Lycaonia

Coordinates: 38°N 33°E / 38°N 33°E / 38; 33
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Lycaonia
Ancient Region of Anatolia
LocationSouth-eastern
Roman province
Cappadocia
Location of Lycaonia in Anatolia
Location of Lycaonia in Anatolia.
Heinrich Kiepert. Asia citerior. Lycaonia, 1903

Lycaonia (

Paul, after leaving Iconium, crossed the frontier and came to Lystra in Lycaonia. Ptolemy, on the other hand, includes Lycaonia as a part of the province of Cappadocia, with which it was associated by the Romans for administrative purposes; but the two countries are clearly distinguished both by Strabo
and Xenophon and by authorities generally.

Etymology

There is a theory that the name "Lycaonia" is a Greek-adapted version (influenced by the Greek masculine name

Lukka people" in an old Anatolian language related to Hittite
.

Geography

Lycaonia is described by

Tatta
and the frontiers of Galatia, is almost wholly barren, only small patches being cultivated near Iconium and the large villages. The soil, where water is supplied, is productive. In ancient times great attention was paid to storing and distributing the water, so that much land now barren was formerly cultivated and supported a large number of cities.

The plain is interrupted by some minor groups of mountains, of volcanic character, of which the

Sultan Dagh
range, which traverses a large part of Phrygia.

History

The Lycaonians appear to have been in early times to a great extent independent of the

Ladik), surnamed Combusta, to distinguish it from the Phrygian city of that name; and in the south, near the foot of Mount Taurus, was Laranda, now called Karaman, which has given name to the province of Karamania. Derbe and Lystra, which appear from the Acts of the Apostles
to have been considerable towns, were between Iconium and Laranda. There were many other towns, which became bishoprics in Byzantine times. Lycaonia was Christianized very early; and its ecclesiastical system was more completely organized in its final form during the 4th century than that of any other region of Asia Minor.

After the defeat of

strategia. In the readjustment of the Provinces, 64 BC, by Pompey after the Mithridatic Wars
, he gave the northern part of the tetrarchy to Galatia and the eastern part of the eleventh strategia to Cappadocia. The remainder was attached to Cilicia. Its administration and grouping changed often under the Romans. In 371, Lycaonia was first formed into a separate province.

The ancient coinage of Lycaonia is quite limited. Judging from the number of types/issues known, coins appear to have been struck sporadically and perhaps mostly for prestige or some important occasion (like a visit by the Emperor).

The Lycaonians appear to have retained a distinct nationality in the time of Strabo, but their ethnical affinities are unknown. The mention of the Lycaonian language in the Acts of the Apostles (14:11) shows that the native language was spoken by the common people at Lystra about 50; and probably it was only later and under Christian influence that Greek took its place. It is notable though that in the Acts of the Apostles Barnabas was called Zeus, and Paul was thought to be Hermes by Lycaonians, and this makes some other researchers to believe that Lycaonian language was actually a Greek dialect,[citation needed] the remnant of which can still be found in the Cappadocian Greek language which is classified as a distinct Greek dialect.

Localities

See also

References

Bibliography

  • W. M. Ramsay, Historical Geography of Asia Minor (1890), Historical Commentary on Galatians (1899) and Cities of St Paul (1907)
  • An article on the topography in the Jahreshefte des Oesterr. Archaeolog. Instituts, 194 (Beiblatt) pp. 57–132.
  • Asia Minor Coins - Lycaonia Ancient Greek and Roman coins from Lycaonia

38°N 33°E / 38°N 33°E / 38; 33