Erythrae
Erythrae, located in Ionia on the western coast of Asia Minor, is a historic town known for its rich cultural heritage and strategic coastal position opposite the island of Chios. The town's origins trace back to various ancient peoples, including Lycians, Carians, and Pamphylians, with later colonization by Ionian settlers. Erythrae was notable for its abundant resources, including grazing land and fisheries, contributing to its prosperity in antiquity. It participated in significant historical events, such as the Ionian Revolt, where it contributed ships to the battle of Lade against Persian forces.
Throughout its history, Erythrae fluctuated between alliances and dominations, joining the Delian League under Athens but later rebelling against it during the Peloponnesian War. The town also experienced periods of autonomy and prosperity, particularly during the Hellenistic era, when it formed connections with influential leaders like Mausolus. Archaeological findings, including remnants of temples, fortifications, and a theater, provide insight into Erythrae's architectural and cultural significance. The site is also linked to the Sibyl of Erythrae, a renowned prophetess in ancient lore. Today, Erythrae stands as a testament to the diverse historical influences and cultural exchanges that shaped this once-thriving coastal town.
Subject Terms
Erythrae
Erythrai (Ildırı)
A town in Ionia (western Asia Minor), on the coast opposite the island of Chios, beside a river named by its coins as Axos and Aleon (of which the waters, according to Pliny the Elder, caused hair to grow on the body). The town was said to have been inhabited by Lycians, Carians and Pamphylians, and later by settlers from various parts of Ionia under Cleopus or Cnopus, a descendant of the legendary Athenian King Codrus (the coinage also names a mythical warrior Erythrus as founder).
The possessor of abundant grazing and a hundred miles of rugged coastline, containing purple fisheries (hence the city's name, `crimson’), Erythrae became a member of the Panionian (Ionian League) and subsequently came under the domination of Lydia and Persia, against which, in the Ionian revolt, it sent eight ships to the battle of Lade (494). It joined and left Athens' Delian League, and rebelled against renewed Athenian domination in 412, during the Peloponnesian War. A sixteen-line decree emanating from Athens, which has recently been discovered, indicates that in 394–386 this and other Ionian cities were free of Persian influence. In the fourth century Erythrae became friendly with Mausolus and Hermias, rulers of Halicarnassus (Bodrum) and Atarneus respectively. Alexander the Great planned to cut a canal through its peninsula. After subsequent association with the Pergamene kingdom, it became a free city attached to the Roman province of Asia (133).
The podium of its sanctuary of Athena Polias, revealed by recent excavations, dates back to the eighth century. The building was destroyed in 545, and reconstructed c 530. The shrines of Heracles (Ipoctonus, slayer of an insect that destroyed the vines, whose cult-image, according to Pausanias, floated in on a raft from Tyre) and of Tyche (Fortuna)—both depicted on coinages of Roman imperial date—and the grotto of the Sibyl of Erythrae (a prophetess second only to the Sibyl of Cumae) have not been identified with certainty. But the landward fortifications are well preserved, and a theater has been excavated. An unusual floor-mosaic of third-century date has also been preserved.