Miletus was an ancient Greek city located on the western coast of Anatolia in what is now modern-day Turkey. It was one of the most important and prosperous cities in the Ionian League during the Archaic and Classical periods of Ancient Greece. Miletus was a centre of colonisation and flourished as a site of Greek thought and culture.
Coordinates: 37°31’49.3″N 27°16’45.9″E
Miletus was inhabited since the Neolithic age, but its early history as a significant city began in the early and middle Bronze Age when the settlement came under the Minoan influence (the word Miletus is of Cretan origin). An important Mycenaean colony existed at Miletus from the middle of the 2nd millennium BC before passing into Carian control by the end of the Late Bronze Age. Miletus was the only Ionian city mentioned by Homer, who records in the Iliad that the Carian-led Miletians fought against the Greeks at Troy.
Ionian Greek settlers, known for their skilled seafarers and explorers, arrived in Miletus from 1000 BC and, from about 650 BC onwards, established colonies in various parts of the Mediterranean, on the shores of the Black Sea, and as far as Egypt. Miletus became a leading centre of Greek thought and culture over the following centuries; most significantly, the Milesian School of Philosophy featured such great thinkers as Thales, Anaximander and Anaximenes.
Along with the other Greek cities of Anatolia, Miletus was later ruled by the Lydians and the Persians. About 499 BC, the Milesians participated in the Greco-Persian Wars and took an active part in the Ionian revolt of 500-494 BC and, in retaliation, the Persians captured and destroyed Miletus. After the Persian defeat by the Greeks in 479 BC, Miletus joined the Athenian-dominated Delian League. Its fortunes soon revived, and the Milesians set about rebuilding their city on a new grid plan following the urban development ideas described by Hippodamus, a native of Miletus.
Like the other coastal cities in the region, Miletus was taken in 334 BC by Alexander the Great, who ushered in the city’s golden age. The city reached its greatest extent during the Hellenistic period, occupying an area of approximately 90 hectares. It then passed under Roman control and received special attention from Augustus, who visited the city in 19 BC. The city was also visited by Trajan (114 AD), who inaugurated some new projects, such as the Nymphaeum. It participated in the Panhellenion, the league of the Greek cities established by Hadrian. Numerous dedications for Trajan and Hadrian come from the South Agora.
Caligula and his wife were worshipped in Miletus, but the city quickly lost its neokoros title (temple-warden) because of the damnatio memoriae of the emperor. However, Miletus recovered the title of neokoros during the reign of Commodus (AD 180-192). Elagabalus (AD 218-222) awarded the second official title of neokoros to the city, which Miletus lost again because of the damnatio memoriae of the emperor in the years of Alexander Severus.
The main benefactor of the city was Annia Galeria Faustina, daughter of Antoninus Pius and wife of Marcus Aurelius, who visited the city and stayed there in AD 164. Among her donations were the construction of the magnificent baths named after her and the completion of the Roman theatre.
The city’s fortunes declined over the centuries due to political unrest and changing trade routes. Over time, the harbour silted up, leading to economic difficulties. The decline continued into the Byzantine era, and the city was eventually abandoned in the Middle Ages.
Today, Miletus is an archaeological site showcasing the ruins of this once-great city, including a well-preserved theatre, agora, and other structures that offer a glimpse into its ancient glory.
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Hello and many thanks for this interesting article and glorious photographs. The buildings must have looked splendid in their respective times.
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