1. SITUATION AND SCENERY. 209
ground that overhangs the river, at the point where it enters a deep
and picturesque gorge, piercing the low broad ridge between the
upper and the lower shelf of the Lycos valley (Ch. I § 3)1. The
fortified acropolis was on the south bank ; but the buildings and
tombs extended far on to the north bank; and thus the gorge literally
begins inside the city. Colossai was at one time the great city of
south-western Phrygia, lying on the easy trade-route from Sardis to
Kelainai (the later Apameia) and the southern part of the plateau
in general. The change of road-system, and the foundation of Lao-
diceia proved its ruin. Though situated on the Eastern Highway,
it was so near Laodiceia (11 miles distant), that both could not live
on the trade of the road; and the situation of Laodiceia, as we have
seen, was far more advantageous. Colossai had not, like Hierapolis,
any great natural advantages to ensure its prosperity. It derived"
some importance from its fine wool2 which rivalled that of Laodiceia;
and it retained municipal independence. But whereas Colossai was
' a great city of Phrygia ' in B.C. 480, and ' a populous city, prosperous
and great' in 401, it decayed in proportion as Laodiceia prospered.
In the time of Strabo it was ' a small town' (noXio-fLa p. 576). Pliny
mentions it in a list of oppida celeberrima; but his list, which includes
Celaenae, Andria, Carina, and other cities which had ceased to exist
long before his time, is really an historical retrospect. He previously
had given a list of all the important places, and he now adds, ' besides
those already mentioned' (praeter jam dicta), a list of historically
important names s. Its coinage, struck solely under the Empire, is
scanty and uninteresting, and it almost disappears from history.
Christianity alone has preserved its memory in the Eoman period.
One of the most interesting questions in regard to Colossai4 turns
1 The gorge is about 2J miles long: one given by Lightfoot Colossians p. 16 n,
its breadth varies during a considerable which does not account for the descrip-
part of its length between 150 and 250 tion celeberrima. For Conium in Pliny's
feet: the height of the perpendicular list probably Iconium should be read
rock walls is 60 feet or more. with some MSS. Pliny supposed this
2 The colour of the wool was called Phrygian Iconium to be different from
from the city colossinns. According to the Lycaonian Iconium; but he mis-
PlinyXXI 51, the flower of the cyclamen understood his authority, probably an
was colossinus, and this flower is gene- old Greek work which gave Iconium its
rally said to be purple. Strabo evidently original character as a city of Phrygia
refers to a natural colour; and we must (see Church in B. Emp. p. 37 fj.
suppose that it was a very dark purple, 4 The question is treated more fully
approximating to the black of Lao- in Ch. XIX of my Church in the Roman
diceia. Empire.
" This explanation differs from the
VOL. I. 1'
ground that overhangs the river, at the point where it enters a deep
and picturesque gorge, piercing the low broad ridge between the
upper and the lower shelf of the Lycos valley (Ch. I § 3)1. The
fortified acropolis was on the south bank ; but the buildings and
tombs extended far on to the north bank; and thus the gorge literally
begins inside the city. Colossai was at one time the great city of
south-western Phrygia, lying on the easy trade-route from Sardis to
Kelainai (the later Apameia) and the southern part of the plateau
in general. The change of road-system, and the foundation of Lao-
diceia proved its ruin. Though situated on the Eastern Highway,
it was so near Laodiceia (11 miles distant), that both could not live
on the trade of the road; and the situation of Laodiceia, as we have
seen, was far more advantageous. Colossai had not, like Hierapolis,
any great natural advantages to ensure its prosperity. It derived"
some importance from its fine wool2 which rivalled that of Laodiceia;
and it retained municipal independence. But whereas Colossai was
' a great city of Phrygia ' in B.C. 480, and ' a populous city, prosperous
and great' in 401, it decayed in proportion as Laodiceia prospered.
In the time of Strabo it was ' a small town' (noXio-fLa p. 576). Pliny
mentions it in a list of oppida celeberrima; but his list, which includes
Celaenae, Andria, Carina, and other cities which had ceased to exist
long before his time, is really an historical retrospect. He previously
had given a list of all the important places, and he now adds, ' besides
those already mentioned' (praeter jam dicta), a list of historically
important names s. Its coinage, struck solely under the Empire, is
scanty and uninteresting, and it almost disappears from history.
Christianity alone has preserved its memory in the Eoman period.
One of the most interesting questions in regard to Colossai4 turns
1 The gorge is about 2J miles long: one given by Lightfoot Colossians p. 16 n,
its breadth varies during a considerable which does not account for the descrip-
part of its length between 150 and 250 tion celeberrima. For Conium in Pliny's
feet: the height of the perpendicular list probably Iconium should be read
rock walls is 60 feet or more. with some MSS. Pliny supposed this
2 The colour of the wool was called Phrygian Iconium to be different from
from the city colossinns. According to the Lycaonian Iconium; but he mis-
PlinyXXI 51, the flower of the cyclamen understood his authority, probably an
was colossinus, and this flower is gene- old Greek work which gave Iconium its
rally said to be purple. Strabo evidently original character as a city of Phrygia
refers to a natural colour; and we must (see Church in B. Emp. p. 37 fj.
suppose that it was a very dark purple, 4 The question is treated more fully
approximating to the black of Lao- in Ch. XIX of my Church in the Roman
diceia. Empire.
" This explanation differs from the
VOL. I. 1'