Magnesia on the Maeander
Magnesia on the Maeander was an ancient city located in western Asia Minor, specifically in the fertile valley of the lower Maeander River. Established by the Magnetes from Thessaly, it holds a unique position as the only inland city of Ionia and is linked to the mythological hero Leucippus. Throughout its history, Magnesia experienced significant upheaval, including conquests by Lydian king Gyges and later Persian forces. The city was notably re-established after destruction by Cimmerians and was eventually gifted to the Athenian Themistocles by Persian ruler Artaxerxes I.
The city is renowned for its impressive temple of Artemis Leucophryene, designed by the esteemed architect Hermogenes, which was one of the largest shrines in the region. Although much of the ancient city now lies in ruins, remnants include a theater and stadium, as well as a small Ionic temple dedicated to Zeus. Magnesia also had a vibrant cultural life, evidenced by festivals in honor of Artemis and coinage depicting various deities. The city maintained its significance through the Roman period, where it was recognized for its loyalty and status as a free community. Today, the legacy of Magnesia on the Maeander continues to attract interest, revealing insights into its tumultuous history and rich cultural heritage.
Magnesia on the Maeander
(ad Maeandrum, near Ortaklar)
The only major inland city of Ionia (western Asia Minor), situated in the rich valley of the lower Maeander (Büyük Menderes), although it was closer to its small tributary the Lethaeus. Magnesia was colonized by the Magnetes of eastern Thessaly, who were Aeolians (so that the city was not admitted into the Ionian League). The mythical founder was a hero Leucippus, represented as a warrior on horseback. The original site of the settlement is not known. It was captured by Gyges, king of Lydia (c 685–657 BC), and soon afterward underwent destruction at the hands of his killers, who were invading Cimmerians from south Russia; the phrase `the sufferings of the Magnesians’ became proverbial. However, their city was soon rebuilt by the Lydians.
When they succumbed to Persian invasion, Magnesia came under the control of the new masters (c 530), and was later (c 464) presented by Artaxerxes I to the exiled Athenian Themistocles, to provide him with a home and with bread. The first coin the local mint ever issued bears his name. The city was captured by the Spartan Thibron in 400/399 and moved to a new location under Mount Thorax and beside the Lethaeus, on the site of an ancient village called Leucophrys, which is also the name by which Xenophon describes the new city. After passing into the Roman province of Asia, this transplanted Magnesia remained loyal to Rome during the Mithridatic Wars, was rewarded with the status of a free community and continued to flourish during the Principate.
Its remains are inundated every winter by the Lethaeus, and little can now be seen, other than traces of a theater and stadium outside the city center. The place was famous for its temple of Artemis Leucophryene (originally an Asian goddess), a masterpiece of the famous and influential architect Hermogenes (c 200), who apparently erected it on the foundations of an earlier building. The new temple was larger than any Asian shrine except those at Ephesus and Didyma, and contained an exceptional number of internal columns; now, however, it lies in total ruin. There are remains of a small Ionic temple of Zeus Sosipolis in the agora. One of the agora walls bears inscriptions relating to a new festival of Artemis instituted to celebrate a miraculous epiphany c 220, followed by a declaration by Delphic Apollo asserting the sacred inviolability of the city. The facade of the shrine is reproduced on a coin of the reign of Trajan (AD 98–117) showing a figure of Artemis, crowned by two victories, and a pedimental window at which her epiphany was no doubt reenacted.
Other coinages show her sanctuary in `alliance’ with the Artemisium at Ephesus, local temples of Leto (?) and Dionysus, figures of numerous other deities including Isis and Helios Serapis, a sacred flaming beacon tower, and personifications of the valleys (kolpoi) of Magnesia in the form of three water nymphs surrounding a naked male figure seated on a rock. Under Gordian III (238–44) the city acclaimed itself as the `seventh in Asia.’