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Antioch is a site discovered during the 19th century by travellers.
Pisidia is in the heart of Western Anatolia, it is a region of mountains and plateaus compartmentalized by chains reaching 2500 to 3000m. It is a region of Asia Minor which is currently the Lake District and the modern province of Antalya in Turkey. It was located north of Lycia and Paphlagonia between Lycaonia in the northeast, Phrygia in the northwest and Cilicia in the east, but the exact limits are poorly defined. The site is located 1km northeast of Yalvaç, a town in the Isparta region. The city is on a hill at 1200m above sea level, it is surrounded to the east by the Anthios River, which flows into Lake Eğirdir.
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On Pisidian Antioch, Strabo delivers two testimonies on the possession of Antioch by King Amyntas (tetrarch then king of Galatia in 37 BC, died in 25 BC) just before its transformation into a Roman colony by Augustus:
XII, 6, 4: Already possessing Antioch, near Pisidia, and the territory of this city as far as Apollonia near Apamea Cybotos, as well as part of the first foothills of the Taurus and Lycaonia, Amyntas endeavored to exterminate the Cilicians and the Pisidians who, descending from the Taurus, did not stop invading the whole country, as much Phrygian as Cilician, and he had succeeded in seizing several places hitherto impregnable, notably Cremna. But he had not yet set out to conquer Sandalion, which lies between Cremna and Sagalassos.
XII, 8, 14: The Paroreia is traversed from east to west by a kind of mountainous backbone at the foot of which, on both sides, spreads out a great plain. Not far from the mountain are towns, to the north Philomelion, on the other side Antioch called Pisidian Antioch, the first entirely on the plain, the second on a hill. The latter is home to a Roman colony; it was founded by nationals of Magnesia of the Meander. The Romans freed it from the yoke of kings when they handed over to Eumenes all the rest of Asia below the Taurus. In particular, there was the seat of a priesthood of Mên Arcaeos having authority over a large number of sacred slaves and localities belonging to the sanctuary. It was suppressed after Amyntas' death by agents dispatched to Antioch to collect his inheritance.
Reference: Strabo geography, Volume IX, Book XII, Collection of the Universities of France, text established and translated by François Lasserre, 1981.
Foundation:
The founder of the city of Antioch is not known with certainty, but the hypothesis that it is Antiochos I (281-261 BC) is the most likely. Strabo indicates that it was founded by nationals of Magnesia of the Meander , a city located near the Aegean coast. Coming from or passing through Magnesia, the Greeks developed the Hellenistic city on which there are few testimonies. The presence of a sanctuary may have been a factor explaining the choice to found a city and then a Roman colony in Antioch. Nevertheless, the sanctuary dedicated to the moon god Mèn, located on a summit (1584 m), is extra-urban and about 4 km away from the colony. In fact, the founders preferred to settle down below, on a promontory dominating fertile plains, suitable for cereal cultivation, fruit trees and vines, these being watered by a river, the Anthios.
Reverse of a bronze coin minted in Antioch of Pisidia under Septimius Severus (diameter 33 mm)
The scene depicted on this coin illustrates the founding rite of a Roman city.
The Roman colony:
From 25 BC. AD, five colonies are created in Pisidia, in the new province of Galatia, including Pisidian Antioch.
The creation of a Roman colony in Pisidian Antioch responds to Augustus' desire to control the territory and particularly the East-West road axis. In this, Augustus did not innovate since this axis already played an important role in the Seleucid Empire to link western Asia Minor to the Syrian heart of the empire.
The network of colonies was decisive in mastering the Pisidian mountain space. A Roman road, the via Sébastè , was built in 6 BC. AD under Governor Cornutus Arruntius Aquila.
Pisidian Antioch was an important relay in this colonial network. The Roman settlers were veterans of the V Gallica and VII legions. Originating in central and northern Italy (one of them is from Parma), they also came from Betica and were raised in 49 BC. Among the settlers were also traders ( negotiatores ). For the time of Augustus, the number of Roman settlers in Pisidian Antioch is estimated at 3000.
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The former Greek citizens living in the city founded by the Seleucids (probably Antiochos I) became, at the time of the foundation of the Roman colony, non-citizens ( incolae ). As for the population of Anatolian origin which was not integrated, it retains its status as non-citizens or slaves.
The Greek city of Antioch changes administrative status and is refounded as Colonia Caesarea . The settlement was divided into "quarters" ( vici ) of which at least seven are known from inscriptions ( Venerius , Aedilicius , Velabrus , Patricius , Tuscus , Cermalus and Salutaris ).
Pisidian Antioch, like other colonies of the East, minted coins throughout the 2nd and 3rd centuries with the effigy of the local genius ( Genius coloniae , protective spirit of the colony) as well as that of the god Mèn , who was the protective god of the Greek city and then of the Roman city.
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