Cilicia The Persian Royal Road Early History And Roman Cilicia

Cilicia Trachea (rugged Cilicia), the Assyrian Khilakku from which we get "Cilicia," is a rugged mountain district formed by the spurs of Taurus, which often terminate in rocky headlands with small sheltered harbours, a feature which, in classical times, made the coast a string of havens for pirates, but which in the Middle Ages, led to its occupation by Genoese and Venetian traders. The district is watered by the Calycadnus and was covered in ancient times by forests that supplied timber to Phoenicia and Egypt. Cilicia lacked large cities.

Cilicia Pedias, (flat Cilicia; Assyrian Kue) to the east, included the rugged spurs of Taurus and a large coastal plain, with rich loamy soil, now filled with cotton, grain, olives and oranges. Many of its high places were fortified. The plain is watered by the Cydnus (Tarsus Chai), the Sarus (Sihun) and the Pyramus (Jihun) rivers, each of which brings down much silt. The Sarus now enters the sea almost due south of Tarsus, but there are clear indications that at one period it joined the Pyramus, and that the united rivers ran to the sea west of Kara-tash. Through the rich plain of Issus ran the great highway that linked east and west on which stood the cities of Tarsus (Tarsa) on the Cydnus, AdanaAdana is the fourth largest city in Turkey and the capital of the Adana Province. It has a population of 1 130 710 (2000). NATO's Incirlik Airbase is located 12 km east of Adana. Adana is the marketing and distribution center for an agricultural region in (Adanija) on the Sarus, and MopsuestiaMopsuestia is an ancient city of Cilicia. The founding of this city is attributed to the soothsayer, Mopsus, who lived before the Trojan war, although it is scarcely mentioned before the Christian era. Pliny the Elder calls it the free city of Mopsos (His (Missis) on the Pyramus.

1 The Persian Royal Road

The great highway from the west existed before Cyrus conquered Cilicia. On its long rough descent from the Anatolian plateau to Tarsus, it ran through the narrow pass between walls of rock called the Cilician Gate (Ghulek Boghaz). After crossing the low hills east of the Pyramus it passed through a masonry (Cilician) gate, Demir Kapu, and entered the plain of Issus. From that plain one road ran southward through another masonry (Syrian) gate to Alexandretta, and thence crossed Mt. Amanus by the Syrian Gate, Beilan Pass, eventually to Antioch and Syria; and another ran northwards through a masonry (Amanian) gate, south of Toprak Kaleh, and crossed Mt. Amanus by the Amanian Gate, Baghche Pass, to northern Syria and the Euphrates. By the last pass, which was apparently unknown to Alexander, Darius crossed the mountains prior to the battle of IssusIn the Battle of Issus in 333 BC Alexander the Great of Macedonia defeated Darius III of Persia. Combatants Macedonians and their Greek Allies, led by Alexander. With about 5,000 cavalry, 26,000 infantry. Persians under Darius III with some 30,000 Greek m. Both passes are short and easy, and connect Cilicia Pedias geographically and politically with Syria rather than with Asia Minor.

2 Early history and Roman Cilicia

The Cilicians appear as Khilikku in AssyrianNote This article has been the subject of contention and is currently being completely re-edited at Assyrian/Revision For the ancient Mesopotamian kingdom, see Assyria. Assyrians are the indigenous people of north Iraq members of the Assyrian Church of th inscriptions, and in the early part of the 1st millennium BC2nd millennium BC 1st millennium BC 1st millennium AD other millennia) Events The Iron Age began in Western Europe Egypt declined as a major power The Tanakh was written Buddhism was founded Cyrus the Great conquered Babylon and created the Persian Empire were one of the four chief powers of western Asia. It is generally assumed that they had previously been subject to the Syro-Cappadocian empire; but, up to 1909 at all events, Hittite monuments had not been found in Cilicia; and we must infer that the Hittite civilizations which flourished in Cappadocia and northern Syria, communicated with each other by passes east of Amanus and not by the Cilician Gates. Under the Persian empire Cilicia was apparently governed by tributary native kings, who bore a Hellenized name or title of "Syennesis"; but it was officially included in the fourth satrapy by Darius. XenophonXenophon ( 431- c. 354 BC), whose name means "strange sound", was an Athenian citizen, an associate of Socrates, a Philodorian and is known for his writings on Hellenic history and culture. While a young man, Xenophon participated in the expedition led by found a queen in power, and no opposition was offered to the march of Cyrus. Similarly Alexanderbust of Alexander the Great Alexander III (late July, 356 BC June 10, 323 BC), King of Macedon ( 336 BC-323 BC), known as Alexander the Great was one of the most successful military commanders of the ancient world. Following the unification of the multipl found the Gates open, when he came down from the plateau in 333 BCCenturies: 5th century BC 4th century BC 3rd century BC Decades: 380s BC 370s BC 360s BC 350s BC 340s BC 330s BC 320s BC 310s BC 300s BC 290s BC 280s BC 338 BC 337 BC 336 BC 335 BC 334 BC 333 BC 332 BC 331 BC 330 BC 329 BC 328 BC Events Alexandretta in Sy; and from these facts it may be inferred that the great pass was not under direct Persian control, but under that of a vassal power always ready to turn against its suzerain.

After Alexander's death it was long a battleground of rival marshals and kings, and for a time fell under Ptolemaic dominion, but finally under that of the Seleucids, who, however, never held effectually more than the eastern half. Cilicia Trachea became the haunt of pirates, who were subdued by Pompey in 66 BC and Tarsus was made the capital of the Roman province of Cilicia. Cilicia Pedias had become Roman territory in 103 BC, and the whole was organized by Pompey, 64 BC, into a province which, for a short time, extended to and included part of Phrygia. It was reorganized by Julius Caesar, 47 BC, and about 27 BC became part of the province Syria-Cilicia Phoenice. At first the western district was left independent under native kings or priest-dynasts, and a small kingdom, under Tarkondimotus , was left in the east; but these were finally united to the province by Vespasian, A.D. 74. Under Diocletian (circa 297), Cilicia, with the Syrian and Egyptian provinces, formed the Diocesis Orientis. In the 7th century it was invaded by the Arabs, who held the country until it was reoccupied by Nicephorus II in 965.

Cilicia became a province of the Roman Empire. In Roman times Cilicia exported the goats-hair cloth, Cilicium, of which tents were made.

3 Armenian kingdom

During the time of the Crusades the area was controlled by the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia. The Seljuk invasion of Armenia was followed by an exodus of Armenians southwards, and in 1080, Rhupen , a relative of the last king of Ani, founded in the heart of the Cilician Taurus a small principality, which gradually expanded into the kingdom of Lesser Armenia or Armenia Minor. This Christian kingdom situated in the midst of Moslem states, hostile to the Byzantines, giving valuable support to the crusaders, and trading with the great commercial cities of Italy had a stormy existence of about 300 years. Gosdantin ( 1095- 1100) assisted the crusaders on their march to Antioch, and was created knight and marquis. Thoros I ( 1100- 1123), in alliance with the Christian princes of Syria, waged successful war against the Byzantines and Seljuk Turks. Levond II (Leo the Great ( 1185- 1219)), extended the kingdom beyond Mount Taurus and established the capital at Sis. He assisted the crusaders, was crowned king by the archbishop of Mainz, and married one of the Lusignans of Cyprus. Haithon I ( 1224- 1269) made an alliance with the Mongols, who, before their adoption of Islam, protected his kingdom from the Mamelukes of Egypt. When Levond V died ( 1342), John of Lusignan was crowned king as Gosdantin IV; but he and his successors alienated the Armenians by attempting to make them conform to the Roman Church, and by giving all posts of honor to Latins, and at last the kingdom, a prey to internal dissensions, succumbed (1375) to the attacks of the Egyptian mamelukes. Cilicia Trachea was conquered by the Ottomans in the 15th century, but Cilicia Pedias remained independent until 1515..

4 Ottoman and modern Turkish Cilicia

According to the Treaty of Sèvres of 1920, Cilicia was to be a part of French Syria but was given to the Republic of Turkey in 1921. The modern Turkish province Adana is located in former Cilicia.

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