Samandağı (city)
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Samandaği – Greek: Σέλεύχεια, transliterated as Seleucia or Seleukeia, and Σέλεύχεια Πιερία, transliterated as Seleucia Pieria or Seleukeia Pieria; also Palaeopolis, Samanda, Suedia, Zeugma, Yukarı Alevışık – ) is a town in antiquity, the capital of Seleucis, in Syria Prima, currently in Hatay Province, Turkey, near the little villages of Kabousiye (Kaboucie), Soulidieh and Meghragagik.
History
According to Pausanias and Malalas, there appears to have been a previous city here named Palaeopolis ("Old City").Seleucia Pieria was built by Seleucus I Nicator in ca. 300 BC. It lay near the mouth of the Orontes River not far from Mount Casius, and functioned as the commercial and naval seaport of Antioch on the Orontes (now Antakya). The first colonists were the Greeks of Antigonia and some Jews. The Lagids and Seleucids fought over the city and it changed hands several times until 219 BC when Seleucid control was assured. Then it obtained its freedom and kept it even to the end of the Roman occupation; it had long enjoyed the right of coinage. Famous residents included Apollophanes, a physician of Antiochus I Soter (third century BC), and Firmus who aroused Palmyra and Egypt against Rome in 272 AD.
Seleucia became a city of great importance, and was made a "free city" by Pompey. The harbour was enlarged several times under Diocletian and Constantius. Paul of Tarsus and Saint Barnabas sailed from this port on their first missionary journey (Acts 13:4). The city was Christianized early. The oldest bishop known is Zenobius, present at the Council of Nicaea in 325. Other known bishops include Eusebius, an Arian, and Bizus in the fourth century, with twelve others cited by Le Quien (Oriens Christianus, II, 777-780). In the sixth century the Notitia Episcopatuum of Antioch, gives Seleucia Pieria as an autocephalous archbishopric, suffragan of Antioch (Echos d'Orient, X 144); the diocese existed until the tenth century, and its boundaries are known (Echos d'Orient, X, 97). For some Roman Catholic titularies see Eubel, Hierarchia catholica medii aevi, I, 468. The Byzantines occupied the city from 970, followed soon after by the Frankish occupation, during which Seleucia regained its importance; during the Crusades its port was known by the name of Saint Symeon.
The upper city, about 13 km in circumference, is still distinguishable. The lower city, smaller than the preceding one, was more thickly populated. Among the curiosities are a necropolis of little interest, some irrigation works, and some fortifications very much damaged.
The city is still a titular see of the Roman Catholic Church, Seleuciensis Pierius; the seat is vacant following the death of the last bishop in 1980. [link]
References
- [Seleucia Pieria]
- This entry incorporates text from the public domain Easton's Bible Dictionary, originally published in 1897.
- This article incorporates text from the public-domain Catholic Encyclopedia.
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