DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4326#0149
PATARA.
83
pedon, were at length so maddened by despair, that they assisted in the destruction of their own
city and citizens by fire and sword, perishing in such numbers that of the class of free citizens
no more than one hundred and fifty men and a few women were taken. They appear to have
been instigated in part by the memory of two similar acts of their ancestors, the first time
when the city was taken by Harpagus the general of Gyrus, and again when Alexander reduced
this part of Asia to submission.* The fate of Xanthus probably saved Patara from a similar dis-
aster, for the people were equally prepared for a vigorous resistance, and refused to answer the
proposals and menaces of Brutus, until a knowledge of what had happened at Xanthus, the en-
treaties of the captives of that city, and a sale of the latter as slaves, which Brutus, for the purpose
of intimidation commenced in sight of the walls of Patara, induced them to submit. Brutus was
satisfied with extorting from them all the gold and silver in the city; having discovered that which
was in private hands by means of informers, as Gassius had done at Rhodes. From Patara Brutus
proceeded to Andriace the port of Myra, where he captured the chief magistrate of Myra and
restored him to liberty, upon which the people of Myra submitted. Ariobarzanes was taken
and put to death by Cassius.-f
After these events the best and almost the only evidence as to the fortunes and condition of
Patara is derived from its monuments.X Probably the federal union of the Lycians, though still
existing in the reign of Augustus, did not much longer survive the loss of its authority on all
questions of external policy. On an autonomous coin of Patara which appears to be of the first
century of the Roman empire, the name of the Lycians is no longer found, the obverse present-
ing only the head of Apollo seen in front as on the Rhodian coins, and on the opposite side a
female head, that of Latona or Diana, with the legend JJoLva^cav, From a dedicatory inscription
found in the theatre of Patara we learn that in the reign of Hadrian, this city was styled the me-
tropolis of the Lycian nation \ft$q6xQkiQ rou Aux'kdp eQvovq) ; the title had probably been recently as-
sumed,} though it accords with the words which Livy, following Polybius, puts into the mouth
of one of the Rhodian commanders in the council held by Regillus at Samos, three centuries be-
fore the reign of Hadrian, Patara being described by him as the capital of Lyciall (caput gentis).
In the middle period, however, Strabo when describing Patara as a great city ((teyafai xqXiq) de-
signates Xanthus as the greatest in Lycia {fuyhrri rav zv Auxk).*L It would seem, therefore, that
Xanthus soon afterwards rapidly declined.
* Appian mentions another circumstance equally shewing
the Lycians to have been true sons of Hellen. The people
of CEnanda as the nearest neighbours of the Xanthii enter-
tained a jealous hatred of them, and even assisted the enemy
against them, Appian, B. C. IV. 79. Greece has furnished,
of late, many similar examples both of the sublime and the
contemptible, shewing how little the people have changed.
Of the use of fire-ships, which during their contest with the
Turks the modern Greeks employed so successfully, we find an
example in the battle of Myonnesus, Appian, De Reb. Syr. 27.
f Dion. Cass. XLVII. p. 347, Ed. Leuncl.—Appian. B. C.
IV. 65.—Plutarch, in Brut.
+ See Plate XII. PI. XIII. and PI. XIV—fig. 7.
§ The distinction of Metropolis, although it was an object
of fierce contention among some of the Asiatic cities, appears
to have been merely titular. A rescript of Antoninus still
exists, which shews that the title related only to the nations
(iQvri) and had no reference to the Roman government, or
the divisions of its proconsular provinces. See Van Dale Diss.
3, p. 239; Caylus rec. d'ant. II. p. 214; Belley et Bar-
thelemy ap. Mem. de l'Acad. des Ins. XVIII. p. 121, XXX.
p. 415.
|| Liv. XXXVII, 15.
«\ Strabo p. 666.
83
pedon, were at length so maddened by despair, that they assisted in the destruction of their own
city and citizens by fire and sword, perishing in such numbers that of the class of free citizens
no more than one hundred and fifty men and a few women were taken. They appear to have
been instigated in part by the memory of two similar acts of their ancestors, the first time
when the city was taken by Harpagus the general of Gyrus, and again when Alexander reduced
this part of Asia to submission.* The fate of Xanthus probably saved Patara from a similar dis-
aster, for the people were equally prepared for a vigorous resistance, and refused to answer the
proposals and menaces of Brutus, until a knowledge of what had happened at Xanthus, the en-
treaties of the captives of that city, and a sale of the latter as slaves, which Brutus, for the purpose
of intimidation commenced in sight of the walls of Patara, induced them to submit. Brutus was
satisfied with extorting from them all the gold and silver in the city; having discovered that which
was in private hands by means of informers, as Gassius had done at Rhodes. From Patara Brutus
proceeded to Andriace the port of Myra, where he captured the chief magistrate of Myra and
restored him to liberty, upon which the people of Myra submitted. Ariobarzanes was taken
and put to death by Cassius.-f
After these events the best and almost the only evidence as to the fortunes and condition of
Patara is derived from its monuments.X Probably the federal union of the Lycians, though still
existing in the reign of Augustus, did not much longer survive the loss of its authority on all
questions of external policy. On an autonomous coin of Patara which appears to be of the first
century of the Roman empire, the name of the Lycians is no longer found, the obverse present-
ing only the head of Apollo seen in front as on the Rhodian coins, and on the opposite side a
female head, that of Latona or Diana, with the legend JJoLva^cav, From a dedicatory inscription
found in the theatre of Patara we learn that in the reign of Hadrian, this city was styled the me-
tropolis of the Lycian nation \ft$q6xQkiQ rou Aux'kdp eQvovq) ; the title had probably been recently as-
sumed,} though it accords with the words which Livy, following Polybius, puts into the mouth
of one of the Rhodian commanders in the council held by Regillus at Samos, three centuries be-
fore the reign of Hadrian, Patara being described by him as the capital of Lyciall (caput gentis).
In the middle period, however, Strabo when describing Patara as a great city ((teyafai xqXiq) de-
signates Xanthus as the greatest in Lycia {fuyhrri rav zv Auxk).*L It would seem, therefore, that
Xanthus soon afterwards rapidly declined.
* Appian mentions another circumstance equally shewing
the Lycians to have been true sons of Hellen. The people
of CEnanda as the nearest neighbours of the Xanthii enter-
tained a jealous hatred of them, and even assisted the enemy
against them, Appian, B. C. IV. 79. Greece has furnished,
of late, many similar examples both of the sublime and the
contemptible, shewing how little the people have changed.
Of the use of fire-ships, which during their contest with the
Turks the modern Greeks employed so successfully, we find an
example in the battle of Myonnesus, Appian, De Reb. Syr. 27.
f Dion. Cass. XLVII. p. 347, Ed. Leuncl.—Appian. B. C.
IV. 65.—Plutarch, in Brut.
+ See Plate XII. PI. XIII. and PI. XIV—fig. 7.
§ The distinction of Metropolis, although it was an object
of fierce contention among some of the Asiatic cities, appears
to have been merely titular. A rescript of Antoninus still
exists, which shews that the title related only to the nations
(iQvri) and had no reference to the Roman government, or
the divisions of its proconsular provinces. See Van Dale Diss.
3, p. 239; Caylus rec. d'ant. II. p. 214; Belley et Bar-
thelemy ap. Mem. de l'Acad. des Ins. XVIII. p. 121, XXX.
p. 415.
|| Liv. XXXVII, 15.
«\ Strabo p. 666.