Texier, Charles; Pullan, Richard P.: The principal ruins of Asia Minor (London, 1865)

ANCYRA.

ANCYRA.1

INTERESTING as the Augusteum of Ancyra is as a work of art, it is rendered still more so by the numerous
valuable inscriptions remaining on its walls, one of which gives a complete account of the ceremonies of the
dedication of a temple.

The ruins of the temple stand in the middle of the Roman town. The two side walls of the cella,
with the antce that terminate them, are all that remain of the building. These walls are constructed of great
blocks of marble, put together with bronze cramps. The capitals of the pilasters have winged figures of Victory
in the midst of foliage: from these branches of acanthus extend round the cella wall externally, formim-- a
most elegant frieze. The front had six Corinthian columns, with entablature and pediment: the columns at the
sides have disappeared, but it is easy to ascertain from the arrangement of the cella wall that the building Mas
hexastyle and peripteral. The doorway leading from the pronaos has a rich architrave and a cornice supported by
large consoles. The interior of the building was very simple, ornamented by a band of carved fruits and flowers.
Above this band the wall was quite smooth, To the right, on entering the cella, are to be seen two small
round arched windows cut into the wall, to admit light into the temple when it was converted into a Christian
church.2

A mosque was erected around the church in the 18th century: this has tended in a great measure to preserve
it from further destruction.

Ancyra, the capital of Galatia, was from the earliest times a town of some importance, but it was
especially renowned in Roman times, when several public buildings were erected, of which there are but
few remains.

According to Pausanias, Ancyra was founded by Midas, son of Gordius, and the anchor which was to be
seen in the Temple of Jupiter was supposed from the time of the Greek historians to have been discovered by
that prince.

Apollonius, the historian of Caria, gives another origin to the anchor of Ancyra. The Gauls, immediately
after they arrived in Asia, had to fight Mithridates and Ariobarzanes. Ptolemy also sent against them an armv
of Egyptians, who were repulsed and beaten to their boats. The Gauls carried away with them the anchors
of the enemy's vessels as trophies of their victory, and placed them in their town, which they called Ancyra.
But even from the time of Alexander, the city of Ancyra existed under the same name. The king of Macedon
coming to Gordium, and marching towards Syria, stopped before this town to receive the deputies from the
Paphlagonians, and to discover how they were disposed towards him. Under the successors of Alexander, Ancyra
was subject to Antiochus III., who had the assistance of the Galatians at the battle of Magnesia.

The name of this capital is mentioned for the first time in Roman historians with reference to the campaign
of Marius. Strabo speaks of it only as a fortress of the Galati.

At first the city of Ancyra occupied the summit of a hill, which extends from the east to the west. This
hill is a large volcanic rock, the sides of which are very abrupt. The acropolis crowns the rock, and the walls
descend halfway down the side. To the north, the river Enguri defends the shores of the mountains, and
running towards the west, empties itself into the Sangarius.

In the course of time this country followed the fate of the Romans, in the wars which they had to
sustain against Mithridates. Pompey gave this kingdom to his ally Dejotarus: and the tctrarchy of Galatia was
established at that time.

After the death of Dejotarus, Amyntas, his secretary, received from Antony the title of king, and this
dignity was confirmed by Augustus. Amyntas died in Cilicia, 25 years B.C. His son Pykemenes did not, how-
ever, obtain the kingdom, but Galatia was formed into a single province together with Lycaonia.

It is from this epoch that the brilliant period of Ancyra as a Roman capital commenced. The three capitals
of the tetrarchy of the Galatians were, Tavium, Pessinunte, and Ancyra; the last-named town received the
name of Sebaste, in honour of the emperor Augustus. Under Nero, it obtained the title of Metropolis, and the
inhabitants received the name of Tectosagi Augusti, which is found on their monuments.

Ancyra itself was called Sebaste Ancyra of the Tectosagi. The symbol of the town was an anchor
The coins, as well as the monuments, show that the same sign was preserved under the Roman emperors'
The Galatian towns of eastern Phrygia were the first in Asia which added to their primitive name
Roman surname; and this honour only served to tighten the bonds which united them to the Caisars Tl
situation of these towns of Galatia was happily placed on the grand road from Byzantium to Cilicia and Svria
towards the south, and in the direction of Erzeroum in Armenia on the road to Persia towards the north •

1 Abridged from Texier's Asie Mineure. 2 See Texier and Pullan's Jiyzantine Architecture n 90

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