Καῦνος(in Greek) | |
 Kaunos Theater | |
  Kaunos Shown within Turkey | |
| Location | Dalyan,Muğla Province,Turkey |
|---|---|
| Region | Caria |
| Coordinates | 36°49′35″N28°37′17″E / 36.82639°N 28.62139°E /36.82639; 28.62139 |
| Type | Settlement |
| History | |
| Founded | 10th century BC |
| Abandoned | 15th century AD |
| Associated with | Protogenes,Zeno |
| Site notes | |
| Condition | Ruined |
| Ownership | Public |
| Public access | Yes |
| Website | Kaunos Archaeological Site |
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Kaunos (Carian:Kbid;[1]Lycian:Xbide;[1]Ancient Greek:Καῦνος;Latin:Caunus) was a city of ancientCaria and inAnatolia, a few kilometres west of the modern town ofDalyan,Muğla Province,Turkey.
The Calbys river (now known as the Dalyan river) was the border between Caria andLycia. Initially Kaunos was a separate state; then it became a part of Caria and later still of Lycia.
Kaunos was an important sea port, the history of which is supposed to date back to the 10th century BC. Because of the formation ofİztuzu Beach and the silting of the former Bay of Dalyan (from approx. 200 BC onwards), Kaunos is now located about 8 km from the coast.[2] The city had two ports, the southern port at the southeast ofKüçük Kale and the inner port at its northwest (the presentSülüklü Göl, Lake of the Leeches). The southern port was used from the foundation of the city till roughly the end of the Hellenistic era, after which it became inaccessible due to its drying out. The inner or trade port could be closed by chains. The latter was used till the late days of Kaunos,[3] but due to the silting of the delta and the ports, Kaunos had by then long lost its important function as a trade port. After the capture of Caria by Turkish tribes, and the seriousmalaria epidemic of the 15th century AD, Kaunos was completely abandoned.
In 1966, Prof. Baki Öğün started the excavations of ancient Kaunos. These have been continued up to the present day, and are now supervised by Prof. Cengiz Işık.
The archeological research is not limited to Kaunos itself, but is also carried out in locations nearby e.g. near the Sultaniye Spa where there used to be a sanctuary devoted to the goddess Leto.[4]
The city was commonly known by itsGreek name, Kaunos (Καῦνος). The Romans called Kaunos by its name inLatin, Caunus.[5][6][7]
Kaunos'Carian name wasKbid (𐊼𐊬𐊹𐊢 in theCarian alphabet). A citizen of Kaunos, a 'Kaunian', was calledKbdyn (pluralKbdynš, 𐊼𐊬𐊢Ε𐊵𐊯). These terms were used on silver coinage[8][9] and in stoneinscriptions.[10] This term fell out of use in theHellenistic Period.[7]
InLycian texts such as theLetoon trilingual, the city was calledXbide (𐊜𐊂𐊆𐊅𐊁 in theLycian alphabet), and Kaunians were calledXbidẽñni (𐊜𐊂𐊆𐊅𐊚𐊑𐊏𐊆).[11][12]
According to mythology Kaunos was founded by KingKaunos, son of the Carian KingMiletus andKyane, and grandson ofApollo. Kaunos had a twin sister by the name ofByblis who developed a deep, unsisterly love for him. When she wrote her brother a love letter, telling him about her feelings, he decided to flee with some of his followers to settle elsewhere. His twin sister became mad with sorrow, started looking for him and tried to commit suicide. Mythology says that the Calbys river emerged from her tears.[13][14][15]
Herodotus differentiates the Kaunians from both the Carians and the Lycians, considering them indigenous people, although the Kaunians themselves claimed to have originated fromCrete. He notes that their language was similar to Carian but not the same, as evidenced by an inscription found at Kaunos that contains characters absent from inscriptions in other parts of Caria. The earliest Greek inscriptions at Kaunos are found on the bases of statues ofHecatomnus andMausolus. The later inscriptions show that Kaunos had become a Greek city, with none of its citizens bearing Carian names.[16]
The oldest find at the Kaunos archeological site is the neck of aProtogeometricamphora dating back to the 9th century BC, or even earlier. A statue found at the western gate of the city walls, pieces of importedAttic ceramics and the S-SE oriented city walls show habitation in the 6th century BC. However, none of the architectural finds at Kaunos itself dates back to earlier than the 4th century BC.
Kaunos is first referred to byHerodotus in his bookHistories. He narrates that the Persian generalHarpagus marches against theLycians,Carians and Kaunians during the Persian invasion of 546 BCE.[17] Herodotus writes that the Kaunians fiercely countered Harpagus' attacks but were ultimately defeated.[18] Despite the fact that the Kaunians themselves said they originated fromCrete,.[19] He thought it was far more likely that the Kaunians were the original inhabitants of the area because of the similarity between his own Carian language and that of the Kaunians. He added that there were, however, great differences between the lifestyles of the Kaunians and those of their neighbours, the Carians and Lycians. One of the most conspicuous differences being their social drinking behaviour. It was common practice that the villagers -men, women and children alike- had get-togethers over a good glass of wine.[19]
Herodotus mentions that Kaunos participated in theIonian Revolt (499–494 BCE).[20]
Some important inscriptions inCarian language were found here, dating to c. 400 BC, including abilingual inscription in Greek and Carian found in 1996. They helped to decipher theCarian alphabets.[21]
AfterXerxes I was beaten in theSecond Persian War and the Persians were gradually withdrawn from the western Anatolian coast, Kaunos joined theDelian League. Initially they only had to pay 1talent of tax, an amount that was raised by factor 10 in 425 BC. This indicates that by then the city had developed into a thriving port, possibly due to increased agriculture and the demand for Kaunian export articles, such as salt, salted fish, slaves, pine resin and black mastic – the raw materials for tar used in boat building and repair[22]– and dried figs. During the 5th and 4th centuries BC the city started to use the name Kaunos as an alternative for its ancient name Kbid, because of the increasedHellenistic influence. The myth about the foundation of the city probably dates back to this period.
During thePeloponnesian War, both sides used Kaunos as a port.[16]
After thePeace of Antalcidas in 387 BC, Kaunos again came under Persian rule. During the period that Kaunos was annexed and added to the province of Caria by the Persian rulers, the city was drastically changed. This was particularly the case during the reign of thesatrapMausolos (377–353 BC). The city was enlarged, was modeled with terraces and walled over a huge area. The city gradually got a Greek character, with anagora and temples dedicated to Greek deities.Alexander the Great's 334 BC brought the city under the rule of theMacedonian empire.
AfterAlexander's death, Kaunos, due to its strategic location, was disputed among theDiadochi, changing hands between theAntigonus I Monophthalmus,Lysimachus,Demetrius I Poliorcetes andPtolemies.[16]
In the early 2nd century BC,Rhodes bought Kaunos from Ptolemy's generals for 200 talents. Because of differences between the Hellenistic kingdoms, theRoman Republic was able to expand its influence in the area and annex a considerable number of Hellenistic kingdoms.[16]
The city remained reluctantly under Rhodian control until 167 BC. In 167 BC there was a revolt by Kaunos and a number of other cities in western Anatolia against Rhodes. As a result, Rome discharged Rhodes from its task. In 129 BC the Romans established the Province of Asia, which covered a large part of western Anatolia. Kaunos was near the edge of this province and was assigned to Lycia.
In 88 BCMithridates invaded the province, trying to curb further expansion by the Romans. The Kaunians teamed up with him and killed all the Roman inhabitants of their city. After the peace of 85 BC they were punished for this action by the Romans, who again put Kaunos under Rhodian administration. By the end of the 1st century BC, Kaunos was once again independent, althoughDio Chrysostom suggests that the Rhodians later reestablished some form of control over the city.[16] During Roman rule Kaunos became a prospering sea port. Theamphitheater of the city was enlarged andRoman baths and apalaestra were built. The agora fountain was renovated and new temples arose.
Kaunos waschristianized at an early date and when theRoman Empire officially adopted theChristian faith, its name changed intoCaunos-Hegia.
During the Byzantine period, Kaunos was part of Lycia, its bishop held the 15th position in rank under the metropolitan ofMyra.[16]
From 625 AD onwards Kaunos was faced with attacks by Muslim Arabs and pirates. The 13th century brought invasions by Turkish beyliks. Consequently, the old castle on theacropolis was fortified with walls, giving it a typical medieval appearance. In the 14th century the Turkish beyliks had conquered part of Caria, which resulted in a dramatic decrease in sea trade.
The resulting economic slump caused many Kaunians to move elsewhere. In the 15th century the Turks captured the entire area north of Caria and Kaunos was hit by amalariaepidemic. This caused the city to be abandoned. The ancient city was badly devastated in an earthquake and gradually got covered with sand and a dense vegetation. The city was forgotten untilRichard Hoskyn, aRoyal Navy surveyor found a law tablet, referring to the Council of Kaunos and the inhabitants of this city. Hoskyn visited the ruins in 1840 and published his account in 1842,[23] making knowledge of the ancient city once more available.[2]
ResidentialBishops are known beginning from the 4th century. Four bishops are mentioned byLequien:[24]
TheSynecdemus ofHierocles and mostNotitiae Episcopatuum, as late as the 12th or 13th century, place it inLycia, as a suffragan ofMyra.[25]
The see is included, under the Latinized form of its name,Caunus, among the Latintitular bishoprics recognized by theCatholic Church.[25][26] since it was nominally restored (no later than 1911), as asuffragan of theLycian Metropolitan of the capital'sArchdiocese of Myra.[27]
It vacant since 1972,[28] having had the following incumbents, both of the fitting Episcopal (lowest) rank :[27]
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Kaunos is a site that is interesting for both its archeological and ecological importance. Situated in theKöyceğiz-Dalyan Special Environmental Protection Area, it offers outstanding vistas and is rich in wildlife. The ruins of the city are nearDalyan, on the west bank of the ancientKalbis river. The main sights at the archeological site itself are:[2]
Outside the official Kaunos archeological site, there are:
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Caunus".Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.| International | |
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