An update on the tomb of King Hecatomnos

Back in 2010, the discovery of the monumental sarcophagus belonging to King Hecatomnos made headlines due to illegal digging in the area of Milas, Mylasa in antiquity (see: Sensational archaeological find near Milas). 

Nothing much has been heard since as the standard procedure implies closer study, cleaning, restoration, and thorough analysis – that is till now. 

This find is important for two reasons. Firstly, Hecatomnos is the father of King Mausolos, who built the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus. Secondly, the tomb of Hecatomnos is found in Mylasa, which was the capital of Caria in his days. Besides, this tomb allows historians and archaeologists to establish a continuity in the architecture and art of Caria before the construction of Mausolos’ Mausoleum. Although he ruled (391 - 377 BC) as satrap over Caria loyal to the Persian king Artaxerxes II, Hecatomnos was fascinated by the Greek culture and respected the religious beliefs of his people. 

The mausoleum of King Hecatomnos was built not unlike the concept used a few years later by his son in Halicarnassus, his new capital of Caria. That does not really come as a surprise since one of the architects for both mausoleums built in the center of the respective capital cities was Piteos.

Unfortunately, the available information does not provide a clear image of the excavation site or the mausoleum itself. The crepidoma with seven steps is being mentioned as running around the entire perimeter of the mausoleum. Still, even the 3D reconstruction is not very helpful to get a comprehensive picture. 

Apparently, the mausoleum stood on top of the stairs of the crepidoma. The building gave access to an underground burial space where the impressive sarcophagus was discovered. It is being mentioned in the article by the Daily Sabagh that the treasure hunters damaged the gold leaf paintings and the sarcophagus paintings inside the tombs (plural?) and that the images on the murals are related to Hecatomnos. It would have been very enlightening to have some photograph or drawing of the layout to imagine what the site looks like. The article also mentions a well-preserved entrance gate and plans to create an open-air museum for visitors to access the tomb.

On the positive side, it may be noted that in 2014 a stela carrying the longest poem from the Classic era was discovered on the site (see: Precious stela with the longest poem from Classical Greece). In 2017, a gold crown surfaced in Scotland said to belong to Hecatomnos. It has been returned to Turkey.

[The picture of the tomb is from the Daily Sabagh. The 3D drawing can be found in an interesting article written by Anna Frascari. The picture of the gold crown is from Archaeology News Network]

Precious stela with longest poem from Classical Greece

Nearly three years ago, the discovery of Tomb of Hecatomnos near Milas (ancient Mylasa) made headlines (see: Sensational Archaeological find near Milas).

[Picture from the Hurriyet Daily News]

Ongoing excavations have recently revealed a written stela giving us the longest poem from the Classical Era ever found in Turkey. The poem counting 121 lines was written for King Hecatomnos, the father of Mausolos who was to be buried in the reputed Mausoleum of Halicarnassus. Obviously, the stela has been dated to the end of the fourth century BC or beginning of the third century BC.

According to the academics, the poetical language used in the style is called “catalectic tyrochaic tetrameter”. More information about this peculiar style can be found on this link for Poetry Forms

The surprise of Caunos - Caria 7

Caunos is always advertised with the rock-cut tombs high above a reed-filled Dalyan River crowded with day-trippers in all sizes and shapes of flatboats. Not the most inviting perspective as far as I’m concerned, but how can I judge the site to its right value if I haven’t seen it for myself? So, here I go!

Our gulet throws her anchor some distance from the shore, and soon one of the riverboats steams up to take us all on board. The wind was pretty strong, and as long as I was on the gulet Almira, I didn’t feel what it meant, but it was an entirely different story on this flat riverboat. Each curly wave hits the boat; at times, it is like being on a rollercoaster. However, as soon as we reach the mouth of the Dalyan River, the water surface smoothes out, and we make steady progress. The river is so calm that the sky, clouds, and reeds are reflected in pure mirror effects. How well-protected and inviting Caunos must have been to the sailors of antiquity!

This coastline is a protected site for the Carreta Carretas turtles that come here yearly to lay their eggs. This turtle varies in size from one meter to one meter and a half and can reach the respectable age of seventy! But protected or not, a local fisherman is throwing in some crabs on a line, and soon enough, I see one of those beautiful turtles emerging! Quite a sensation, I must say! Our boat continues its course, and the first city walls appear on top of a knobby mountain on my left, apparently a two-mile-long stretch. We stop at a jetty to walk over a nicely paved path toward Caunos, and its walls grow bigger as we get closer. The place seems overgrown in the lush green of spring, but the overview becomes clear once at the heart of the old harbor. The harbor's sentinels are the lesser Acropolis on the left and the Eastern Acropolis with the city walls I saw from afar on the right.

I’m standing at the very heart of the port, where a lake revives the picture of the waterfront that has now silted up. Behind me, nearly over the entire length of the bay, runs a Stoa flanked at each end by a Nymphaeum and constituting the background to several rooms in front of which are the remains of several monuments erected in memory of important Caunians. To the far left of this Stoa and Agora lies a Basilica, and at the far right, a partially reconstructed Fountain House decorated with two columns at the entrance – a pleasure to the eye!

Sitting here in the peace of the afternoon, the shortcut grass floor, scanty columns, and building relics come alive. It is easy to imagine the hustle and bustle of people coming and going, ships being loaded and unloaded, merchants talking feverishly with buyers and sellers while seafarers seek the distractions common to every port - temples, taverns, and brothels are the same all over the empire. Sacrifices to the local and foreign gods are being made to thank them for their safe arrival and to pray for a safe journey onward. It is surprising to hear ancient writers like Homer and Strabo telling us that Caunos was a notoriously unhealthy city to live in, observing the people’s greenish complexion. This was due to widespread malaria, a condition unknown at the time, but it lasted till the 1970s when the Turkish government launched a comprehensive campaign to eradicate malaria from this marshy area. The harbor reached the city’s edge in antiquity but has now receded about three miles back. In any case, I don’t see or hear any mosquitoes – thank Zeus! What once was a busy harbor is now a lake, but it is not difficult to see how easily its entrance could be closed off with a metal chain if needed.

Caunos was generally considered a Carian city, yet Herodotus himself has doubts and concludes that it was neither Carian nor Lycian. This statement is confirmed by an inscription in the city center showing several characters not found in any other Carian text. In the 4th century BC, Caunos was under Persian control, but King Mausolos eagerly put a Greek stamp on it. Statue bases of him and his father, King Hecatomnos, have been found, and it is generally accepted that he was responsible for building the long city walls.

It is a pity that I found no trace of Alexander’s presence here, for he was in the area in 334 BC, besieging Halicarnassus and eventually putting Queen Ada back on the throne. After Alexander’s death, his successors entered a long dispute. In 313 BC, his general Antigonus Monophthalmus took hold of Caunos, but Ptolemy captured it for himself in 309 BC. Three years later, as Ptolemy was defeated in Cyprus, Caunos returned to Antigonus Monophthalmus and his son Demetrios Poliorcetes. That did not last either, and as early as 286 BC, they had to surrender the city to Seleucos, another of Alexander’s generals who was also King of Syria and was later handed over to Lysimachos. This is one of those messy situations that occurred during the Wars of the Diadochi that lasted for some forty years! Rhodes demanded its share, but inevitably, Caunos became part of the Roman province of Asia in 129 BC. Yet the inhabitants were unhappy with this rule and requested to be a free city, which was granted some time between the end of the 1st century BC and the beginning of the 1st century AD. By then, Caunos was a fully Hellenized city, and none of its inhabitants bore a Carian name.

This coincides with the first financial crisis due to the silting up of the harbor. To encourage foreign merchants to continue stopping at Caunos, the city granted full remission of taxes, except on slaves, who were highly prized, and on salt, which was known to be of the highest quality. An inscription confirms these measures and mentions the trade of resin imported from the pine forests in the hinterland, used essentially in shipbuilding.

I now climb to the higher terrace from where the position of the harbor and today’s silting up are clearly visible. Here I find the strangest building in the shape of a horseshoe, dating from the 1st century BC, set inside a colonnade gallery in Doric style. The inner walls of poor masonry and the column drums still show traces of plaster. The outer circle is built in white marble, carrying fluted columns. At the open side of this horseshoe construction, three steps led to a semi-circular podium trimmed with a row of unfluted columns in the back. This sanctuary was probably dedicated to Zeus Soteros. Still, a strange purple stone at the foot of these steps, in the middle of the inner circle, indicates that this was a sacred area as early as the 5th century BC. At first, this stone was a riddle for the archaeologists till they started digging. They discovered that this round altar stone stood directly on top of a huge limestone monolith broken into two pieces. This monolith stands on the bedrock, some 6.5 meters below the present floor level. This was called a baetyl, a kind of pyramidal sacred stone that, when still intact, would have stood 3.5 meters tall. The pyramid is, in fact, an abstract representation of the god-king of Caunos, Basileus Caunios. This baetyl is the city's emblem as found on coins of Caunos until the middle of the Classical Period. I simply can’t get enough of this place; it’s so unique!

There is still another terrace above this one, whose entrance is framed by an imposing doorway, and where I find three main buildings. To the left are the relatively poor remains of a massive Roman Bath (more excavations needed); next to it, a recognizable Basilica with a rounded apse and three distinctive aisles; and finally, a smaller building either defined as a temple or as a library. And then there is another odd construction! The remains of a quarter-circle with two steps, with carved lines running across its flooring. This may indicate that the city's architects used this stone as a reference layout. This system is known but has never been recovered simply because it was permanently destroyed after the city was completed. Another enigma that needs to be solved! Caunos is definitely full of surprises.

And then, I find myself right next to the theater entrance. Walking the stairs under the original vault is always exciting – it takes me straight back in time. The theater is Greek in shape but was adapted by the Romans later on with an elevated skene behind the orchestra. It had a seating capacity of 5,000 people, not excessively large, but as always, the spectator had a sweeping view over the harbor, the Acropolis on both framing hills, and the rest of the city.

I am so entirely taken by the unexpected surprises of Caunos with its highly intriguing buildings that I nearly forgot about the rock tombs, which everybody knows, and everybody comes to see! I must admit that their sheer location comes straight out of a fairy tale. They are more or less lined up in two rows, the bottom row being simple square holes. The upper row is the most spectacular part, where the facades of the so-called temple tombs are cut from the rock in the shape of a temple with columns and all. I don’t visit the inside, but I’m told they contain the usual three benches where the dead were placed. Pottery found inside the tombs seems to date to the 4th century BC. A spectacular view that reminds me of Petra in Jordan – although on a smaller scale.

By now, it is time to return to the gulet, and as our riverboat steams towards the open sea, I keep seeing the big knob with Caunos’ city walls till we have reached the open sea – it must have been a true beacon for any seafarer. The winds have picked up even more by now, and this flatboat is undoubtedly not the most comfortable way to ride the choppy waves. My admiration for the ancient skippers and pilots is rising once again. What a day!

Click on the Label Caria 2012 to read the whole story.

Halicarnassus, capital of Caria

As part of the Persian Achaemenid’s Empire from 545 BC onward, Caria was governed by a succession of uneventful satraps (governors). The first satrap to make Caria more independent was Hyssaldomus of Mylasa – the capital city at that time. He was succeeded by his son, Hecatomnos, followed in turn by his son, Mausolos in 377 BC. Mausolos was a man with ambition and quite a visionary. He really established Caria’s independence, rebuilt the cities of Myndos and Syangela, fortified the city walls of Latmos and Caunos, and as if it were the most evident step, moved everyone else to Halicarnassus, which he proclaimed his new capital to replace Mylasa because its location was more favorable. Mausolos married his sister Artemisia, as was customary, and when he died childless in 353 BC, she was the one to finish the construction of the grand Mausoleum. She continued ruling until she too died from grief, it is said, after which the power went to her younger brother, Idreus. Idreus had married his younger sister Ada, who ruled after her brother’s/husband’s death. But there was still another younger brother, Pixodarus, who hungered for the title of satrap. He expelled the widowed Ada from Halicarnassus and she sought and found refuge in her stronghold of Alinda, further inland. Pixodarus aimed to befriend the Persians and ruled unofficially for a short while next to the Persian satrap Orontobates, who took over after Pixodarus’ death. This is the situation in Caria when Alexander the Great arrives at Halicarnassus in 334 BC.

The city of Halicarnassus was built as a natural theater around its well protected harbor and was, on the land side, defended by a seven kilometres-long wall dating from 365 BC, the reign of King Mausolos. This wall ran along the surrounding hillcrests, meaning that the approaching enemy could be watched and attacked from higher grounds, giving the city an unmistakable advantage. Only a few parts of that city wall are still visible today as most of Halicarnassus is hidden under the modern houses and streets of Bodrum.

Arrian tells us that when Alexander arrived from Mylasa in the east, he set up camp about half a mile from this well-fortified city. The very next day, he faced the first attack without difficulty. A few days later, hoping to find an easier approach, Alexander moved to the other side of Halicarnassus near the road to Myndos (modern Gümüşlük). Luckily for us, this Myndos city gate has been preserved and partially restored, giving us an insight into what Alexander was up against. The imposing towers of andesitic blocks open up into a well-defended courtyard from where another gate led into the city. Next to the Myndos Gate, a short stretch of city wall is still visible surrounded by the remains of the moat which, according to Arrian, ran 45 feet wide and 23 feet deep. These measurements seem to fit with what I see here, including the restored trench that runs over a length of some fifty meters. The feel of it alone is a unique experience and it is very rewarding to stand between the towering walls of the gate itself, where I easily picture Alexander shouting orders amidst the battle-cries of the Macedonians.

The Persians had amassed a substantial force of troops and mercenaries at Halicarnassus, under the leadership of the Rhodian general Memnon whom the Persian King Darius had by now appointed to control all of Asia Minor and to command the Persian fleet anchored in the harbor below. We’ll remember how Memnon, although under the command of the Persian satrap Arsites,  had lost the previous confrontation with Alexander at the Granicus a year earlier, and we can be sure that he was not willing to face another defeat.

Here on the Myndos (western) side of the city, Alexander started to fill the moat without much difficulty and brought his siege engines in position. The Halicarnassians didn’t waste any time either and as soon as darkness fell they set fire to the siege towers, but the Macedonians on guard acted promptly and extinguished the fire.

Meanwhile, it was on the Mylasa (eastern) side that another situation developed, involving two Macedonian infantrymen who one evening were bragging about their bravery. Under the influence of wine, their boasting reached such extremes that they decided to grab their weapons and set out to conquer Halicarnassus single-handed. The guards on the city walls reacted, the two soldiers got support from their mates and friends, the defenders got their own reinforcements, and in no time the brawl turned into a full-blooded battle. Halicarnassus was nearly taken and would have been if the attack had been organized and planned in full force. I’m not sure how Alexander took this incident, I don’t think all too kindly. The next morning, Alexander brought in his siege engines, which were again promptly torched by the town’s people. Yet as soon as the King appeared in person, the brave attackers hurriedly withdrew.

All in all, however, the defenders of Halicarnassus had the advantage of a commanding view over their enemy from the height of the city walls. Alexander personally led a new attack, his catapults hurling heavy stones towards the walls and soon a breach was made. The defenders counterattacked on two fronts, one group pouring out of the gap in the wall and another near the Tripylum Gate (north side). Disaster struck at this gate when the Macedonians had to retreat in force over a bridge across the moat. The narrow bridge collapsed and the soldiers were either trampled or shot by their comrades in the commotion. One such bridge has been reinstalled over the moat at the Myndus Gate, a shivering thought when you know this story. Worst of all was the slaughter which occurred near the city gates where the over-anxious Persians and mercenary soldiers, in order to keep the Macedonians out, were shutting their own men out. Lots of them were stranded before closed doors and turned out to be easy prey for the Macedonians who simply cut them down there and then. Once again, Alexander nearly took the city. This is what Arrian tells us.

If however, we follow Diodorus, we read a rather different story. He tells us that Memnon collected two thousand picked men equipped with lighted torches. At daybreak he threw the city gates wide open, and while one group of his soldiers set fire to the Macedonian siege engines he led the other to attack Alexander’s men who were moving forward to extinguish the fire. At this stage, Alexander himself sounded the attack. Under dense showers of missiles, the Macedonians killed the fires, sustaining heavy losses. That was however too much for the Macedonian veterans who were witnessing these events from a distance as they themselves were exempted from duty. After all, they had served under King Philip, Alexander’s father, and were far more experienced. Besides, they felt that the honor of Macedonia was at stake as well. They joined the fight and with great effort, the Macedonians pushed the enemy back within the city walls and Alexander sounded the recall.

At this point, according to Arrian again, Orontobates and Memnon set up a meeting to discuss further action since part of the city wall was gone and other parts were seriously damaged. It was clear they couldn’t hold out much longer. Besides, they had suffered heavy losses. They still had the harbor with the fleet in their hands, but the ships were of no use in the present situation. It was decided to set the city’s magazine on fire as well as the houses close to the walls, but strong winds spread the flames all over the city. When reports of these fires reached Alexander, he immediately took action and ordered his Macedonians to kill every man they saw setting buildings afire. The inhabitants, however, should be spared and rescued. Meanwhile, the surviving enemy army withdrew to the Arconese, an island stronghold in the harbor of Halicarnassus (where today’s fort is located, probably on top of the Carian Royal Palace - now attached to the land), and on the high grounds of the Acropolis.

Diodorus simply mentions that Memnon decided to abandon the city, moving his best men to the acropolis with sufficient provisions, and sending the rest of the army to the nearby island of Cos. When Alexander discovered this move the next morning, he razed the city (although we may wonder how much of the city was actually razed) and surrounded the citadel with a formidable wall and trench. Arrian, on the other hand, simply tells us that Alexander decided not to besiege the Persians in their strongholds which were difficult to take. Besides, such a siege would not bring him much advantage as the city of Halicarnassus was already his.

Alexander generously handed Caria over to Queen Ada who ruled over her country once again. She probably died in 323 BC, the same year as Alexander the Great. As to Memnon, he organized fierce opposition in the Aegean which could have been a serious threat to Alexander’s back had he not died of illness on Lesbos in 333 BC.

Since I first was here with Peter Sommer on his tour "In the Footsteps of Alexander the Great" I was mesmerized by the locations that spoke to me as if the battle had happened just yesterday. Since then, I have returned several times, and each time I am rewarded with new vivid memories of what happened here 2,500 years ago.

Click on the Label Caria 2012 to read the full story

[Click here to see all the pictures of Halicarnassus]

Sensational archaeological find near Milas

Every day new archaeological discoveries are being made, either in Turkey or anywhere else in the World. Most of them never reach the news. Illegal finds immediately disappear in the obscure circuits of the black market, while legal finds are simply moved to the storehouses of the museums. But from time to time, there are exceptions, like this grave that was unearthed in the summer of 2010. 

It all started apparently with illegal diggings, but when faced with an impressive sarcophagus, the find could no longer be hushed, and the appropriate archaeological services were called in. This happened in Zeus-Karios, near Milas, only miles away from Bodrum – well, relatively speaking, of course.

 

[picture from the Hurriyet Daily News]

Mylasa, as Milas was called in antiquity, was known for its sanctuary dedicated to Zeus-Karios, a god honored by the Carians, Lydians and the Mysians alike, according to Herodotus. In later years, Strabo confirmed this brotherly sharing of the god by the Lydians and the Mysians. 

So now they found this sizable sarcophagus made as early as 390 BC for King Hecatomnos, nobody less than the father of King Mausolos – yes, the one from the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus (today’s Bodrum). Such exciting news! Archaeologists are talking about one of the most important discoveries in modern times. The find is compared to the sarcophagus of Alexander the Great from Sidon, now at the Museum in Istanbul. 

The measurements alone are more than impressive, 2.75 meters long by 1.85 meters wide – it’s enormous! This sarcophagus needs cleaning, and more analysis is required, but I can hardly wait to see it myself! Meanwhile, we have to settle for the few rare pictures, as seen on this link.