Soli (ancient coastal city)
Soli, an ancient coastal city located in southeastern Asia Minor near modern Mersin, has a rich history dating back to before 2000 BC. Originally a harbor township, it was colonized in the late eighth century by settlers from Lindus in Rhodes, with possible contributions from Argos. Throughout its existence, Soli came under the control of various empires, including the Persians and later the Seleucids, and was notably occupied by Alexander the Great in 333 BC, who reformed its governance and celebrated its prosperity. The city is also recognized for being the birthplace of influential Stoic philosophers, Aratus and Chrysippus. Following periods of decline, Soli was revived as Pompeiopolis by Pompey the Great in the late 1st century BC, who resettled former pirates there. The city later faced challenges, including a siege by the Sassanian Persians in AD 260. Today, remnants of Soli's historical significance include archaeological features such as its harbor, colonnaded avenues, and references to its once-thriving cultural life reflected in local coinage.
Soli (ancient coastal city)
Soloi, later Pompeiopolis (Mezitli)
A coastal city in southeastern Asia Minor, on the borders of Smooth Cilicia of the Plain (Pedias, Campestris) and Rough Cilicia (Tracheia, Aspera), about five miles west of the modern Mersin. A harbor township from before 2000 BC, Soli was colonized in the later eighth century by settlers from Lindus (Rhodes), and perhaps also from Argos (though the contribution of the Argives may be fictitious). Subsequently Soli came under the control of the Persians, and when occupied by Alexander the Great in 333 was so prosperous that he was able to fine its people a very large sum for having taken the Persian side. He subsequently remitted a part of the fine—in exchange for naval assistance—gave the citizens a new constitution, provided them with Games, and sacrificed to Asclepius (to celebrate his capture of Halicarnassus [Bodrum]).
The Stoic philosopher-poet Aratus (d. 240/239) and the leader of the Stoic school Chrysippus (d. 208) both came from Soli, which nevertheless gave its name to the term soloikismus (solecism) owing to the bad Greek spoken by its inhabitants (an alleged, but unlikely, alternative suggested reason for their punishment by Alexander). Soli came under the rule of the Seleucids until occupied by Ptolemaic troops (c 246), but was brought back under Seleucid control by Antiochus III the Great in 197. After the establishment of the Roman province of Cilicia, it was captured and almost depopulated in the late eighties or seventies by Tigranes I of Armenia, who removed most of the population to his new city of Tigranocerta (Silvan).
In 67/6, however, Soli was revived by Pompey the Great, who settled a colony of former pirates in the place, and renamed it Pompeiopolis. His head appears on subsequent local coinage. In AD 260 Soli Pompeiopolis was besieged by the Sassanian Persian Sapor (Shapur) I, but was relieved by Callistus, a general of Valerian, who on the strength of this success—after hearing of Valerian's capture by the Persians—set up two rival emperors on his own account (Macrianus the Younger and Quietus).
The city's monetary issues of imperial date show busts of Aratus and Chrysippus, depict numerous deities and a fountain nymph named Sounia, and under Antoninus Pius (138–61) present a view of the harbor, containing a reclining personification of Oceanus. This harbor is now silted up, but its two parallel moles with curving sides can still be seen, as well as remains of the long colonnaded avenue (probably of the second century AD) leading down to the seafront. Traces of a theater were noted in the nineteenth century, but have now almost completely disappeared.