Was Alexander the Great aware of Cnidos? - Caria 3

While history spends time and words about Alexander’s siege of Halicarnassus, close to nothing is known about him in connection with other Carian cities, except Alinda which I’ll treat later on. One of these cities is the important harbor of Cnidos situated at the tip of the Dorian Peninsula, 18 miles due south of Halicarnassus, today’s Bodrum. I had the immense pleasure of sailing into the ancient commercial harbor of Cnidos on yet another trip with Peter Sommer Travels and watching the old city unfold on either side of me. When our gullet, the Almira, threw her anchor and was securely roped to the rocks, I felt like stepping back in time. What an experience! 

What remains of Cnidos may not seem spectacular at first sight, but it is the overall setting with the two distinct harbors, one on the north side called the Trireme Harbor and the other one facing south, which I just entered, that makes the place so unique. Sailing along the Carian coastline is by itself an unforgettable experience. I always have visions of the daring seafarers from Phoenician, Greek, and Roman times who crossed these waters and witnessed the same rocky hills and peaceful coves, but entering one of those ancient harbors is absolutely rewarding! 

Cnidos was built in the 4th century BC. It was laid out in the Hippodamic plan inside a four-kilometer-long wall reinforced by forty towers to protect it on the land side. I’m amazed to learn that this port-city counted more than 70,000 inhabitants in its heydays. Cnidos was also known to shelter one of the four medical schools of antiquity, the Asclepion, with those at Pergamon, Epidaurus, and Kos. And last but not least, it was here that Praxiteles put his first nude woman ever on display, i.e., Aphrodite, who was worshipped as Aphrodite Euploia, de goddess of Good Sailing. The story goes that the people of Cos had ordered a statue of this deity from Praxiteles, but they rejected the nude figure he proposed and requested a clothed one instead. However, the residents of Cnidos accepted the nude statue of the goddess of love, an easy way to immortalize their city and bring in flocks of worshippers (today, we would speak of tourists). Praxiteles’ beautiful mistress and courtesan represented here has been saved for posterity thanks to its many copies over the centuries. It must have been so gorgeous and so lifelike that a young admirer fell deeply in love with her. One night, so the story goes, he sneaked into the sanctuary where she stood and embraced her. Since then, she bore a dark stain on one of her inner thighs where he had kissed her so passionately. The somewhat controversial “archaeologist” Iris Love pretended in 1969 that she had found the base of the circular temple where the statue once stood, but nothing is less certain. She also claims that the very head of this Aphrodite is resting in the basement of the British Museum. Yet, the museum authorities insist that the battered head belongs to Persephone, discovered by Charles Newton in the 19th century.

Cnidos still awaits discovery beyond the handful of houses and a small restaurant on the waterfront. Few excavations have been carried out over the years, yet just enough to entice the visitor’s appetite. Otherwise, we can let our imagination run freely. On the right-hand side of the harbor lies the eastern part of the city where we find the official buildings (theatre, temples, sanctuaries, etc.), while the left-hand side on the western tip of Cape Crio was occupied by the people of Cnidos.

On the hilly slopes, the city was built over several terraces. The Temple of Dionysus welcomes us like any visitors from eons past. It was converted into a church in Byzantine times, but excavations have removed most of those traces. Except for this church's rounded apse, we now walk over a clean floor searching for outlines of this once grand temple dedicated to the god of wine and pleasure. Right behind it and parallel to its long side runs a one hundred meters long Stoa (3rd century BC) leaning against a heavy back wall that still supports the higher terrace. It sheltered 25 small rooms for ceremonial use, all of the same size and opening up towards the temple. Most probably, this is where lavish banquets were held during the Dionysian festivals. Shards of tableware and offerings from the small corridor between the rooms and the back wall support this theory. This Stoa may have been two stories high. A few of the five-meter-high Corinthian columns added around the 2nd century AD have been re-erected to help our imaginary reconstruction. Small marble slabs still cling to the bottom of the rooms’ entrances next to stumps of columns, capitals, and architraves. 

At the western end of this Stoa, a Nympheion marks the corner with one of the stepped main streets running uphill. It is so fascinating walking over this marble pavement, wondering how many feet have trodden across the same floors and stairs over the centuries. It is hard to imagine what it would have looked like flanked by columns and leading to the entrance of the many temples and sanctuaries on either side. The remains of occasional earthen pipes show how the city coped with its water management. Looking over my shoulder about halfway through my climb, the old Trireme Harbor is in full view with the lighthouse on the highest top of Cape Crio behind it – I wonder if there was one there already in antiquity?

On my right, I pass one back wall after another, each supporting the terrace above. Then I reach the Propylaion, once covered with white marble, where Ionic columns straddled across the north-south and east-west cross-road and serving at the same time as the entrance to the Temple of Apollo Karneios built in early Hellenistic style. A spring of running water seems to be still in working order on the north side. Amazingly, the northern terrace wall steps were used to seat the visitors during the ceremonies – hard to picture. From here, I have a higher view over the Trireme or Military Harbor, and I clearly can see the round towers on either side of the entrance (in fact, both ends of the city walls) from where in case of danger, the harbor entrance could be closed off with a metal chain. The higher I climb, the better the overview of this harbor, which was very well protected and defended on all sides, and by now, I also can spot the Commercial Harbour. The very privilege of Cnidos is this double harbor. The prevailing winds along most of the Carian coast blow from the north, making it very difficult for the ships to enter the ports along this coastline. The lay-out in Cnidos is such that ships could and still can anchor at all times in either of the two harbors. Under northerly winds, the ships coming from the Aegean would enter the western harbor, while under southerly winds, those sailing from the eastern Mediterranean find shelter in the Commercial Harbour. The geographer Strabo tells us that in his days (end 1st century BC/early 1st century AD), a canal connected both harbors, making it possible for the ships to move from one side to the other, enabling them to sail by any wind. How ingenious! 

Close to the northern city wall, the so-called Round Temple lies at the far end of my upwards street, which Iris Love attributes to the famous Aphrodite. Well, as far as I’m concerned, this is hard to believe if we follow Lucian’s description of the site (2nd century AD), who places the temple amidst splendid gardens for which there certainly is no room on this terrace. From the accounts that have reached us, the temple stood on a round podium about 1.5 meters high with two steps still in situ and was surrounded by 18 Doric columns. It had no cella wall, but the space between the columns was closed with barriers reaching halfway to the roof. The statue's base that occupied its center, Aphrodite or not, measured approximately 1.3 x 1.10 meters. Based on Lucian’s description, one would not be able to walk around the statue inside the temple since he had to ask for the back door to be unlocked for him. Another theory suggests that this Round Temple was dedicated to Athena because of the inscription found on its pavement. Others tend to opt for Apollo instead because of the omphalos retrieved here, an exact copy of the one in Delphi. Many terracotta statues have been found in the close vicinity, among which curiously enough a quantity of erotic and pornographic pottery as referred to by Lucian. This Round Temple can be dated to the 2nd century BC based on the many elements. However, many questions still remain unanswered, and only time will tell.

At the far end of my upwards street, close to the northern city wall, lies the so-called Round Temple, the one which Iris Love attributes to the famous Aphrodite. Well, as far as I’m concerned this is hard to believe if we follow Lucian’s description of the site (2nd century AD), who places the temple amidst splendid gardens for which there certainly is no room on this terrace. From the accounts that have reached us, the temple stood on a round podium about 1.5 meters high with two steps that still are in situ and was surrounded by 18 Doric columns. It had no cella wall, but the space between the columns was closed with barriers reaching halfway to the roof. The base of the statue that occupied its centre, Aphrodite or not, measured approximately 1.3 x 1.10 meters. Based on Lucian’s description one would not be able to walk around the statue inside the temple since he had to ask for the back door to be unlocked for him. Another theory however suggests that this Round Temple where I am standing was dedicated to Athena because of the inscription found in its pavement. Others tend to opt for Apollo instead because of the omphalos that was retrieved here, an exact copy of the one in Delphi. Many terracotta statues have been found in the close vicinity, among which curiously enough a quantity of erotic and pornographic pottery as referred to by Lucian. This Round Temple can be dated to the 2nd century BC based on the many elements. However, many questions still remain unanswered, and only time will tell. 

A little further to the east are the remains of a Corinthian Temple, definitely Roman (second half 2nd century AD) that counted four columns at the entrance. However, the cella walls were decorated with six half-columns on the outside and pilasters on the inside. Money seems to have been an issue as this temple is entirely built of white marble. I find the top of the pediment and a stone shield from its relief decoration, probably once covered in gold among the scattered stones. Underneath that temple, another Byzantine church has been excavated with a clear apse and out-of-place Arabic graffiti on its pavement. Nearby stands a genuine sundial from Hellenistic times, like a marble pulpit sharing its wisdom with the sun.

Walking back down to the waterfront, I can’t miss the Greek theatre that counted 35 rows and must have seated 5,000 people (definitely far from enough for the 70,000 inhabitants mentioned earlier). Overall it is pretty well preserved, although the footing is rather loose, and I wouldn’t venture beyond the first couple of top rows. An exciting feature is a vaulted entrance because it could be Greek and not Roman, as one would automatically assume. The theatre was altered in Roman times with a skene behind the orchestra. This orchestra lying below street level may have been turned into a small pool for naval games. As always, the location is superb, with both harbors at your feet. This by itself would be enough to entertain the theatre-goer before or after the spectacle! 

That evening we have a fish barbecue on board, a fairy-like sight of red-hot glowing charcoal against the orange-pinkish sky after sunset. The black masts of our gulet stand out against this fiery background, and by the time we hit our bunks, the waves peacefully rock us to sleep.

Click on the Label Caria 2012 to read the full story.
[Click here to see all the pictures of Cnidos]