Hierocaesarea orHierokaisareia, from the Greek for 'sacred' and the Latin for 'Caesar's', also known asHieracome orHierakome, was a town and bishopric in the lateRoman province ofLydia, themetropolitan see of which wasSardis. It was inhabited duringHellenistic,Roman, andByzantine times.[1]
This town is mentioned byPtolemy.[2] Judging from its coins, it worshipped the goddessArtemis Persica.
Its site is located betweenSazoba andKumkuyucak inAsiatic Turkey.[1][3]
Several funerary inscriptions from the Roman Imperial period have been discovered at the site of ancient Hierokaisareia. These inscriptions, carved on stone chests and stelae, are now preserved in the Manisa Museum.[4] Among the finds is alimestone burial chest bearing the namesNikanor andFulvia.[4] A second chest, recovered alongside it, contains a fragmentary inscription that includes the nameApollonios, with the remainder of the text too incomplete to reconstruct fully; it may have originally recorded the deceased’s profession.[4]
It is mentioned as an episcopal see in all theNotitiae Episcopatuum until the 12th or 13th century,[5] but only three of its bishops are known:
The see remains a (vacant)titular see in theRoman Catholic Church, with nominal bishops appointed.[8]
Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913)."Hierocæsarea".Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Hierocæsarea".Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.38°47′51″N27°47′31″E / 38.79751°N 27.79188°E /38.79751; 27.79188