Aspendos

Aspendos is known and remembered for its stunning theatre, the best preserved ancient theatre in Asia Minor and one of the best preserved in the entire world, but its local history reaches a millennium further into the past.

The ancient name given to this area was Pamphylia, and it was populated by people migrating from Anatolia. Once settled, many cities sprung up all over the area, but none in Pamphylia were as grand as Apsendos. Aspendos, often called by its local name Belkis, was apparently founded by the Hittites, but no agreed historical accounts can be found for the purposes of this travelogue. It may have also been founded by the Greeks after the fall of Troy in 1250 BC, but I find that unlikely. Due to the rise of the Hittites, the city was likely founded sometime around 1300 BC, making it one of the oldest in southern Turkey. That date is a guess on my part since the fall of Troy and the height of the Hittite Empire are close together in time. Since the height of the Hittite Empire preceeded the fall of Troy, and due to the geographical location of Aspendos, I think it’s likely the Hittites were the original founders of the city.

The first writings about the city state it was founded by the Greeks after the Trojan war, as was previously stated, but again I find this unlikely. The history of Aspendos is so obscure, and each article or book one finds on the subject seems to contradict the one before it. This leaves one only able to provide a ‘best guess’ based on common themes. The tourist guide books are so badly written one is under the conclusion this can only be due to translation issues, but the historical data is so bad it appears more likely that the accounts were written with selling books in mind, rather than any concern for historical accuracy. Thus, it seems, many articles or accounts have simply been imagined. However, one must endure…

Aspendos’ location on the Eurymedon River – today called the Köprüçay River – means it was used as a trading hub. Aspendos is only 2.5 miles (4km) from the sea, and the growth of Aspendos appears to have been due to its river and port, both of which gave protection to ships arriving from the Mediterranean. It was also an important trade route. The economy of the local area can be clearly seen today – Aspendos’ acropolis sits atop a vast open fertile plain, and still today lemon trees are everywhere. In times past the economy was based on salt trade and furniture making, the former obtained from Lake Capria and the latter from the lemon trees. The furniture items created were considered luxury items and were exported across Asia Minor and Rome. Wine production was also high on the export list. The heyday of Aspendos’ exporting era appears to have been the 2nd and 3rd centuries, during Roman rule.

Although the original founders are unknown and were either Greeks or Hittites, the dates seem to focus on the 12th Century BC. A second migration occurs around the 7th Century BC, apparently from Argos, which also seems unlikely, although one article states the second migration was from both Phaselis and Sillyon, the former a Lycian city and the latter close by in the Antalya region. Another article states the migration contained Greeks and they ‘blended in with the locals and the traditions’, which suggests the population at Aspendos was not originally Greek.

What is absolutely clear is that in 546 BC Aspendos was taken by the Persians. The Persians were then defeated in the huge battle of Eurymedon in 466 BC by the Greeks in the form of the Delian League. During the day, the Athenian admiral Kimon defeated the Persian navy in the estuary of the Eurymedon, and during the same night he launched a surprise attack on the camp of the Persian army. The rapid defeat of the Persian military sent shockwaves across Asia Minor, and the Greeks secured the safety of the Aegean Sea in the process.

Aspendos, like nearly all of Asia Minor, was taken by Alexander the Great in 334 BC. So the brutal Alexander didn’t burn down the city the population offered him 50 talents of silver and many horses. The agreement was made and Alexander left, but the deal was then foolishly rejected by the locals! Alexander, not happy with having to turn around, took 100 talents of silver and twice as many horses. On top of that Alexander then left a Macedonian garrison on he site. After the death of Alexander in 323 BC the city was controlled by Antigonos until the Battle of Ipsos in 301 BC. Aspendos then changed hands several times between the Ptolemaic dynasty and the Seleucids during the 3rd Century BC. Finally Aspendos was under control of Pergamum after the Battle of Magnesia in 190 BC, and the Treaty of Apameia, which was the political result of that battle, was signed in 188 BC.

Later, in 129 BC, Anatolia became the Asia state of Rome and Aspendos became a free city, but by 102 BC the city was under full control of Rome. It’s from this time that the city starts to be redeveloped and many of the buildings seen today date from the Roman period. It’s also during this period that the incredible theatre was built.

The theatre was built during the reign of Marcus Aurelius between 161 and 180 AD. The theatre is astonishing in its design, and employs no less than genius architecture for its day. The architect, Zeno, understood the principles of acoustics to a high level of accuracy and in doing so he designed the theatre so that no open space occurred in the theatre itself. The two entrances are located at the sides of the stage area in the form of tunnels, thus making the main seating area a completely enclosed space. The building of the theatre was funded by two brothers who must also get a mention – Curtius Crespinus and Curtius Auspicatus.

The information board at the site states the seating capacity is 15,000, which seems quite high, and certain other sources put the seating capacity at 7,000, which is definitely too low. The book I have referenced states a capacity of 8,000. Again, this is definitely too low. One article states that the theatre capacity “was once estimated at 10,000 to 15,000, but recent attendance at the Aspendos Culture and Film Festival has shown that it can hold over 20,000”. I find this to be nothing more than a fabrication. There is no way that theatre can hold anywhere near 20,000 people. Being an avid sports fan I have used a tried and tested method to calculate the seating capacity of any particular stadium, and using my own photos I have concluded the theatre’s official capacity to be around 12,000. However, since the theatre is still used for events today then 15,000 could be possible, especially when the floor is occupied in front of the stage. People would be squeezed together though and I don’t think it would make for a comfortable night’s viewing. Surprisingly, events programmes for today’s shows do not mention the capacity or available number of seats. This may seem a rather tiresome argument but since the theatre is at least 1800 years old you’d think the official capacity was known after all these years, and all the sources would state the same figure. They certainly don’t, and I’m going to stick my neck out and state the official capacity is 12,000.

Aspendos flourished in the 2nd and 3rd centuries, and also well into the Byzantine era. In the 7th and 11th centuries the city was raided by Arabs, and was then conquered by the Seljuk Turks in the 13th Century. In the 15th Century the city was finally controlled by the Ottoman Empire.

My visit to Aspendos was on Monday 16 March, 2015. It was a warm and sunny day and the area was almost devoid of tourists, and this meant an excellent tour was undertaken, often alone. At one point the theatre itself was completely empty and the full acoustics  could be heard, not to mention the excellent photo opportunities this created. The acropolis is in a bad state and most of the buildings have been destroyed, but the commanding views leaves one in no doubt of the reason this location was originally chosen.

 

References:

http://www.turkeytravelplanner.com/go/med/Aspendos/

http://www.antalya.org/listingview.php?listingID=49

https://www.stephenmaybury.co.uk/travelogue/troy/

http://www.ancientgreekbattles.net/Pages/46650_BattleOfEurymedon.htm

http://www.ancient.eu/Hittite/

http://www.aspendosfestival.gov.tr/tiyatro_tarihce_e.html

https://www.whitman.edu/theatre/theatretour/aspendos/introduction/aspendos.intro2.htm

http://www.historvius.com/aspendos-roman-theatre-1056/