This article is about the ancient city in Aeolis. For other uses, see Aigai.
Aigai, also Aigaiai (Ancient Greek: Αἰγαί or Αἰγαῖαι; Latin: Aegae or Aegaeae; Turkish: Nemrutkale or Nemrut Kalesi), was an ancient Greek, later Roman (Ægæ, Aegae), city and bishopric in Aeolis. Aegae is mentioned by both Herodotus[1] and Strabo[2] as being a member of the Aeolian dodecapolis. It was also an important sanctuary of Apollo. Aigai had its brightest period under the Attalid dynasty, which ruled from nearby Pergamon in the 3rd and 2nd century BC.
The remains of the city are located near the modern village of Yuntdağı Köseler in Manisa Province, Turkey. The archaeological site is situated at a rather high altitude almost on top of Mount Gün (Dağı), part of the mountain chain of Yunt (Dağları).
Initially the city was a possession of the Lydian Empire and later the Achaemenid Empire when it conquered the former. In the early third century BC it became part of the Kingdom of Pergamon.[citation needed] It changed hands from Pergamon to the Seleucid Empire, but was recaptured by Attalus I of Pergamon in 218 BC.[3]
In the war between Bithynia and Pergamon, it was destroyed by Prusias II of Bithynia in 156 BC. After a peace was brokered by the Romans, the city was compensated with hundred talents.[4] Under the rule of Pergamon a market building and a temple to Apollo were constructed.
In 129 BC the Kingdom of Pergamon became part of the Roman Empire. The city was destroyed by an earthquake in 17 AD and received aid for reconstruction from emperor Tiberius.[5]
Ecclesiastical History
Ægæ was important enough in the Roman province of Asia Prima to become one of the many suffragans of its capital Ephesus's Metropolitan Archbishopric; but it as to fade.
The city is situated on a plateau at the summit of the steep Gün Dağı mountain, which can be climbed from the north. The plateau is surrounded by a wall with a length of 1.5 kilometers. On the eastern side are the remains of the three-story indoor market with a height of 11 meters and a length of 82 meters. The upper floor of the Hellenistic building was renovated in Roman times.[6] The partially overgrown remains of many other buildings are scattered over the site. These include the acropolis which is laid out in terraces, a Macellum, a gymnasium, a bouleuterion and the foundations of three temples.[7]
About five kilometers to the east the foundations of a sanctuary of Apollo are found on the banks of the river which flows around the ruins. It was an Ionic orderperipteros temple from the first century BC. A cella which is six meters high and three monoliths still remain.[6][7]
Since 2004 the site is being excavated by Ersin Doğer of Ege University in Izmir.[11] By 2010 the access road, the bouleuterion, the odeon, shops, numerous water pipes and large parts of the market hall were uncovered. For the coming years it is planned to re-erect the market hall's facade with the original stones.[citation needed]
In 2016, archaeologists discovered a mosaic depicting the god Poseidon. The mosaic was found in the frigidarium part of the ancient bath. The bottom part of the mosaic contains partly ruined inscription in Greek: "Greetings to all of you bathing." Archaeologists believe that it dates back to the 3rd or 4th century B.C.[12]
In 2018, archaeologists unearthed a Macellum, which is an ancient meat and fish market.[13]
In 2022 a marble inscription of the 2nd century AD during the excavations in the parliament building of Aigai found in 2005 was deciphered and records the people’s complaints at Roman tax officials’ greed. It also states that they sent a man named ‘Fortunatus’ to the Roman emperor to report on the various levels of taxes from goat skin by each tax collector and demanding that he solve the problem. The inscription is important in proving that the city's trade was based on goats and goat skins. The Roman Emperor later passed a law to fix the rate of tax from goat skin at 1/6th and threatened to enforce it strictly.[14]
^ abMehling, Marianne (1993). Knaurs Kulturführer in Farbe: Türkei (in German). München: Droemer Knaur. p. 451. ISBN9783426262931.
^ abLang, Gernot (2003). Klassische antike Stätten Anatoliens (in German). Norderstedt: Books on Demand. p. 37. ISBN9783833000683.
^Ramsay, W. M. (1881). "Contributions to the History of Southern Aeolis". The Journal of Hellenic Studies. 2: 271–308. doi:10.2307/623569. JSTOR 623569. S2CID 163971212.
^Reinach, Salomon (1881). "Une forteresse grecque à Nimroud-Kalessi". Bulletin de Correspondance Hellénique (in French). 5 (5): 131–136. doi:10.3406/bch.1881.4245.
^Schuchhardt, C., Bohn, R. (1889). Altertümer von Aegae. Berlin: G. Reimer.
Official website of Aigai Excavations (in Turkish)
More photos of the site
Ancient Coinage of Aeolis, Aegae
Hellenistic Inscriptions from Aigai
April 20, 2023
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This article is about the ancient city in Aeolis For other uses see Aigai Aigai also Aigaiai Ancient Greek Aἰgai or Aἰgaῖai Latin Aegae or Aegaeae Turkish Nemrutkale or Nemrut Kalesi was an ancient Greek later Roman AEgae Aegae city and bishopric in Aeolis Aegae is mentioned by both Herodotus 1 and Strabo 2 as being a member of the Aeolian dodecapolis It was also an important sanctuary of Apollo Aigai had its brightest period under the Attalid dynasty which ruled from nearby Pergamon in the 3rd and 2nd century BC AigaiAἰgai Aἰgaῖai in Ancient Greek Facade of Aigai s market hallShown within TurkeyAlternative nameAigaiaiLocationYuntdagi Koseler Manisa Province TurkeyRegionAeolisCoordinates38 49 52 N 27 11 19 E 38 83111 N 27 18861 E 38 83111 27 18861 Coordinates 38 49 52 N 27 11 19 E 38 83111 N 27 18861 E 38 83111 27 18861TypeSettlementSite notesConditionRuinsOwnershipPublicPublic accessYesThe remains of the city are located near the modern village of Yuntdagi Koseler in Manisa Province Turkey The archaeological site is situated at a rather high altitude almost on top of Mount Gun Dagi part of the mountain chain of Yunt Daglari Contents 1 History 2 Ecclesiastical History 2 1 Titular see 3 Remains 3 1 Layout 3 2 Excavation history 4 References 5 Sources and external linksHistory Edit Plan of Aigai drawn by Richard Bohn in 1889 Initially the city was a possession of the Lydian Empire and later the Achaemenid Empire when it conquered the former In the early third century BC it became part of the Kingdom of Pergamon citation needed It changed hands from Pergamon to the Seleucid Empire but was recaptured by Attalus I of Pergamon in 218 BC 3 In the war between Bithynia and Pergamon it was destroyed by Prusias II of Bithynia in 156 BC After a peace was brokered by the Romans the city was compensated with hundred talents 4 Under the rule of Pergamon a market building and a temple to Apollo were constructed In 129 BC the Kingdom of Pergamon became part of the Roman Empire The city was destroyed by an earthquake in 17 AD and received aid for reconstruction from emperor Tiberius 5 Ecclesiastical History EditAEgae was important enough in the Roman province of Asia Prima to become one of the many suffragans of its capital Ephesus s Metropolitan Archbishopric but it as to fade Titular see Edit The diocese was nominally restored in 1933 as titular bishopric It has sat vacant for decades having had the following incumbents all of the lowest episcopal rank Titular Bishop Gerard Marie Coderre 1951 07 05 1955 02 03 Titular Bishop Marius Pare 1956 02 07 1961 02 18 Titular Bishop Cornelio Chizzini Sons of Divine Providence F D P 1962 04 12 1978 05 26 Remains EditLayout Edit The city is situated on a plateau at the summit of the steep Gun Dagi mountain which can be climbed from the north The plateau is surrounded by a wall with a length of 1 5 kilometers On the eastern side are the remains of the three story indoor market with a height of 11 meters and a length of 82 meters The upper floor of the Hellenistic building was renovated in Roman times 6 The partially overgrown remains of many other buildings are scattered over the site These include the acropolis which is laid out in terraces a Macellum a gymnasium a bouleuterion and the foundations of three temples 7 About five kilometers to the east the foundations of a sanctuary of Apollo are found on the banks of the river which flows around the ruins It was an Ionic order peripteros temple from the first century BC A cella which is six meters high and three monoliths still remain 6 7 Excavation history Edit The first western visitors of Aigai were William Mitchell Ramsay and Salomon Reinach in 1880 They reported about their visit in the Journal of Hellenic Studies 8 and the Bulletin de Correspondance Hellenique 9 They were followed by Richard Bohn and Carl Schuchhardt who examined the site as a part of the excavations in Pergamon 10 Since 2004 the site is being excavated by Ersin Doger of Ege University in Izmir 11 By 2010 the access road the bouleuterion the odeon shops numerous water pipes and large parts of the market hall were uncovered For the coming years it is planned to re erect the market hall s facade with the original stones citation needed In 2016 archaeologists discovered a mosaic depicting the god Poseidon The mosaic was found in the frigidarium part of the ancient bath The bottom part of the mosaic contains partly ruined inscription in Greek Greetings to all of you bathing Archaeologists believe that it dates back to the 3rd or 4th century B C 12 In 2018 archaeologists unearthed a Macellum which is an ancient meat and fish market 13 In 2022 a marble inscription of the 2nd century AD during the excavations in the parliament building of Aigai found in 2005 was deciphered and records the people s complaints at Roman tax officials greed It also states that they sent a man named Fortunatus to the Roman emperor to report on the various levels of taxes from goat skin by each tax collector and demanding that he solve the problem The inscription is important in proving that the city s trade was based on goats and goat skins The Roman Emperor later passed a law to fix the rate of tax from goat skin at 1 6th and threatened to enforce it strictly 14 Path to Aigai Facade of market hall seen from the interior Bouleuterion MacellumReferences Edit Herodotus Histories 1 149 Strabo Geographica 13 3 5 Polybius The Histories 5 77 Polybius The Histories 33 13 Tacitus Annals 2 47 a b Mehling Marianne 1993 Knaurs Kulturfuhrer in Farbe Turkei in German Munchen Droemer Knaur p 451 ISBN 9783426262931 a b Lang Gernot 2003 Klassische antike Statten Anatoliens in German Norderstedt Books on Demand p 37 ISBN 9783833000683 Ramsay W M 1881 Contributions to the History of Southern Aeolis The Journal of Hellenic Studies 2 271 308 doi 10 2307 623569 JSTOR 623569 S2CID 163971212 Reinach Salomon 1881 Une forteresse grecque a Nimroud Kalessi Bulletin de Correspondance Hellenique in French 5 5 131 136 doi 10 3406 bch 1881 4245 Schuchhardt C Bohn R 1889 Altertumer von Aegae Berlin G Reimer Excavation web site in Turkish http aigai info Ancient Poseidon mosaic found in Turkey s Adana Meat and fish market unearthed in ancient city of Aigai 1800 year old marble inscription found in Turkey s Aigai excavations deciphered https arkeonews net 1800 year old marble inscription found in turkeys aigai excavations deciphered Sources and external links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Aigai GCatholic with titular incumebt biography links Official website of Aigai Excavations in Turkish More photos of the site Ancient Coinage of Aeolis Aegae Hellenistic Inscriptions from Aigai Description of Aigai on Current Archeology in Turkey Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Aigai Aeolis amp oldid 1123817597, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
