DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4679#0303
1. KERETAPA-DIOCAESAREIA. 277
of Apameia, and thus in close relations with it. Keretapa therefore
was in such a situation that, topographically, it could be arranged in
a list between Colossai and Themisonion, while it was actually in the
conventus of Apameia. Kaya-dibi fulfils this condition exactly.
Coins of Keretapa mention an alliance with Hierapolis, which also
is favourable to a situation such as has been assigned.
Other facts point to the close connexion that existed between
Colossai or Khonai and Keretapa. An appearance of Michael of
Khonai at Keretapa is celebrated on Sept. 6 by the Greek Church 1.
In the late legend of the Miracle at Khonai, Keretapa is actually
spoken of as in the territory of Khonai2. This extraordinary error
becomes more intelligible when we find that the two cities are con-
terminous 3. A legend arose founded on the misspelling Xcupe-TOTra,
that Michael addressed the place xa^Pe' font.
A coincidence connected with the name is of some interest, if it
. be not unreal. Keretapa seems to belong to a large class of Anatolian
names containing the element her, to which perhaps the national
name Kares belorigs. The second part is probably the Carian word
taba, which according to Stephanus (s. v. Td/3ai) means ' rock.' Now
Kaya-dibi means ' under the rock'; and the most remarkable feature
in the situation is adofty peak on the north, which rises so abruptly
that it seems actually to overhang and threaten the town4.
But the strongest argument for the site is that, while every other
ancient name in Southern Phrygia can be assigned on good evidence
to other sites, the important district of Kaya-dibi alone remains
without a name.
Keretapa was an important city, with considerable coinage from
Augustus onwards. A fertile country of great extent surrounds
1 LeQuien(OWe>isC%raJ.I 813) uses the and I visited them late one evening in
expression Chonae quae juxta Ceretapa 1886; but could not understand their
(which he either derives from a source plan or character. They are on far too
unknown to me or infers from this ap- great and massive a scale to be mere
pearance). shepherds' work. Pre-hellenic rock
3 See Church in It. Empire ch. XIX. sculptures have been reported (Davis
3 M. Duchesne Bull. Crit. 1890 p. 444 Anatolica p. 135, Perrot Hist, de VArt
prefers the cheap supposition that there IV p. 742) at Kara-at-li near Kaya-dibi :
were two places Keretapa, one in the I found only three small figures, 9 inches
territory of Khonai, and one an inde- high, rude Roman work. The identifi-
pendent city. cation of Gaesareia in the legend of St.
4 On the broad top of this hill are Artemon with Diocaesareia must be
extensive ruins, consisting of great lines abandoned : Caesareia-Cibyra is more
of wall of loose small stones surround- probable, since Keretapa was in the
ing a very large space. H. A. Brown conventus of Apameia.
of Apameia, and thus in close relations with it. Keretapa therefore
was in such a situation that, topographically, it could be arranged in
a list between Colossai and Themisonion, while it was actually in the
conventus of Apameia. Kaya-dibi fulfils this condition exactly.
Coins of Keretapa mention an alliance with Hierapolis, which also
is favourable to a situation such as has been assigned.
Other facts point to the close connexion that existed between
Colossai or Khonai and Keretapa. An appearance of Michael of
Khonai at Keretapa is celebrated on Sept. 6 by the Greek Church 1.
In the late legend of the Miracle at Khonai, Keretapa is actually
spoken of as in the territory of Khonai2. This extraordinary error
becomes more intelligible when we find that the two cities are con-
terminous 3. A legend arose founded on the misspelling Xcupe-TOTra,
that Michael addressed the place xa^Pe' font.
A coincidence connected with the name is of some interest, if it
. be not unreal. Keretapa seems to belong to a large class of Anatolian
names containing the element her, to which perhaps the national
name Kares belorigs. The second part is probably the Carian word
taba, which according to Stephanus (s. v. Td/3ai) means ' rock.' Now
Kaya-dibi means ' under the rock'; and the most remarkable feature
in the situation is adofty peak on the north, which rises so abruptly
that it seems actually to overhang and threaten the town4.
But the strongest argument for the site is that, while every other
ancient name in Southern Phrygia can be assigned on good evidence
to other sites, the important district of Kaya-dibi alone remains
without a name.
Keretapa was an important city, with considerable coinage from
Augustus onwards. A fertile country of great extent surrounds
1 LeQuien(OWe>isC%raJ.I 813) uses the and I visited them late one evening in
expression Chonae quae juxta Ceretapa 1886; but could not understand their
(which he either derives from a source plan or character. They are on far too
unknown to me or infers from this ap- great and massive a scale to be mere
pearance). shepherds' work. Pre-hellenic rock
3 See Church in It. Empire ch. XIX. sculptures have been reported (Davis
3 M. Duchesne Bull. Crit. 1890 p. 444 Anatolica p. 135, Perrot Hist, de VArt
prefers the cheap supposition that there IV p. 742) at Kara-at-li near Kaya-dibi :
were two places Keretapa, one in the I found only three small figures, 9 inches
territory of Khonai, and one an inde- high, rude Roman work. The identifi-
pendent city. cation of Gaesareia in the legend of St.
4 On the broad top of this hill are Artemon with Diocaesareia must be
extensive ruins, consisting of great lines abandoned : Caesareia-Cibyra is more
of wall of loose small stones surround- probable, since Keretapa was in the
ing a very large space. H. A. Brown conventus of Apameia.