.

In modern terms, Miletus lies within the Province of Aydin, 93 kilometres (150 miles) from Aydin itself, 38 kilometres (61 miles) from the town of Sцke.
The exact origin of the name "Iona " is uncertain. The Old Testament of the Bible refers to "Yavan", ancient Persian writings have "Yauna", and the Assyrians speak of "Yavani" All are possibilities. As to the etymological originof the name "Miletos", in the Hittite texts the names "Milawanda", "Milawanda" and "Milada" are accepted as being connected. But the Island of Crete has a town called "Miletus" which could lead to another train of thought.

Miletus was one of the most powerful and important Greek metropolises in Asia Minor and was part of the influential Ionian Confederation. The city encouraged erudition and founded several schools attracting scientists, architects, philosophers and geographers. Western philosophy originated in Miletus and it is the native city of famous men such as Anaximenes, Hippodamus, Cadmus and Isidorus. The first coins were minted in this city.

At the end of the 5th century BC Athens adopted the Milesian alphabet as the standard writing system. Milesian trade prospered accordingly. During the 6th century, the city's woollen goods in particular were in great demand because of their high quality. It is recorded that one Polycrates, an enterprising official from Samos, bought some of the famous Milesian sheep from the city to rear a pure strain of the breed and thus ensure the quality of the wool was maintained. Milesian woven goods and kilims acquired the status of luxury items and throughout the 4th and 3rd centuries BC were greatly sought after. The ceramic ware produced in Miletos was not only found along coast of Ionia but was also used in the colonies of the Black Sea and Egypt. Dyes, metal and wheat were exported in addition to the wool and ceramics. As explained in the Antique Period, Miletus was on the coast, and was a port. It had four different inlets that formed natural harbours. Three of these inlets were to the south of the Theatre, one of them being the Athena Harbour. On the other side of the Theatre lay the celebrated Bay of Lions, Miletus' fourth harbour. It was from these harbours that the export trade was conducted. In 546 BC Miletus and Sardis both fell under the Persian hand. In 500 BC Aristogoras, the Tyrant of Miletus, urged his people to rebel against Persian rule. The desire for rebellion spread to neighbouring areas. However, not all the Ionian cities were in favour of the cause, with the result that there was neither consensus nor organization. But the movement continued. Defiantly, the rebels marched to Sardis and set fire to an area of the city behind the Acropolis. The Persians reacted strongly. The result was the Battle of Lade. This took place in 494 BC. The Ionian fleet lined up against the Persian fleet near the Island of Lade. The Ionians had eighty warships from Miletus. 12 from Priene, e from Myus, 17 from Teos, 100 from Chios, 8 from Erythrai, 70 from Lesbos, 3 from Phokaia, and 60 from Samos. The Persian fleet numbered 600 and all the ships were their own. A great deal of scheming and intrigue took place but the final outcome of the ensuing battle was the burning of the entire Ionian fleet by the Persians. And after that, Miletos and Didyma were raised to the ground. The people of Miletus fled to the shores of Dicle where many Milesians were captured and taken in exile to Ampe on the Tigris estuary. When the liberating army of Alexander the Great finally reached Miletus in 334 BC, it was immediately obvious to the King that no rebuilding had taken place in the city. Fortunately, the friendly relationship that the people of Miletus always enjoyed with Alexander was easily resumed. Help was at hand. The Hellenistic period continued with the reign of Kings Ptolemais, Seleukos, and Bergama until 133 BC when Miletus came under the governorship of Rome. During the Byzantine Period which followed, Miletus lost its position of importance. The Malazgirit War of 1071 opened the way to marauding Turks and within ten years the Turks had reached the shore of the Aegean and Caria fell under their hand. From 1261 it was the turn of the Menteþ Lords. Little, in fact, is known of this period in the history of Miletos though the city was held the Mentes Dynasty for a long time. However, Orhan, one of the ruling members of the family franked his name on metal coins together with the name "Palatia" by which Miletus was then known.
During this period the harbour again bustled and became of importance in Anatolia as the center of export trade with the Venetians and the Genovese.

When you arrive at the zone of the ruins, the magnificent theater of the city appears in sight at first. The theater had been constructed during the Hellenistic period and, it acquired its present characteristics by means of the annexes made during the Roman period. The walls of the front facade of the theater, are 140 m long and 30 m high, and are an interesting example of stone workmanship. This theater was large enough to hold 24.000 people, and a fortress was built upon it during the Byzantine period seizing its capacity to 15.000 people.

On the opposite side of the theater there is a SelcukCaravanserai and the baths built for Faustina the II., wife of Marcus Aurelius (161-180 A.D.), are situated adjacent to the theater. The Temple of Serapis, belonging to the 3rd century A.D., is behind the baths. The rectangular buildings seen on one side, are warehouse buildings. The adjacent Southern Agora building which has dimensions of 164 x 196 m and is surrounded by stoas, belongs to the 2nd century A.D. and its southern gate is at the museum of Berlin today.

When you go out through the northern gate of the Agora, you see the Bishop's Church, Martyrion belonging to the 5th century A.D. beside it, and the ceremonial road which is 100 m long and 28 m wide, extending in front of the Agora. On the east side of it, there is a fountain in the Public Square (Nymphaion) belonging to the 2nd century A.D., and Bouleuterion (the Senate Building) is situated opposite to it. It is known that this building had been constructed during the years 175-164 B.C., and the Temple of Asklepios and the Sacred Place are situated at its side. At the side of these, the Northern Agora extends along the sacred road and at the right hand side of the sacred road, there is the Gymnasium belonging to the 2nd century B.C. the entrance of which has been brought to an erect position at present.

The baths that Vergilius Capito had ordered to be constructed during the time of Claudius, are situated north of the Gymnasium; and some of these baths were used during the Selcuk Period. at the northern end of the Ceremonial Road, the Harbor Gate which was a passage with 16 columns is situated; and on the east of this road there is Delphinion which is a work of the Archaic period.

When you go towards the north from here, the port stoa, the Harbor Monument built in the year 31 B.C., the Small Harbor Monument and the Synagogue are located at the left hand side. The statues of the lions on both sides of the port were used to block the entrance to the Military Harbor by a chain. On the opposite side, the Roman Baths are seen.

The remains of the Stadium, Western Agora and the Temple of Athena belonging to the 5th c. B.C., are located south of Miletus. The only ancient Turkish work in Miletus is the Mosque of Ilyas Bey, ruler of the area at that time. The mosque was built in the year 1404 A.D. and it can be visited today.

"Miletus" appears as a character in mythology, a son of the god Apollo himself. The story goes as follows. Apollo fell in love with Akakallis, the daughter of King Minos of Crete. Their union resukted in the birth of three children, Miletos, Garamos, and Amphimenis. Akakallis feared that her father, the King, might harm her first born, Miletus and so, for safety, took him up a mountain and left him there. Wolves tended the baby, and later he grew up among the shepherds. In manhood Miletus came to Anatolia and married Kyane, the daughter of Maiandros, the river-god. He founded the city that bears his name. Miletus and Kyane had two sons, Kaunos and Byblis, both of whom also went on to found cities. But as mentioned, according to tradition, Neleus leader of the Ionians and the son of King Kodros of Athens, is the person who is credited with the founding of the city of Miletus. It is quite possible that the Greeks indeed did settle in the area as far back as 11th or 10th centuries BC, but we also know that there were already native people living there who probably came from Caria. These people are said to have come to the aid of the Trojans and their sense of territory and belonging is made plain in the quotation from the Iliad. "Nastes, leading the Carian assault and speaking harshly, stated that they, the Carians lived in Miletus, on the banks of the Maiandros, at the foot of the high peak of Mykale". According to Herodotus, the invading Ionians slew all the male inhabitants of Mi;etus and then married the widows. These women, (not surprisingly!), it was said, did not talk to their husbands, would not eat at the same table and did not want to stay with them. Apparently this state of affairs continued for a long time. From finds of stone hand axes and other artefacts on nearby Killik Tepe we understand that there were settlements in Miletus in the Neolithic Age. An important Mycenaean colony existed in Miletus from the middle of the second millennium BC, as confirmed by excavation which has brought to light ceramic and architectural material. The earliest construction of a settlement took place on Kalabak Tepe and today evidence f this can be seen on the south-west side of the hill.

Ancient Greek Coins of Miletus

The early electrum lion coins of Miletus — The first series of coins that is attributable to Miletus with certainty is a well-known group of sixth-century electrum issues that include full staters as well as thirds, sixths, twelfths, and twenty-fourths. The larger denominations feature a regardant lion, a device that will appear on almost all Milesian coinage for the next five centuries. (2 examples.)

The electrum and silver lion/scorpion issues — A series of early electrum forty-eighth stater fractions that feature a lion’s face or paw on the obverse along with a scorpion on the reverse may have been minted at Miletus or at nearby Mylasa in Caria. A similar series is also known in silver; it may be contemporary with the electrum lion/scorpion issues or may be a later design. (3 examples.)

The eye-swirl/quincunx fractions — One of the first silver coin types ever minted, these tiny silver fractions weigh just over a tenth of a gram and feature a swirl or eye-like pattern on the obverse. Although their exact place of origin is uncertain, their quincuncial reverse design is nearly identical to one of the reverse punches that regularly appears on the largest early electrum coins from Miletus

PERGE

Perge, one of Pamphylia's foremost cities, was founded on a wide plain between two hills 4 km. west of the Kestros (Aksu) river.

Skylax, who lived in the fourth century B.C. and was the earliest of the ancient writers to mention Perge, states that the city was in Pamphylia. In the New Testament book, Acts of the Apostles, the sentence "...when Paul and his company loosed from Paphos, they came to Perge in Pamphylia" suggests that Perge could be reached from the sea in ancient times. Just as the Kestros provides convenient communication today, the diver also played an important role in antiquity, making the land productive, and securing for Perge the possibility of sea trade. Despite its being some 12 km. inland from the sea, Perge by means of the Kestros, was able to benefit from the advantages of the sea as if it were a coastal city. Moreover, it was removed from the attacks of pirates invading by sea.

In later copies of a third or fourth century map of the world, Perge is shown beside the principal road starting at Pergamum and ending at Side.

According to Strabo, the city was founded after the Trojan War by colonists from Argos under the leadership of heroes named Mopsos and Calchas. Linguistic research confirms that Achaeans entered Pamphylia toward the end of the second millennium B.C. эn addition to these studies, inscriptions dating to 120-121 A.D., discovered in the 1953 excavations in the courtyard of Perge's Hellenistic city gate, provide further testimony to this colonization; inscriptions on statue bases mention the names of seven heroes-Mopsos, Calchas, Riksos, Labos, Machaon, Leonteus, and Minyasas, the legendary founders of the city.

There is no further record of Perge in written sources until the middle of the fourth century. There can be no doubt, however, that Perge was also under Persian rule until the arrival of Alexander the Great.

In 333 B.C. Perge surrendered to Alexander without resistance. Its submissive behaviour can be explained by, besides its favourable policy, the fact that at this period the city was not yet surrounded by protective walls.

With the death of Alexander, Perge remained for a short time within the boundaries of Antigonos domain and later fell under Seleucid sovereignty. When the border dispute between the Seleucids and the king of Pergamum continued after the treaty of Apamea, the Roman consul Manlius Vulso was sent from Rome in 188 A.D. in the capacity of mediator. Learning that Antiochos III had a garrison in Perge, he surrounded the city at the urging of Pergamum's

king. At this point the garrison commander informed the consul that he could not surrender the city before obtaining permission from Antiochos; for this, he said he would need thirty days, at the end of which, Perge passed to Pergamum.

Perge became totally independent when the kingdom of Pergamum was turned over to Rome in about 133 B.C.

In 79 B.C. the Roman statesman Cicero described to the senate, Cilician questor Gaius Verres' unlawful conduct in Perge, saying, "As you know, there is a very old and sacred temple to Diana in Perge. I assert that this was also robbed and looted by Verres and that the gold was stripped from the statue of Diana and stolen".

Artemis occupied an important position among the gods and gooddesses held sacred in Perge. This ancient Anatolian goddess appears on Hellenistic coins under the name Vanassa Preiia, as she was called in the Pamphylian dialect; after Greek colonization she became known as Artemis Pergaia. Besides being rendered on coinage as a cult statue or as a huntress, the Artemis of Perge is the subject of a variety of statues and reliefs found in excavations of the city. A relief in the from of a cult statue on a square stone block is particularly interesting. The cult of Artemis Pergaia also appears in many other cities, even in countries around the Mediterranean.

As famous as Artemis Pergaia was in the ancient world, no trace of the temple has yet been found. For the present we must content ourselves with what knowledge we can get from schematic representations of the temple on coins; of this renowned monument that safeguarded the gold-adorned statue of Artemis, and whose scale, beauty, and construction was marvelled at by ancient writers.

In 46 A.D., Perge became the setting of an event important to the Christian world. The New Testament book, the Acts of the Apostles, writes that St. Paul journeyed from Cyprus to Perge, from there continued on to Antiocheia in Pisidia, then returned to Perge where he delivered a ser mon. Then he left the city and went to Attaleia.

From the beginning of the Imperial era, work projects were carried out in Perge, and in the second and third centuries A.D., the city grew into one of the most beautiful, not just in Pamphylia, but in all of Anatolia.

In the first half of the fourth century, during the reign of Constantine the Great (324-337), Perge became an important centre of Christianity once this faith had became of official religion of the Roman Empire. The city retained its status as a Christian centre in the fifth and sixth centuries. Due to frequent rebellions and raids, the citizens retreated inside the city walls, able to defend themselves only from within the acropolis. Perge lost its remaining power in the wake of the mid-seventh century Arab raids. At this time some residents of the city migrated to Antalya.

The first building one encounters on entering the city is a theatre of Greco-Roman type constructed on the southern slopes of the Kocabelen hill. The cavea, slightly more than a

semicircle, is divided in two by a wide diazoma passing through it. It contains 19 seating levels below and 23 above, which translate into a total seating capacity of about 13,000. In conformance to the canons of Roman theatre galleries serving as the entrance and exit ways, spectators reached the diazoma from the parados on either side via vaulted passages and stairs; from there they were dispersed to their seats.

The orchestra, situated between the cavea and the stage building, is wider than a semicircle. Because of the gladiatorial and will animal combats popular in the mid-third century, the orchestra was used as an arena. To keep the animals from escaping, it was surrounded by carved balustrade panels that passed between marble knobs made in the form of Herme.

The partially standing two-storey stage building can be dated to the middle of the second century A.D. by its columned architecture and sculptural ornamentation. On the facade, columns between the five doors by which the actors entered and exited support a narrow podium above. The theatre's most striking feature is a series of marble reliefs of mythological subject decorating the face of this podium. The first relief on the right portrays the local god personifying the Kestros (Aksu) river, Perge's lifeblood, along with one of the mythological females called nymphs. From here on, the reliefs depict, in serial form, the entire life story of Dionysos, the god of wine and the founder and protector of theatres. Dionysos was the son of Zeus and Semele, the daughter of a king and reputed to be as beautiful as spring. Hera, ever jealous of her husband, wanted to get rid of Semele along with her son. To trick her, the goddess assumed the form of the girl's mother and begged Semele to persuade Zeus to let her see him in all his might and glory. The credulous Semele was taken in by the ruse and implored Zeus to acquiesce. Zeus, unable to resist the pleas of his beloved, came down from Olympos on his golden chariot and appeared before her, but the mortal Semele could not withstand his radiance and was consumed by fire. Dying, she gave birth to the fruit of her love, who had not yet come to full term, and threw him from the flames. Zeus took this little boy, sewed him into his hip and kept him there until his term was completed. It is in this way that the boy was given the name Dionysos-born once from his mother's womb and coming into the world a second time from his father's hip. So that the infant could be protected from Hera's malevolence, fed and brought to manhood, he was taken by Hermes to the nymphs of Mount Nysa, who raised the boy in a cave, giving him love and careful attention. Finally, as a young man, Dionysos one day drank the juice of all the grapes on the vine growing along the cave's walls. This is how wine was discovered. With the aim of introducing his new drink into every corner of the globe and spreading the knowledge of viniculture, the god of wine went on a journey around the world in a chariot drawn by two panthers.

It is unfortunate that an important section of these beautiful reliefs was damaged as a result of the subsidence of the stage building. From pieces recovered during excavations begun in 1985, it is evident that the building was originally decorated with several more friezes on different themes. The subject of a 5 metre-long frieze from an as yet undetermined part of the building is especially interesting. Here, Tyche holds a cornucopia in her left hand, and in her right a cult statue. On either side are the figures of an old man and two youths bringing bulls for sacrifice to the goddess.

On the right of the asphalt road running from the theatre to the city is one of the best preserved stadiums to have survived from ancient times to our own. This huge rectangular building measuring 34x 334 metres, is shaped like a horseshoe on its north end and open on its south. It is wery likely that the building was entered at this point via a monumental wooden door. The stadium was built on a substructure of 70 vaulted chambers, 30 along each long side and 10 on its narrow northern end. These chambers are interconnected, with every third compartment providing entrance to the theatre. From inscriptions over the remaining compartments giving the names of their owners and listing various types of goods,it is clear that these spaces were used as shops. The tiers of seats which lie on top of these vaulted rooms, provided a seating capacity of 12,000. When gladiatorial and wild animal combat became popular in the mid-third century, the north end of the stadium was surrounded with a protective balustrade and turned into an arena. Its architectural style and stone work date this edifice to the second century A.D.

Another noteworthy ruin outside the city walls is the tomb of Plancia Magna, who was the daughter of Plancius Verus, the Governor of Bithynia. She was a wealthy and civic minded woman who, around the beginning of works in Perge, and who had a number of spots in the city adorned with monuments and sculpture. Because of her community service, the people, assembly, and senate erected statues of her. In various inscriptions Plancia's name appears with the title "demiurgos", which was the highest civil servant in the city's government. In addition, she was a priestess of Artemis Pergaia, a priestess-for-life of the mother of the gods, and the head priestess of the cult of the emperor.

A large part of Perge is encircled by walls that in some places go back to the Hellenistic period. Towers 12-13 metres high were built on top of the fortifications. However, during the time of the Pax Romana, which provided a period of continuous peace and tranquility, the walls lost their importance, and buildings such as the theatre and stadium could be built beyond the walls without fear. On entering the city through a late period gate in the fourth century walls, one comes to a small rectangular court 40 metres long bounded by walls of later date. From this courtyard one continues through a second, southern gate built in the form of a triumphal arch and highly decorated, particularly on the back. This gate leads into a trapezoidal courtyard 92 metres long and 46 metres wide. On the west wall of this court, which was used as a ceremonial site during the reign of Emperor Septimius Severus (193-211 A.D.) is a monumental fountain or nymphaeum. The building consists of a wide pool, and behind it a two-storeyed richly worked facade. From its inscription, it is apparent that the structure was dedicated to Artemis Pergaia, Septimius Severus and his wife Julia Domna, and their sons. An inscription belonging to the facade, various facade fragments, and marble statues of Septimius Severus and his wife, all found in excavations of the nymphaeum, are now in the Antalya Museum.

A monumental propylon directly north of the nymhaeum opens onto the largest and most magnificent bath in Pamphylia. A large pool (natacia) measuring 13x20 m. covers the inside of an apsed chamber on the south portico of a broad palaestra; the palaestra is bounded in front by a portico. Pergaians cleansed themselves in this pool after exercising in the palaestra. It is clear from the dynamic architecture of the facade, the coloured marble facing, and the statues of Genius, Heracles, Hygiea, Asklepios and Nemesis, that decorated, this space must have been dazzlingly beautiful. From here another door leads to the frigidarium, a space that also contained a pool. Before entering, bathers washed their feet in water flowing along a shallow channel running the full length of the pool's north side. Existing evidence suggests that the frigidarium was adorned with statues of the Muses. Next are the tepidarium and the

caldarium, which connect with each other. Beneath these rooms one can see courses of bricks belonging tothe hypocaust system that circulated the hot air coming from the boiler room. Washing in a Roman bath was a proces that took place in several stages. First the bather removed his clothign in a room called the apodyterium and from there entered the palaestra where he took his exercise. Then he either went into the pool to get rid of the dirt and perspiration from this physical exertion, or washed himself in hot water in the caldarium. From there he went to the tepidarium or to the frigidarium for a cold water bath. In the Roman era the bath was not just a place for washing, but was also a place where men met to pass the time of day or to discuss a variety of important topics. The long rectangular compartment at the north of the frigidarium was probably a place where bathers strolled and chatted. A long marble bench extends along this room's west wall. Inscriptions on a large number of plinths found during excavations, indicate the statues that once stood on them were donated by a man named Claudius Peison.

At the northern end of the inner court is a Hellenistic gate that is Perge's most magnificent structure. Dating to the third century B.C., this gate, consisting of two towers with a horseshoe-shaped court behind them, was clevery designed according to the defensive strategy of the day. The towers had three storeys and were covered with a conical roof. With the aid of Plancia Magna, several alterations in the decoration of the court were made between 120 and 122 A.D., changing it from a defensive structure to a court of honour. To create a facade, the Hellenistic walls were covered with slabs of coloured marble, several new niches were opened, and Corinthian columns were added. Figures of gods and goddesses like Aphrodite, Hermes, Pan and the Dioskouroi occupied the niches on the lower level. In excavations in the court, the inscribed bases of nine statues were found, but the statues themselves have not been recovered. According to their inscriptions, these statues which must have been placed in the niches on the upper level, represent the legendary heroes who founded Perge after the Trojan War, as described in historical notes. In inscriptions on two pedestals, the names M. Plancius Varus and C. Plancius Varus, his son, appear with the adjective meaning "founder", essentially, because of their goodness and generosity toward Perge, they were acepted as second founders for whom this honour seemed appropriate.

The horseshoe-shaped court is bounded on the north by a three-arched monumental gate built by Plancia Magna. Inscriptions on pedestals unearthed in excavations indicate that statues of the emperors and their wives from the reign of Nerva to Hadrian, stood in the gate's niches.

An agora 65 metres square is located to the east of the Hellenistic gate. On all four sides a wide stoa surrounds a central lined with shops. The floor of these shops is paved with coloured mosaics. An interesting stone used in an ancient game can be seen in front of one store in the north portico. The game, which was played with six stones per person and thrown like dice, must have been very popular throughout the region, as similar stones were also found in other neighbouring cities. At the centre of the court is a round building, just as there is in Side's agora; the precise nature of this structure is not yet known.

A colonnaded street runs north-south through the city centre going under the triumphal arch of Demetrios-Apollonios, currently under restoration, at a point near the acropolis. This thoroughfare is intersected by another running east-west. On both sides of this 250 metre-long street are broad porticoes behind which are rows of shops. In this way the columned architecture on both sides offers various examples of the Roman understanding of perspective. The porticoes also provided a place where people could both take shelter from the violent rains in winter, and protect themselves from Perge's extremely hot summer sun. Because of their suitability for the climate, avenues of this type are frequently found in the cities of southern and western Anatolia. Certainly the most interesting aspect of Perge's colonnaded street is the pool-like water channel that divides the road down tha middle. Made to flow by the rived god Kestros, these clear, clean waters ran out of a monumental fountain (nymphaeum) at the north end of the street and flowed placidly along the channels, cooling the Pergeians just a little in the cruel Pamphylian heat. At approximately the middle of the street, four relief-carved columns belonging to the portico immediately catch the eye. On the first column, Apollo is depicted riding a chariot drawn by four horses; on the second is Artemis the huntress; the third shows Calchas, one of the city's mythical founders; and the last, Tyche (Fortune).

The main road comes to an end at another nymphaeum built at the foot of the acropolis in the second century A.D. The rich architecture of its two-tiered facade and its numerous statues make it one of Perge's most striking monuments. The water brought from the spring empties into a pool beneath the statue of the river god Kestros standing precisely in the centre of the fountain, and from there flows to the streets via channels.

Turning left from the triumphal arch of Apollonios that intersects the streets, and passing the Hellenistic gate, one comes to the palaestra, known to be Perge's oldest building. Here, under the supervision of their teachers, the youth of the city practised wrestling and underwent physical education. According to an inscription this square edifice, consisting of an open area surrounded by rooms, was dedicated to the Emperor Claudius (reigned 41-54 A.D.) by a certain C. Julius Cornutus.

Perge, transformed by artisans into a city of marble, was truly magnificent, with a faultless layout that would have been the envy of modern city planners. In order to fully appreciate its grandeur today, one must visit the Antalya Museum to see the hundreds of sculptures from Perge now housed there.

Among the famous men raised in this city can be cited the physician Asklepiades, the sophist Varus, and the mathematician Apollonios.

Perge has been under excavation by Turkish archaeologists since 1946.

Also I want to say about Perge;

An important city of ancient Pamphylian, Perge (18 km from Antalya) was originally settled by the Hittites around 1500 BC St. Paul preached some of his first sermons here. The theater's stage has finely carved marble relieves; other carvings from around the city are displayed in the stadium. Amateur towers, a long colonnaded road once paved with mosaics and lined with shops, a large agora, the public baths and a gymnasium. The name Perge comes from Anatolian dialect; nonetheless, in ancient times the townsmen believed that it had been founded by Greek heroes after the siege of Troy. Perge is also know because it is the birth-place of the mathematician Apollonius, author of a famous treatise on geometry. To understand the importance of the city it is necessary to visit its remains.

You can see the ruins of the antique theatre (capacity 12,000 people), its stage has marble reliefs about life of Dionysos a stadium, which is in a shape of "U" for 12,000 people; remains of the first church built in Perge, an agora, which has dimensions of 76x76 m. and it's surrounded by Corinthian colums, in the middle of it there is a round temple of Tyche (2nd century A.D.); a basilica - another structure from Christian Era with three entrances, a good example of a Roman Bath in the southern part of the city, and Hellenistic gates which later were converted into a court of honor by Plancia Magna. This city produced many famous personalities; among them we can mention Varus, the philosopher, the physcician Asklepiades, the famous mathematician Apollonius and female roman ruler of the city Plancia Magna.

The ancient city of Perge, east of Antalya, was first founded by the Hittites. The ruins of the city gates were once two grand round towers, the remnants of which can be seen in the in the background of this image. They were constructed during the 3rd century BCE, the Hellenistic Period. As you walk through the gates, you enter an oval courtyard that was built during the Roman period in 120 CE. Perge has religious significance. It was here that St. Paul delivered his first sermon to curious pagans who later may have converted to Christianity. Beyond the city gates, this spectacular column-lined “main street” ran through the city of Perge. A “mini” aqueduct carried water down the middle of the street: a method of air conditioning during the hot, ancient summers!

As you continue to wind your way down the main colonnaded thoroughfare of Perge, past the great market area known as the agora, the street eventually terminates at a great fountain or nymphaeum, to the north (above). This name--though originally denoting a natural grotto with springs and streams, traditionally considered the habitat of nymphs--later referred to an artificial grotto or a building filled with plants and flowers, sculpture, fountains, and paintings. This is the source of the aqueduct that channeled water through the street. The cool, clean water once cascaded down and around the monumental reclining figure below the arch, before falling in a pool at the base of the fountain.

When you first arrive, you pass through this, the Roman Gate. There isn't much left standing. The underside of the partially reassembled archway has retained some detail. This view looks out, south, from inside the town. 4th century, B.C

The Helenistic gate was built much earlier, when the town was a bit smaller. 3rd century.

A remarkably well preserved wall along the interior of the Helenistic gate. The fallen decorative columns on the ground have long since succumbed to nature and men.

Apollonius of Perge hung out in Perge. Funny thing, that.

Ellipse, Hyperpola and Parapola. All coined right around here.

Ruins of the baths near the Roman gate.Baths including the basement heating chambers

The remains of a shop facade along the colonnade. Some objects clearly have been re-assembled and re-arranged. These columns, for example, appear to have been righted in the modern era. Nice cement job there, buddy.The weeds from the surrounding fields encroach upon the ruins.

At the northern end of the town a water fountain (nymphaeum) and aqueduct are still visible. Just outside the Roman gate is the hippodrome (stadium).

Large sections of the stands still grace the area near the parking lot. Looking to the south at the eastern side of the 'drome. 2nd century B.C

And Perge;

Now commonly spelled "Perge" and pronounced "per-geh", Perga was the capital of the then Pamphylia region, which is in modern day Antalya province on the southwestern Mediterrenean coast of Turkey.

In the twelfth century BC, there was a large wave of Greek migration from northern Anatolia (in modern day Turkey) to the Mediterranean coast. Many settled in the area immediately east of the area of modern-day Antalya, which came to be known as Pamphylia, meaning "land of the tribes". Four great cities eventually developed in Pamphylia: Perga, Sillyon, Aspendos and Side.

Perga itself was founded in around 1000 BC and is nearly 20km inland. It was sited inland as a defensive measure in order to avoid the pirate bands that terrorized this stretch of the Mediterranean.

In 546 BC, the Persians defeated the local powers and gained control of the region. Two hundered years later, in 333 BC, the armies of Alexander the Great arrived in Perga during his war of conquest against the Persians. The citizens of Perga sent out guides to lead his army into the city.

Later, Alexander was followd by the Seleucids, under whom Perga's most celebrated ancient inhabitant, the mathematician Apollonius (c.262 BC – c.190 BC), lived and worked. Apollonius was a pupil of Archimedes and wrote a series of eight books describing a family of curves known as conic sections, comprising the circle, ellipse, parabola and hyperbola.

Roman rule began in 188 BC, and most of the surviving ruins today date from this period. After the collapse of the Roman Empire, Perga remained inhabited until Selcuk times, before being gradually abandoned.

Perga is today an archaeological site and a major tourist attraction.

PERGE THEATRE "SKENE"

Perge Theatre excavations were carried out by a Turkish team between 1985 and 1993. During excavations, besides the Dionysos frieze existing in its original location now, Kentauromakhia and Gigantomakhia friezes were found and also numerous architectural structures were discovered.

There are two main building stages at Perge Theatre. It was discovered that the stage building was designed as a two storey building in the beginning, then the third storey was added; and during that period "proskenion" were reexamined, when architectural construction and decorations were reconsidered. It is understood that decorations were completed within certain times and re-decorated during other periods.

Due to characteristics of architectural composition and superiority, the gods were located on the third floor of the Gigantomakhia frieze, and on the second floor of the Kentauromakhia frieze. The sacrifice scene is on the "Porta Regina".

Construction and repair stages of Perge Theatre have not been dated other than according to style characteristics of the structures in Anatolia through comparison, as no record about the building has been discovered. According to this comparison the first stage building's construction was started about A.D. 170's, and completed during the reign of Emperor Septimius Severus in A.D. 193-211. Then one more floor was added to this building. As almost all decorations of the third floor have characteristics of the Severus period, the second building stage is believed to have been conducted during the reigns of Emperor Severus Alexander (A.D. 222-235) or Maximinus Thrax (A.D. 235-238).

It is seen that detailed work continued between A.D. 235-240 and 260-265 during reign of Emperor Gallienus. Due to war state treasures were brought to Perge by Emperor Tacitus during A.D. 275-276, the economical condition improved and the theatre was reexamined and stage building details and "changes made for water sports" were designed during that period.

"Proskenion" and collected material on the first floor indicate that the stage building was repaired during Late Roman period. The collected materials are of the latest A.D. 450-475 period, which causes archaeologits to think that the building was repaired later. In addition, architectural similarity of the location wholly renewed during Emperor Iustinianus' reign but not having too high embossing leads scientists to date it to earlier periods, and therefore last building activities must have been conducted during the periods of Emperor Marcianus (A.D. 450-457) and Iustinianus (A.D. 527-565).

The sculptures discovered during excavations were located in niches in the stage building according to their specific location and are indicated in the board.

HISTORY OF PERGE THEATRE:

I. Building Stage: A.D. 170-211
II. Building Stage: A.D. 222-238

PERGE

Perge is the best example of a complete Roman city in the Pamphylian plain. It developed from a Hellenistic hilltop settlement to a proper Roman city.

Apollonius of Perge (3C-2C BC)

Anatolian mathematician of the 3C and 2C BC, was known as the Great Geometer. In his Conics, an investigation of the mathematical properties of Conic Sections, Apollonius introduced the terms Ellipse, Hyperbola and Parabola. He was also an important founder of ancient mathematical astronomy, which applied geometric models to planetary theory.

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