Lycaonia
Lycaonia was an ancient region located in the southern central tableland of Asia Minor, characterized by its high plains and significant temperature variations. It was bordered by regions like Galatia, Cappadocia, and Pisidia, and known for its pastoral landscape, which provided grazing grounds for livestock. The Lycaonians, described as a lawless people of unclear linguistic roots, originally migrated from the mountainous areas near Laranda. Throughout history, they experienced various phases of control, beginning with Persian influence, followed by subjugation under Alexander the Great's general, Perdiccas, and later by the Seleucids and the Attalid kings of Pergamum. The Roman Empire eventually incorporated Lycaonia into its provinces, with Iconium serving as an important administrative center. Notably, the region was rich in resources, including salt from Lake Tatta and minerals for smelting. By the late fourth century, Lycaonia was established as a separate province with Iconium as its capital, reflecting its evolving political landscape over time.
Subject Terms
Lycaonia
Lykaonia
A section of the southern central tableland of Asia Minor, fluctuating greatly in delimitation but generally thought of as bounded by Galatia, Cappadocia, Isauria, Pisidia and Phrygia. Subject to severe extremes of heat and cold and only a moderate rainfall, the country is described by Strabo as a region of high plains, offering pasturage to sheep and wild asses. The Lycaonians, a wild and lawless people, of uncertain linguistic affinities, originally came from the mountainous regions around Laranda (Karaman) north of the Taurus (Toros) range, but in the time of Persian suzerainty (from which, despite sporadic punitive measures, they remained largely independent), they were already conducting raids over a wilder area and settling in the land that came to bear their name.
More or less subdued by Alexander the Great's general Perdiccas after the king's death (322), they became subject to the Seleucids (280–189)—who established their Lycaonian capital in the plain at Iconium (Konya, originally reckoned as part of Phrygia)—and then belonged to the Attalid kings of Pergamum (189–133). The Attalids' successors the Romans, after granting the territory to the kingdom of Cappadocia (and removing other districts from the kingdom of Pontus in 119 or 116), gave the mountainous southern area to a brigand chief named Antipater (50–c 36) and then to his supplanter Amyntas (36–25), by favor of Antony, who also allotted Amyntas most of the plain.
From 25 this plainland formed part of the new Roman province of Galatia, established by Augustus (who founded colonies of veterans at Lystra [Hatunsaray] and Parlais [Beyşehir]). The uplands, however, were ruled by Cappadocian and then Commagenian princes until AD 72, when they were incorporated in an enlarged province of Galatia-Cappadocia (subsequently divided again by Trajan, 98–117). Most of Lycaonia—excluding Iconium (by this time known as Claudiconium) and the Seleucid foundation of Laodicea the Burnt (Catacecaumene, Combusta, by this time Claudiolaodicea; now Ladık)—was added by Antoninus Pius (138–61) to Cilicia, where seven cities were formed into a federation (centered on Laranda, and issued local coinages, especially under Marcus Aurelius (161–80).
The resources of the region included the abundant salt of Lake Tatta (Tuz Gölü, Salt Lake)—employed in remedies for the eyes—and cinnabar from Sizma, and the smelting of copper and lead which presumably gave `Burnt’ Laodicea its name. A passage in Acts of the Apostles shows that the native language was still spoken, at least in the mid-first century AD. In c 371 Lycaonia became a separate province, with its capital at Iconium, and two of its communities west of Lake Tatta, Gdammaua and Psibela, were raised to city rank as Eudocias (421/443) and Verinopolis (457/479) respectively.