Alexandria's founded by Alexander

Alexandria's founded by Alexander the Great (by year BC): 334 Alexandria in Troia (Turkey) - 333 Alexandria at Issus/Alexandrette (Iskenderun, Turkey) - 332 Alexandria of Caria/by the Latmos (Alinda, Turkey) - 331 Alexandria Mygdoniae - 331 Alexandria (Egypt) - 330 Alexandria Ariana (Herat, Afghanistan) - 330 Alexandria of the Prophthasia/in Dragiana/Phrada (Farah, Afghanistan) - 330 Alexandria in Arachosia (Kandahar, Afghanistan) - 330 Alexandria in the Caucasus (Begram, Afghanistan) - 329 Alexandria of the Paropanisades (Ghazni, Afghanistan) - 329 Alexandria Eschate or Ultima (Khodjend, Tajikistan) - 329 Alexandria on the Oxus (Termez, Afghanistan) - 328 Alexandria in Margiana (Merv, Turkmenistan) - 326 Alexandria Nicaea (on the Hydaspes, India) - 326 Alexandria Bucephala (on the Hydaspes, India) - 325 Alexandria Sogdia - 325 Alexandria Oreitide - 325 Alexandria in Opiene / Alexandria on the Indus (confluence of Indus & Acesines, India) - 325 Alexandria Rambacia (Bela, Pakistan) - 325 Alexandria Xylinepolis (Patala, India) - 325 Alexandria in Carminia (Gulashkird, Iran) - 324 Alexandria-on-the-Tigris/Antiochia-in-Susiana/Charax (Spasinou Charax on the Tigris, Iraq) - ?Alexandria of Carmahle? (Kahnu)

Friday, January 20, 2017

What the Stadiasmus Patarensis in Patara is about

The Stadiasmus Patarensis is maybe better known as the Miliarium Lyciae, a Roman milestone that was found, as the name indicates, at Patara in ancient Lycia.



The monument has the shape of a pillar. It is of particular interest because it provides a roadmap of Lycia, listing no less than 63 roads with the distances between the fifty cities mentioned. Interestingly, one-third of these 63 roads have been uncovered so far; another five roads were located during excavations in eastern Lycia, and ten more in central Lycia. At present, archaeologists are investigating western Lycia near Fethiye and Seydikemer and discovered six more roads.

There is still a lot of work to be carried out, and researchers hope that eventually, they’ll be able to map the entire transportation infrastructure of Lycia, together with its administrative system in Roman times.

Back in 1994, they discovered loose blocks of this Stadiasmus Patarensis, and when they put them together, it resulted in a seven-meter-high monument carrying Greek inscriptions on three sides. The central face contains a dedication from 46 AD to Emperor Claudius. The side faces show an official list of roads built by Quintus Veraniusthe first Roman governor of Lycia. Since the main face with the emperor’s dedication does not refer in any way to the roadmaps, scholars assume that the side panels are from a slightly later date.

Its initial purpose was to show the power of the Romans in Lycia and Patara as its capital was the right place to erect this monument. The inscription on the central panel describes the Lycians as loving Rome and Caesar, having restored “concord, equality before the law and ancestral laws’.

The above clip shows the reconstructed pillar from all sides and a fully restored view of the inscription. This precious milestone is on display in the gardens of the Museum of Antalya

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