Galatia ( / ɡ ə ˈ l eɪ ʃ ə / ; Ancient Greek : Γαλατία , Galatía , " Gaul ") was an ancient area in the highlands of central Anatolia , roughly corresponding to the provinces of Ankara and Eskişehir , in modern Turkey . Galatia was named after the Gauls from Thrace (cf. Tylis ), who settled here and became a small transient foreign tribe in the 3rd century BC, following the Gallic invasion of the Balkans in 279 BC. It has been called the "Gallia" of the East.
41-636: Galatia was bounded on the north by Bithynia and Paphlagonia , on the east by Pontus and Cappadocia , on the south by Cilicia and Lycaonia , and on the west by Phrygia . Its capital was Ancyra (i.e. Ankara , today the capital of modern Turkey). The terms "Galatians" came to be used by the Greeks for the three Celtic peoples of Anatolia: the Tectosages , the Trocmii , and the Tolistobogii . By
82-479: A "pirate". One writer, Werner Eck , says that it cannot be stated that Augustus made any false statements. Any comprehensive understanding of this period of Roman history should be supplemented by statements from other ancient sources, archaeology, and inscriptions. The introduction and first two pararagraphs of the inscription found at the Monumentum Ancyranum of Ankara read as such: ...Below
123-591: A federation of Hellespontine cities, including Byzantion and Chalkedon , prevented the Celts from entering Asia Minor. During the course of the power struggle between Nikomedes I of Bithynia and his brother Zipoetes , the former hired 20,000 Galatian mercenaries. The Galatians split into two groups headed by Leonnorius and Lutarius, which crossed the Bosporus and the Hellespont , respectively. In 277 BC, when
164-604: Is a copy of the acts of the Deified Augustus by which he placed the whole world under the sovereignty of the Roman people, and of the amounts which he expended upon the state and the Roman people, as engraved upon two bronze columns which have been set up in Rome. At the age of nineteen, on my own initiative and at my own expense, I raised an army by means of which I restored liberty to the republic, which had been oppressed by
205-506: Is indented by two deep inlets, the northernmost, the Gulf of İzmit (ancient Gulf of Astacus), penetrating between 40 and 50 miles (64 and 80 km) into the interior as far as İzmit (ancient Nicomedia ), separated by an isthmus of only about 25 miles (40 km) from the Black Sea ; and the Gulf of Mudanya or Gemlik (Gulf of Cius), about 25 miles (40 km) long. At its extremity
246-462: Is not a full account of the years between 44 BC, the assassination of Augustus' adoptive father Julius Caesar , and AD 14, the year in which he died. Instead, it is a personal account of the first Emperor's life and those achievements that he decided to be worth remembering by the Roman people. It is an independent self-depiction that is written in a literary form which is unique to the ancient world, and it must be read as such. This period of history
287-570: Is now the Rhineland ) spoke the same language ( Comentarii in Epistolam ad Galatos , 2.3, composed c. 387). In an administrative reorganisation ( c. 386–395), two new provinces succeeded it, Galatia Prima and Galatia Secunda or Salutaris , which included part of Phrygia. The fate of the Galatian people is a subject of some uncertainty, but they seem ultimately to have been absorbed into
328-450: Is seen from Augustus' perspective and the author presents facts that relate only to himself. Augustus' enemies are never mentioned by name. Caesar's murderers Brutus and Cassius are called simply "those who killed my father". Mark Antony and Sextus Pompey , Augustus' opponents in the East, remain equally anonymous; the former is "he with whom I fought the war," while the latter is merely
369-687: Is situated the small town of Gemlik (ancient Cius ) at the mouth of a valley, communicating with the lake of Iznik, on which was situated Nicaea . The principal rivers are the Sangarios which traverses the province from south to north; the Rhyndacus , which separated it from Mysia; and the Billaeus (Filyos), which rises in the Aladağ, about 50 miles (80 km) from the sea, and after flowing by modern Bolu (ancient Bithynion-Claudiopolis) falls into
410-610: The Res Gestae of Augustus were preserved for modernity. Few of the provinces proved more enthusiastically loyal to Rome. Josephus related the Biblical figure Gomer to Galatia (or perhaps to Gaul in general): "For Gomer founded those whom the Greeks now call Galatians, [Galls], but were then called Gomerites." Others have related Gomer to Cimmerians . Paul the Apostle visited Galatia in his missionary journeys, and wrote to
451-580: The Lydian monarchy, with which they fell under the dominion of Persia (546 BC), and were included in the satrapy of Phrygia , which comprised all the countries up to the Hellespont and Bosporus. Even before the conquest by Alexander the Bithynians appear to have asserted their independence, and successfully maintained it under two native princes, Bas and Zipoites , the latter of whom assumed
SECTION 10
#1732765135310492-578: The eastern provinces , the monumental bridge across the river Sangarius was constructed around 562 AD. Troops frequently wintered at Nicomedia. During this time, the most important cities in Bithynia were Nicomedia , founded by Nicomedes, and Nicaea . The two had a long rivalry with each other over which city held the rank of capital. 40°30′N 31°00′E / 40.5°N 31.0°E / 40.5; 31.0 Res Gestae Divi Augusti Res Gestae Divi Augusti (Eng. The Deeds of
533-559: The 1st century BC, the Celts had become so Hellenized that some Greek writers called them Hellenogalatai (Ἑλληνογαλάται). The Romans called them Gallograeci . Though the Celts had, to a large extent, integrated into Hellenistic Asia Minor, they preserved their linguistic and ethnic identity. By the 4th century BC, the Celts had penetrated into the Balkans , coming into contact with the Thracians and Greeks. In 380 BC, they fought in
574-676: The 7th century it was incorporated into the Byzantine Opsikion theme . It became a border region to the Seljuk Empire in the 13th century, and was eventually conquered by the Ottoman Turks between 1325 and 1333 . Several major cities sat on the fertile shores of the Propontis (which is now known as Sea of Marmara ): Nicomedia , Chalcedon , Cius and Apamea . Bithynia also contained Nicaea , noted for being
615-804: The Balkans to Asia Minor would have taken place at some point following the Bronze Age collapse or during the early Iron Age. The Thyni and Bithyni appear to have settled simultaneously in the adjoining parts of Asia, where they expelled or subdued the Mysians , Caucones and other minor tribes, the Mariandyni maintaining themselves in the northeast. Herodotus mentions the Thyni and Bithyni as settling side by side. No trace of their original language has been preserved, but Herodotus describes them as related to
656-543: The Battle of Elephants. In the aftermath of the battle, the Celts then settled in northern Phrygia , a region that eventually came to be known as Galatia. The territory of Celtic Galatia included the cities of Ancyra (present day Ankara), Pessinus , Tavium , and Gordion . Upon the death of Deiotarus , the Kingdom of Galatia was given to Amyntas , an auxiliary commander in the Roman army of Brutus and Cassius who gained
697-569: The Celts formed an alliance with Dionysius I of Syracuse who sent them to fight alongside the Macedonians against the Thebans . In 279 BC, two Celtic factions united under the leadership of Brennus and began to push southwards from southern Bulgaria towards the Greek states. According to Livy , a sizable force split off from this main group and headed toward Asia Minor . For several years,
738-764: The Christians there in the Epistle to the Galatians . Although originally possessing a strong cultural identity , by the 2nd century AD, the Galatians had become assimilated ( Hellenization ) into the Hellenistic civilization of Anatolia . The Galatians were still speaking the Galatian language in the time of St. Jerome (347–420 AD), who wrote that the Galatians of Ancyra and the Treveri of Trier (in what
779-526: The Divine Augustus ) is a monumental inscription composed by the first Roman emperor , Augustus , giving a first-person record of his life and accomplishments. The Res Gestae is especially significant because it gives an insight into the image Augustus presented to the Roman people. Various portions of the Res Gestae have been found in modern Turkey . The inscription itself is a monument to
820-514: The Euxine, close to the ruins of the ancient Tium , about 40 miles (64 km) northeast of Heraclea Pontica (the modern Karadeniz Ereğli ), having a course of more than 100 miles (160 km). The Parthenius (modern Bartın ), the eastern boundary of the province, is a much less considerable stream. The valleys towards the Black Sea abound in fruit trees of all kinds, such as oranges, while
861-518: The Greek-speaking populations of Anatolia. Bithynia Bithynia ( / b ɪ ˈ θ ɪ n i ə / ; Koinē Greek : Βιθυνία , romanized: Bithynía ) was an ancient region , kingdom and Roman province in the northwest of Asia Minor (present-day Turkey ), adjoining the Sea of Marmara , the Bosporus , and the Black Sea . It bordered Mysia to the southwest, Paphlagonia to
SECTION 20
#1732765135310902-663: The Roman provincial administration at that time. Under the Byzantine Empire , Bithynia was again divided into two provinces, separated by the Sangarius . Only the area to the west of the river retained the name of Bithynia. Bithynia attracted much attention because of its roads and its strategic position between the frontiers of the Danube in the north and the Euphrates in the south-east. To secure communications with
943-522: The birthplace of the Nicene Creed . According to Strabo , Bithynia was bounded on the east by the river Sangarius (modern Sakarya river ), but the more commonly received division extended it to the Parthenius , which separated it from Paphlagonia , thus comprising the district inhabited by the Mariandyni . On the west and southwest it was separated from Mysia by the river Rhyndacus and on
984-545: The boundaries of Bithynia changed frequently. During this period, Bithynia was commonly united for administrative purposes with the province of Pontus within the Roman Empire . This was the situation at the time of Emperor Trajan , when Pliny the Younger was appointed governor of the combined provinces (109/110 – 111/112), a circumstance which has provided historians with valuable information concerning
1025-407: The entire text, lists various buildings that he renovated or constructed and states that Augustus spent 600 million silver denarii (24 million gold aurei) from his own funds during his reign on public projects. Ancient currencies cannot be reliably converted into modern equivalents, but it is clearly more than anyone else in the empire could afford. Augustus consolidated his hold on power by reversing
1066-488: The establishment of the Julio-Claudian dynasty that was to follow Augustus. The text consists of a short introduction, 35 body paragraphs and a posthumous addendum. The paragraphs are conventionally grouped into four sections: political career, public benefactions, military accomplishments and a political statement. The first section (paragraphs 2–14) is concerned with Augustus' political career; it records
1107-642: The favor of Mark Antony. After his death in 25 BC, Galatia was incorporated by Augustus into the Roman Empire, becoming a Roman province. Near his capital Ancyra (modern Ankara), Pylamenes, the king's heir, rebuilt a temple of the Phrygian god Men to venerate Augustus (the Monumentum Ancyranum ), as a sign of fidelity. It was on the walls of this temple in Galatia that the major source for
1148-580: The hostilities had ended the Galatians came out of Nikomedes' control and began raiding Greek cities in Asia Minor while Antiochus was solidifying his rule in Syria. The Galatians looted Cyzikus , Ilion , Didyma , Priene , Thyatira and Laodicea on the Lycus , while the citizens of Erythras paid them ransom. Either in 275 or 269 BC, Antiochus' army faced the Galatians somewhere on the plain of Sardis in
1189-523: The last king, Nicomedes IV , was unable to maintain himself in power against Mithridates VI of Pontus . After being restored to his throne by the Roman Senate , he bequeathed his kingdom through his will to the Roman Republic (74 BC). The coinage of these kings show their regal portraits, which tend to be engraved in an extremely accomplished Hellenistic style. As a Roman province ,
1230-543: The northeast along the Pontic coast, and Phrygia to the southeast towards the interior of Asia Minor. Hellenistic Bithynia was an independent kingdom from the 4th century BC. Its capital Nicomedia was rebuilt on the site of ancient Astacus in 264 BC by Nicomedes I of Bithynia . Bithynia was bequeathed to the Roman Republic in 74 BC, and became united with the Pontus region as the province of Bithynia and Pontus . In
1271-407: The offices and political honours that he held. Augustus also lists numerous offices he refused to take and privileges he refused to be awarded. The second section (paragraphs 15–24) lists Augustus' donations of money, land and grain to the citizens of Italy and his soldiers, as well as the public works and gladiatorial spectacles that he commissioned. The text is careful to point out that all this
Galatia - Misplaced Pages Continue
1312-478: The prior tax policy beginning with funding the aerarium militare with 170 million sesterces of his own money. The text was completed just one month before Augustus' death (19 August AD 14), although most of its content was written years earlier and likely went through many revisions. Augustus left the text with his will, which instructed the Senate to set up the inscriptions. The original, which has not survived,
1353-406: The south it adjoined Phrygia and Galatia . It is occupied by mountains and forests, but has valleys and coastal districts of great fertility. The most important mountain range is the (so-called) "Mysian" Olympus (8,000 ft, 2,400 m), which towers above Bursa and is clearly visible as far away as Istanbul (70 miles, 110 km). Its summits are covered with snow for a great part of
1394-595: The southern regions of Dalmatia (present day Croatia), and rumors circulated around the ancient world that Alexander the Great ' s father, Philip II of Macedonia had been assassinated by someone using a dagger of Celtic origins. Arrian writes that "Celts established on the Ionic coast" were among those who came to meet Alexander the Great during a campaign against the Getae in 335 BC. Several ancient accounts mention that
1435-422: The title of king ( basileus ) in 297 BC. His son and successor, Nicomedes I , founded Nicomedia , which soon rose to great prosperity, and during his long reign ( c. 278 – c. 255 BC), as well as those of his successors, Prusias I , Prusias II and Nicomedes II (149–91 BC), the kings of Bithynia had a considerable standing and influence among the minor monarchies of Anatolia . But
1476-517: The tribes of Thracian extraction. Later the Greeks established on the coast the colonies of Cius (modern Gemlik); Chalcedon (modern Kadıköy ), at the entrance of the Bosporus, nearly opposite Byzantium (modern Istanbul ) and Heraclea Pontica (modern Karadeniz Ereğli), on the Euxine, about 120 miles (190 km) east of the Bosporus. The Bithynians were incorporated by king Croesus within
1517-414: The tyranny of a faction. For which service the senate, with complimentary resolutions, enrolled me in its order, in the consulship of Gaius Pansa and Aulus Hirtius, giving me at the same time consular precedence in voting; it also gave me the imperium. As propraetor it ordered me, along with the consuls, "to see that the republic suffered no harm." In the same year, moreover, as both consuls had fallen in war,
1558-634: The valley of the Sangarius and the plains near Bursa and Iznik (Nicaea) are fertile and well cultivated. Extensive plantations of mulberry trees supply the silk for which Bursa has long been celebrated, and which is manufactured there on a large scale. Bithynia is named for the Thracian tribe of the Bithyni , mentioned by Herodotus (VII.75) alongside the Thyni . The " Thraco-Phrygian " migration from
1599-578: The year. East of this the range extends for more than 100 miles (160 km), from the Sakarya to Paphlagonia . Both of these ranges are part of the border of mountains which bound the great tableland of Anatolia , Turkey . The broad tract which projects towards the west as far as the shores of the Bosporus, though hilly and covered with forests—the Turkish Ağaç Denizi , or "The sea of Trees"—is not traversed by any mountain chain. The west coast
1640-613: Was engraved upon a pair of bronze pillars and placed in front of Augustus' mausoleum . Many copies of the text were made and carved in stone on monuments or temples throughout the Roman Empire , some of which have survived; most notably, almost a full copy, written in the original Latin and a Greek translation was preserved on a temple to Augustus in Ancyra (the Monumentum Ancyranum of Ankara , Turkey ); others have been found at Apollonia and Antioch , both in Pisidia . The text
1681-466: Was paid for out of Augustus' own funds. The third section (paragraphs 25–33) describes his military deeds and how he established alliances with other nations during his reign. Finally the fourth section (paragraphs 34–35) consists of a statement of the Romans' approval for the reign and deeds of Augustus. The appendix is written in the third person and likely not by Augustus himself. It summarizes