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PHASELIS
The city is established upon a peninsula with
three small bays. The maquis, Mediterranean flowers,
eucalyptus and oleander trees are noticeable in the
ancient city covered with pine forests all around. The
beach of the northern port of the city is a natural egg-laying
site of caretta caretta turtles and is under protection.
It is reckoned that the name of the city was “Phasala/Paassala”
meaning “Sea Urbanism” in the Luwian language. As a
matter of fact, the Phoenicians who were engaged in
maritime trade defined the city as a “seaside city
spared by God”. It is said that liquid products such as
wine and olive oil flowed in the canals carved into
rocky slopes along the mountain sides of which the
traces are still distinguishable to Phasala from
Termessos established at an elevation of 900 m on the
mountains. The liquid products were poured into amphoras
and pitchers and shipped to the Mediterranean countries.
Moreover, the fame of the numerous Mediterranean flowers
growing in the area where the city lay spread throughout
the ancient world. The city, which produced and exported
perfumes and flower oil, matched the Paris city of today.
The myth says that Phaselis was purchased by the Rhodian
colonists from a shepherd against dried fish.
Phaselisians were historically notorious for their
stinginess. In fact it was an important trade center in
the antiquity The famous Phaselisian thinker of the
ancient times is the philosopher Teodectes. Alexander
the Great spent the winter of 233 BC here. Phaselis
which was later seen within the Lycian Union, was
exposed to the pirates attacts during the 1st century
B.C. until the protection of the Roman Empire. It was
abandoned when the area turned into a swamp and was
occupied with mosquitoes and wasps. There are three
natural bays on the north, south and east of the
peninsula which were used as ports. The Colonnaded
Street links the northern and southern ports. The
circular agora was in the middle and the Bouleterion,
thought to have been a two-story building was at the
western end. To the east end of the square are the
remains of the Roman Bath with cold and hot water pools.
The theatre on the acropolis from the 4th century B.C.
with a seating capacity of 3 thousand people, has a
total of 3 actors’ doors, one of which is small. The
theatre, was transformed into an arena during the late
Roman era, cages were built in the lower chambers of the
stage building in order to protect the spectators from
wild animals. On the hillside east of the acropolis the
remains of two temples belonging to Athena, the chief
god of Phaselis, and Hermes, God of Trade, are visible.
The gate, in the form of a triumphal arch, was built to
commemorate the Roman Emperor Hadrian’s visit to the
city. The water canals immediately adjacent to this door
carried water to the city from Mount Tahtali at a
distance of 25 km. Various sarcophagi, sarcophagus
covers and the figures of eros and lions worked on them
are striking. The remains unearthed objects are on
display in the Antalya Museum.
OLYMPOS
It is located on the slope of Mount Musa and within
“Olympos-Beydaglari National Park” where the creek of
the same name joins the sea. The name of the city is
derived from “Aluamapa/Oluamapa/Olyamapa” in the Luwian/Etruscan
language. In the Luwian language, “Olu”, which is a
variation of “Alu”, means light/sun and in the Luwian
and Hittite languages the word “Ama” means “mother”. We
know that the word “Pa” means water/creek/lake. It is
understood from this that the name of the city was
“sacred water spring of the supreme mother of light/mother
of sky”. Indeed, the spring of the Olympos creek is
today called “Gökpinar” with the same association.
Furthermore, in the Luwian language the word “olyntos”
meant wild fig. The road monument Stadiasmus, in Patara,
depicts the city of Olympos on the slope of the Mount
Musa. Today’s seaside remains are found at a place named
Korykos. In fact, the name Olympos has been given to all
high mountains and acropolises throughout antiquity. The
people of the city of Olympos on the mountain, which was
within the Lycian Federation and was ruined in 75 B.C.,
descended to the shore and, after the final defeat of
pirates by the Roman Isauricus in 78 B.C., joined the
Roman lands. Maritime commerce thrived during the Roman
epoch. It became the episcopal centre during the
Byzantine era. The city lost its character during the
Ottoman era and, owing to the floods, the people
abandoned the area. South of the port, a part of the
cavea and the entrance of the theatre for 8 thousand
people still stand today. The theatre was used as an
outdoor Orthodox basilica during the Byzantine era.
Remains of the Roman Bath and the Byzantine Church with
wide arched windows on the south bank of the river can
be seen,. In the main necropolis to the south of the
river are more than 200 inscribed tombs. As a result of
recent excavations 2 sarcophagi, named Port Monumental
Tombs, have been unearthed. Today the area is a
favourite tourist spot, with its beach of outstanding
beauty and small guest houses, restaurants, yörük style
bungalows and gazebo tree houses, in character with the
natural surroundings.
BELLEROPHONTES & CHIMERA
According to the Myth this is where Bellerophon kills
Chimaera with his flying horse, but cannot extinguish
the fire coming out of its mouth. Thus, this is the
place where the Olympic torch is fired. People organized
festivities and celebrations which also lay the
foundations of the Olympic games in commemoration of
this event. In reality it is an inflammable gas, which
consists of a 46% hydrogen and 34% methane compound,
issuing from the cracks formed as a result of the
tectonic earthquakes. The noteworthy ancient ruin in the
area is the Byzantine Orthodox Basilica Complex, which
contains the residential quarters of priests, and
churches. The ceremonial and reception area in the south
being made of large, single piece block stones confirms
the existence of the Temple of the God of Fire here.
Bellerophontes BELLEROPHON, or BELLEROPHONTES, in Greek
legend, son of Glaucus or Poseidon, grandson of Sisyphus
and local hero of Corinth. Having slain by accident the
Corinthian hero Bellerus (or, according to others, his
own brother) he fled to Tiryns, where his kinsman
Proetus, king of Argos, received him hospitably anc~
purged him of his guilt. But Anteia (or Sthcneboea),
wife of Proetus, became enamoured of Bellerophon, and,
when he refusbd her advances, charged him with an
attempt upon her virtue. Proetus thereupon sent him to
Iobates, his wifes father, king of Lycia, with a letter
or sealed tablet, in which were instructions, apparently
given by means of signs, to take the life of the bearer.
Arriving in Lycia, he was received as a guest and
entertained for nine days. On the tenth, being asked the
object of his visit, he handed the letter to the king,
whose first plan for complying with it was to send him
to slay the Chimaera, a monster which was devastating
the country. Bellerophon,moun.ted on Pegasus(q.v.) ,kept
up in the air out of the way of the Chithaera, but yet
near enough to kill it with his spear, or, as he is at
other times represented,with his sword or with a bow. He
was next ordered out against the Solymi, a hostile tribe,
and afterwards against the Amazons, from both of which
expeditions he not only returned victorious, but also on
his way back slew an ambush of chosen warriors whom
lobates had placed to intercept him. His divine origin
was now proved; the king gave him his daughter in
marriage; and the Lycians presented him with a large and
fertile estate on which he lived (Apollodorus, j. 3;
Homer, Iliad, Vi. 155). Bellerophon is said to have
returned to Tiryns and avenged himself on Anteia: he
persuaded her to fly with him on his winged horse, and
then flung her into the sea near the island of Melos (Schol.
Aristoph., Fax, 140). His ambitious attempt to ascend to
the heavens on Pegasus brought upon him the wrath of the
gods. His son was smitten by Ares in battle; his
daughter Laodameia was slain by Artemis; he himself,
flung from his horse, lamed or blinded, became a
wanderer over the face of the earth until his death
SARPEDON Grand son of Bellerophon, son of Zeus and
Laodameia, a Lycian prince and hero of the Trojan war.
He fought on the side of the Trojans, and after greatly
distinguishing himself by his bravery, was slain by
Patroclus.
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