The site of Olba, within the broader Olbian region, was identified by archaeologistTheodore Bent and his wife in March 1890, during their survey of part ofCilicia Tracheia.[2]
According toGreek mythology, Olbe had been built byAjax, half-brother ofTeucer; it contained a temple of Zeus, whose priest once ruled over all Cilicia Aspera.[4] Strabo described it:
"Above this [Kyinda] and Soloi [in Kilikia] is a mountainous country, in which is a city Olbe, with a temple of Zeus, founded by Aias the son of Teukros. The priest of this temple became dynast of Kilikia Trakheia; and then the country was beset by numerous tyrants, and the gangs ofpirates were organized. And after the overthrow of these they called this country the domain of Teukros, and called the same also the priesthood of Teukros; and most of the priests were named Teukros or Aias."[5]
Olba was asuffragan of the Metropolitan of Isauria's provincial capitalSeleucia, but faded like most sees in Asia Minor. Olba maintained a sizable Christian population in the 4th and 5th centuries, when the Temple of Zeus was converted into a church.[8]
Michel Le Quien (Oriens christianus, II, 1031) gives four bishops between the fourth and seventh centuries; but theNotitiæ episcopatuum mentions the see until the thirteenth century.
The diocese was nominally restored as titular bishopric of the episcopal (lowest) rank under the name Olba (Latin and Curiate Italian); Latin adjective Olbiensis.
In 1927 it was suppressed, having had the following incumbents, all of the fitting Episcopal (lowest) rank:
Louis-François-Alexandre de Jarente de Senas d’Orgeval (1780.12.11 – 1788.05.28),Coadjutor Bishop ofOrleans (France) (1780.12.11 – 1788.05.28), succeeding as Bishop of Orléans (1788.05.28 – retired 1801.10.29); died 1805
Bernard Hermann Koeckemann,Picpus Fathers (SS.CC.) (1881.05.17 – 1892.02.22) asCoadjutor Apostolic VicarHawaiian Islands (Polynesia, USA; now Diocese of Honolulu) (1881.05.17 – 1882.06.11), succeeding as Vicar Apostolic of Hawaiian Islands (USA) (1882.06.11 – death 1892.02.22)
Charles-François Lasne,Lazarists (C.M.) (1911.02.15 – death 1927.06.23) as Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic ofFort-Dauphin (Madagascar) (1911.02.15 – 1927.06.23)
In 1933 it was again restored as titular bishopric of Olba. It is vacant since decades, having had the following incumbents, so far of the fitting episcopal rank :
Tihamér Tóth (1938.05.30 – 1939.03.03) as Coadjutor Bishop ofVeszprém (Hungary) (1938.05.30 – 1939.03.03), succeeded as Bishop of Veszprém (1939.03.03 – death 1939.05.06)
Augustine Danglmayr (1942.04.24 – death 1992.09.18) as Auxiliary Bishop ofDiocese of Dallas (Texas, USA) (1942.04.24 – retired 1969.08.22) and on emeritate
^J.T. Bent (1890), ‘Explorations in Cilicia Tracheia’.Proceedings of the Royal Geographical Society and Monthly Record of Geography, Vol. 12 (8) (Aug), pp. 445–463; J.T. Bent (1891), ‘A Journey in Cilicia Tracheia’.The Journal of Hellenic Studies, Vol. 12, pp. 206-224.
^Edwards, Robert W., "Diocaesarea and Olba" (2016).The Eerdmans Encyclopedia of Early Christian Art and Archaeology, ed., Paul Corby Finney. Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing. pp. 421–422.ISBN978-0-8028-9016-0.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913)."Olba".Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
