 Roman Bath ruins in the ancient city of Mastaura | |
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| Coordinates:37°57′23″N28°20′30″E / 37.956332°N 28.341756°E /37.956332; 28.341756 | |
| Country | Turkey |
| Province | İzmir |
Mastaura (Ancient Greek:Μάσταυρα), was an ancient Greek town nearDereağzı, Nazilli in northernCaria, not to be confused with ancientMastaura (Lycia).
Some sources speak of the town as originally belonging toLydia, a kingdom into whichCroesus (560-546 BC) briefly incorporated Caria.[1][2]
Pliny the Elder mentions the town as dependent onEphesus as its provincial capital and thus as belonging in his time (1st century AD) to the Roman province ofAsia[3] which, under theRoman Empire, incorporated Caria.
InSeveran times the city became rich as evidenced by the impressive buildings.[4]
Mastaura was situated in the north ofancient Caria, at the foot of Mount Messogis, on the small river Chrysaoras, betweenTralles andTripolis.[5][6]
The geographerStrabo mentions the town as being in the valley of theMaeander River.[7]
Its site is located nearMastavra inAsian Turkey.[8][9] On 16 October 1836, William Hamilton visited the ruins, then overgrown with ilex trees, brush and brambles.[10]
In 2021 the remains of a Roman-era amphitheatre dating from about 200 AD[11] and holding up to 20,000 spectators have been discovered still standing to a considerable height.[12] It is only the third amphitheatre to be found in Turkey.
Mastaura had the privilege of having a mint and some of its coins are extant.[5][2]
Le Quien assigns to the city four namedbishops. Theodosius attended both theCouncil of Ephesus in 431 and theRobber Council of Ephesus in 449. His replacement Sabatius asked Bishop Hesperius ofPitanae to represent him at theCouncil of Chalcedon in 451. Theodorus took part in theThird Council of Constantinople in 680. Constantinus was one of the fathers of theSecond Council of Nicaea in 787.[13] To these four may be added a Baanes who was at thePhotianCouncil of Constantinople (879), but it is unclear whether he was bishop of Mastaura in Asia or of Mastaura in Lycia.[14]
No longer a residential bishopric, Mastaura in Asia is today listed by theCatholic Church as atitular see.[15]
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Smith, William, ed. (1854–1857). "Mastaura".Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography. London: John Murray.
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