Αἰζανοί(in Greek) Aezani(in Latin) | |
.jpg) Temple of Zeus in Aizanoi | |
  Aizanoi Shown within Turkey | |
| Location | Çavdarhisar,Kütahya Province,Turkey |
|---|---|
| Region | Phrygia |
| Coordinates | 39°12′N29°37′E / 39.200°N 29.617°E /39.200; 29.617 |
| Type | Settlement |
| History | |
| Periods | Roman Imperial |
Aizanoi (Ancient Greek:Αἰζανοί),Latinized asAezani, was an Ancient Greek city in westernAnatolia. It was located at the site of the modern village ofÇavdarhisar, nearKütahya, on both sides of the Penkalas river, c. 1,000 m (3,300 ft) above sea level. The city was an important political andeconomic centre inRoman times; surviving remains from the period include a well-preservedTemple ofZeus, a combinedtheatre-stadium complex, and a round building, probably amacellum, inscribed with a copy of thePrice Edict of Diocletian. The city fell into decline inLate Antiquity. In 2012 the site was submitted for inclusion on theUNESCO World Heritage List.[1]
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Settlement in the area is known from theBronze Age. The city may have derived its name fromAzan, one of three sons ofArcas and thenymphErato, legendary ancestors of thePhrygians.[2][3] During theHellenistic period the city changed hands between theKingdom of Pergamum and theKingdom of Bithynia, before being bequeathed to Rome by the former in 133 BC. It continued to mint its own coins.[1] Itsmonumental buildings date from the earlyEmpire to the 3rd century.
Aezani was part of theRoman province ofPhrygia Pacatiana. It became aChristianbishopric at an early stage, and its bishop Pisticus (or Pistus) was a participant at theFirst Council of Nicaea, the firstecumenical council, in 325. Bishop Pelagius was at a synod that PatriarchJohn II of Constantinople hastily organized in 518 and that condemnedSeverus of Antioch; he was also at theSecond Council of Constantinople in 553. Bishop Gregory was at theTrullan Council of 692, John at theSecond Council of Nicaea in 787, and Theophanes at both theCouncil of Constantinople (869) and theCouncil of Constantinople (879).[4][5] The bishopric was at first asuffragan ofLaodicea but, when Phrygia Pacatiana was divided into two provinces, it found itself a suffragan ofHierapolis, the capital of the new province of Phrygia Pacatiana II.[6][7] No longer a residential bishopric, Aezani is today listed by theCatholic Church as atitular see.[8]
After the 7th century, Aezani fell into decline. Later, inSeljuk times, the temple hill was converted into acitadel (Turkish:hisar) by ÇavdarTatars, after which the recent settlement of Çavdarhisar is named.[1][2][3] The ruins of Aezani/Aizanoi were noted by European travellers in 1824. Survey work in the 1830s and 1840s was followed by systematic excavation conducted by theGerman Archaeological Institute from 1926, resumed in 1970, and still ongoing.[1][2][3]
In January 2021, archaeologists led by Dr. Elif Özer fromPamukkale University announced that they had discovered a cache containing 651 Roman coins dated about 2,100 years ago in a jug buried near a stream. Researchers revealed a jug firstly in 2019. 439 pieces of coins weredenarius (ancient Roman coins minted on silver), and 212 werecistophori, silver coins fromPergamum.Caesar,Brutus,Mark Antony and (young) Augustus are engraved on the mostly well-preserved coins. The find is going on display in theMuseum of Anatolian Civilizations.[9][10][11][12]
In August 2021, archaeologists fromDumlupinar University announced the discovery of a statue ofHygieia. The human-sized statue is portrayed with a snake in its arms. The statue was revealed inside the columned gallery which runs throughout the south wing of the agora.[13][14]
In December 2021, archaeologists discovered a marble statue ofHeracles.[15]
The Temple ofZeus, situated upon a hill, was the city's mainsanctuary. Ceramic finds indicate local habitation from the first half of the third millennium BC. According to a recent reading of the inscription on the eastern architrave, the temple was dedicated during the reign ofDomitian, in either AD 92 or AD 94/5.[16][17]Inscriptions document imperial assistance fromHadrian relating to the recovery of unpaid rents as well as theeuergetism of Marcus Apuleius Eurykles. Later the Çavdar Tatars carved equestrian and battle scenes on the temple.[2][3][18][19] The temple ispseudodipteral, with eight columns at the ends and fifteen along the sides (35 m × 53 m (115 ft × 174 ft)).[2][3] It was damaged by the1970 Gediz earthquake and has since beenrestored.[20]
Aizanoi'stheatre andstadium are built adjacent to each other and this combined complex is said to be unique in the ancient world.[1] Separating the two is the stage building.[21] Construction began after 160 A.D. and was complete by the mid-third century. Inscriptions again attest to the benefaction of M. Apuleius Eurycles.[2][3]
Two sets ofthermae have been identified. The first, between the theatre-stadium and the temple, dates to the second half of the second century and includes apalaestra and marble furnishings. The second, in the north-east of the city, was built a century later; floormosaics depict asatyr andmaenad. Rebuilt a couple of centuries later, it served as the bishop's seat.[2][3]
Aizanoi is the first recorded place in the world where inflation was calculated and from there spread to other cities of theRoman Empire.
A circularmacellum dating to the second half of the second century is located in the south. In the fourth century it was inscribed with a copy of thePrice Edict of Diocletian, dating to 301, an attempt to limitinflation resulting fromdebasement of thecoinage.[1][22]
Recent excavations have revealed the existence of astoa, or covered walkway, dating to ca. 400 AD, and colonnaded street. A Temple ofArtemis, dating to the time ofClaudius (41-54), was demolished to make way for the colonnaded street which ran for 450 m (1,480 ft) and led to the sanctuary of Meter Steunene.[2][3]
A deep tunnel inside a cave, now collapsed, was dedicated to Meter Steunene (an AnatolianEarth Mother goddess). Cult figurines made of clay have been found in excavations, along with tworound pits apparently used foranimal sacrifice.[3]
The city's largenecropolis includes examples of door-shaped Phrygian tombstones. Inscriptions give the names of deceased or donor; accompanying decoration includes, for the tombs of men, bulls, lions and eagles, and for those of women, baskets of wool and a mirror.[3]
Some items from Aizanoi, among them a sarcophagus with anAmazonomachy, have been removed to the Archaeological Museum of Kütahya.[2][3]
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