Ἄπερλαι | |
 Sarcophagus in Aperlai | |
  Shown within Turkey | |
| Location | Antalya Province,Turkey |
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| Coordinates | 36°09′34″N29°46′56″E / 36.15944°N 29.78222°E /36.15944; 29.78222 |
| Type | Settlement |
| Part of | Lycia |
Aperlae orAperlai (Ancient Greek:Ἄπερλαι,romanized: Aperlai) was an ancient city on the southern coast ofancient Lycia. It did not play any significant role in history or politics, yet its lifespan of 1,300 years is worth note.
The harsh local terrain made agriculture difficult, but like other towns along the coast, it thrived on the production ofroyal purple (or Tyrian dye).
The town's position is fixed by theStadiasmus at 60stadia west ofSomena, and 64 stadia west ofAndriace. Leake (Asia Minor, p. 188) supposed Somena to be theSimena ofPliny (v. 27). Aperlae, which is written in the text ofClaudius PtolemyAperrae, and inPlinyApyrae, is proved to be a genuine name by an inscription found by Cockerell, at the head of Hassar bay, with the ethnic name Ἀπερλειτων on it. But there are also coins ofGordian III with the ethnic name Ἀπερραιτων. The confusion between the "l" and the "r" in the name of a small place is nothing remarkable.
Aperlae is situated near a bay but in a storm the bay offered little protection for ships. The city lies between the mountains and the coast where there were no reliable sources of fresh water and numerous cisterns around the town indicate a reliance on rain water.
A striking feature of the Aperlae site was the vast amount ofMurex snail shells. In two parts of town they were dumped covering altogether 1,600 m2 (at an unknown depth until the Turkish government allows archeologists to dig). They were used in the mortar and concrete of the buildings of the city, and they were found in large quantities dumped in the sea.
Aperlae was founded sometime between the late 4th and early 3rd century BC and sustained a long lifespan of about 1,300 years until the end of the 7th century AD.Aperlae was at the head of asympolity includingSimena,Isinda andApollonia.[1]
With the start of theMuslim conquests, security of the coast failed and Aperlae was abandoned due to the threat of pirate raids and Arab corsairs. Though with the evidence of some late repairs on a church suggest that there was possibly a small settlement of squatters or stragglers after it was left, Aperlae was never rebuilt and resettled.
The economy was built around the production ofTyrian dye, a deep and costlypurple which is gleaned from the hypobroncial gland of theMurex trunculus (which has been reclassified asHexaplex trunculus), said to have cost 20 times its weight in gold. Experiments conducted in 1909 concluded that it would take 12,000 snails to produce 1.4 grams or 0.05 oz. Three ceramic lined vats found in the sunken district are suggested to have been holding tanks for the live snails until there were enough to be processed. Evidence of the presence of other mollusks in these piles indicates that the Murex were collected using nets and not by hand.
Though there was a rudimentary harbour with a jetty but not a breakwater, it is evident from the opulence presented by the city that there were more than enough resources to make one if they wanted. The city boasted four churches, a great number of tombstones and good fortifications which indicate an affluence of that time.
Since it was in theRoman province of Lycia, thebishopric of Aperlae was asuffragan of themetropolitan see ofMyra, the province's capital, and was among the most important of the suffragan sees, being mentioned in fifth place in theNotitiae Episcopatuum of Pseudo-Epiphanius, composed underByzantine EmperorHeraclius in about 640.[2] No name of any of itsbishops was identified byLe Quien in hisOriens christianus in quatuor Patriarchatus digestus.
No longer a residential bishopric, Aperlae is today listed by theCatholic Church as atitular see,[3] as the diocese was nominally restored in 1933, the curiate Italian name version beingAperle.
It is vacant since decades, having had only the following incumbents, both of the lowest (episcopal) rank :
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Smith, William, ed. (1854–1857). "Aperlae".Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography. London: John Murray.| Geographic | |
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