DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4326#0016
CN1DUS.
11
It was in the middle of the second century before the Christian sera, that Diodotus Tryphon
secure in his lofty peninsular castle of Coracesium now Alaya, which is situated about the middle
of the southern coast of Asia Minor, on the frontier of Cilicia and Pamphylia, set an example of
independence to the other maritime cities of that coast; which not long afterwards had most im-
portant results. The Cilician cities in particular relying on their position, which was protected on
one side by the sea, and on the other by Mount Taurus, and taking advantage of the weakness of the
Seleucidse, which had been caused by their own dissensions, by the Parthian invasion, and by the
hostility of ^gypt and Cyprus, founded a naval confederacy, in which in the course of a few
years were not only included all the principal towns of Cilicia and Pamphylia, but some of the
chief cities of Crete. Coracesium was their principal fortress, Side in Pamphylia their chief arsenal.
Maritime security may have been the object of the most respectable of these states, dependent as
they were in great measure upon commerce, and particularly that of the Cretan cities ; but of the
original founders of the league, piracy was the undisguised profession, in the practice of which they
intercepted ships, plundered towns and temples, and carried off an immense number of slaves,
especially from Syria, for the sale of whom they established a marc in the sacred island of Delos.
Mithradates who found the pirates very useful to him contributed to augment their importance and
their audacity, but his alliance exposed them to the enmity of the Romans, though previously these
had more than any other people encouraged them by having been the greatest purchasers of their
slaves.
During the civil wars of Rome the power of these pirates increased to such a degree, that they
intercepted the transport of corn to Rome from Sardinia, Sicily and Africa, and disembarking in
Italy, they infested the high roads. At length in the year b. c. 66 the senate having conferred upon
Cneius Pompeius Magnus unlimited power, and furnished him with ample means for reducing the
pirates, they were driven in a very short time to their strong holds in Cilicia; where having been
defeated in a naval action near Coracesium, they were besieged by Pompey in that fortress, and
forced to submit. In the ensuing year Metellus completed the conquest of Crete.*
We are not surprized that Olympus and Phaselis, situated as they were on the gulf of Attaleia,
immediately opposite to Coracesium, or that Cragus and Anticragus having the advantage of
positions similar to those of Cilicia Tracheia, should have been tempted to join the piratical
alliance, but we have the express evidence of Strabo that the Lycian cities in general kept aloof
from the disgraceful league : nor is there any proof that the principal towns further to the west,
such as Patara, Telmissus, Caunus, Cnidus, or Cos, were engaged in it, still less those on the western
coast of Caria or on that of Ionia. Rhodes alone viewed the proceedings of the pirates without
displeasure; but Cnidus though generally following the policy of Rhodes, was so far from doing
so on this occasion, that the town was attacked and taken by the pirates,* as we are informed
* Strabo, p. 515, 668, 752.—Plutarch. Pomp. 24.—Dion. et seq.—Justin. XXXVI, 1.
Cass. XXXVl.—Fl'or. Ill, 7.—Appian. Syr. 66, Mithrid. 92 f Cnidum, aut Colophonem, aut Samum, nobilissimas urbes,
11
It was in the middle of the second century before the Christian sera, that Diodotus Tryphon
secure in his lofty peninsular castle of Coracesium now Alaya, which is situated about the middle
of the southern coast of Asia Minor, on the frontier of Cilicia and Pamphylia, set an example of
independence to the other maritime cities of that coast; which not long afterwards had most im-
portant results. The Cilician cities in particular relying on their position, which was protected on
one side by the sea, and on the other by Mount Taurus, and taking advantage of the weakness of the
Seleucidse, which had been caused by their own dissensions, by the Parthian invasion, and by the
hostility of ^gypt and Cyprus, founded a naval confederacy, in which in the course of a few
years were not only included all the principal towns of Cilicia and Pamphylia, but some of the
chief cities of Crete. Coracesium was their principal fortress, Side in Pamphylia their chief arsenal.
Maritime security may have been the object of the most respectable of these states, dependent as
they were in great measure upon commerce, and particularly that of the Cretan cities ; but of the
original founders of the league, piracy was the undisguised profession, in the practice of which they
intercepted ships, plundered towns and temples, and carried off an immense number of slaves,
especially from Syria, for the sale of whom they established a marc in the sacred island of Delos.
Mithradates who found the pirates very useful to him contributed to augment their importance and
their audacity, but his alliance exposed them to the enmity of the Romans, though previously these
had more than any other people encouraged them by having been the greatest purchasers of their
slaves.
During the civil wars of Rome the power of these pirates increased to such a degree, that they
intercepted the transport of corn to Rome from Sardinia, Sicily and Africa, and disembarking in
Italy, they infested the high roads. At length in the year b. c. 66 the senate having conferred upon
Cneius Pompeius Magnus unlimited power, and furnished him with ample means for reducing the
pirates, they were driven in a very short time to their strong holds in Cilicia; where having been
defeated in a naval action near Coracesium, they were besieged by Pompey in that fortress, and
forced to submit. In the ensuing year Metellus completed the conquest of Crete.*
We are not surprized that Olympus and Phaselis, situated as they were on the gulf of Attaleia,
immediately opposite to Coracesium, or that Cragus and Anticragus having the advantage of
positions similar to those of Cilicia Tracheia, should have been tempted to join the piratical
alliance, but we have the express evidence of Strabo that the Lycian cities in general kept aloof
from the disgraceful league : nor is there any proof that the principal towns further to the west,
such as Patara, Telmissus, Caunus, Cnidus, or Cos, were engaged in it, still less those on the western
coast of Caria or on that of Ionia. Rhodes alone viewed the proceedings of the pirates without
displeasure; but Cnidus though generally following the policy of Rhodes, was so far from doing
so on this occasion, that the town was attacked and taken by the pirates,* as we are informed
* Strabo, p. 515, 668, 752.—Plutarch. Pomp. 24.—Dion. et seq.—Justin. XXXVI, 1.
Cass. XXXVl.—Fl'or. Ill, 7.—Appian. Syr. 66, Mithrid. 92 f Cnidum, aut Colophonem, aut Samum, nobilissimas urbes,