Aeolis

Geography

Aeolis was an ancient district on the western coast of Asia Minor. It extended along the Aegean Sea from the entrance of the Hellespont (now the Dardanelles) south to the Hermus River (now the Gediz River). It was named for the Aeolians, some of whom migrated there from Greece before 1000 BC. Aeolis was, however, an ethnological and linguistic enclave rather than a geographical unit. The district often was considered part of the larger northwest region of Mysia.

History

According to Homer's Odyssey, Odysseus, after his stay with the Cyclopes, reached the floating island of Aeolia, where Aeolus son of Hippotas provided him with the west wind Zephyrus.

Iron Age II

By the 8th century BC the Aeolians' twelve most important cities were independent. They formed a league of twelve cities (a Dodecapolis): Cyme (also called Phriconis), Larissa, Neonteichos, Temnos, Cilla, Notion, Aegiroessa, Pitane, Aegae, Myrina, Gryneion, and Smyrna.

The most celebrated of the cities was Smyrna (modern İzmir, Turkey), but in 699 BC, Smyrna became part of an Ionian confederacy. This league or confederation, known as the Ionian League, also called the Panionic League, was formed at the end of the Meliac War in the mid-7th century BC.

Lydian period

Croesus, king of Lydia (reigned 560–546 BC), conquered the remaining cities.

Classical Age

Later they were held successively by the Persians, Macedonians, Seleucids, and Pergamenes.

Roman period

Attalus III, the last king of Pergamum, bequeathed Aeolis to the Roman Republic in 133 BC. Shortly afterwards it became part of the Roman province of Asia. At the partition of the Roman Empire (395 AD), Aeolis was assigned to the East Roman (Byzantine) empire and remained largely under Byzantine rule until the early 15th century, when the Ottoman Turks occupied the area. Smyrna fell to the Seljuk Turk Tzachas in 1076, to the Turkish Beylik of Aydın about 1330 and to the Turco-Mongol Timur in 1402 (after the Siege of Smyrna).

Notable people

• Autolycus of Pitane
• Andriscus
• Elias Venezis

Notes

References

• Pierluigi Bonanno, Aiolis. Storia e archeologia di una regione dell’Asia Minore alla fine del II millennio a.C., USA, 2006

References

1. "Homer, The Odyssey, Scroll 10, line 1".
2. [[Herodotus]]. ''[[Histories (Herodotus). The Histories]]:'' 1.149. Compare [[Ionian League]].
3. (2005). "Recent Finds in Archaeology: Panionion Sanctuary Discovered in Southwest Turkey". Athena Review.
4. Each of the cities minted coins of its own, using different gods, animals and objects as identifying city badges. See asiaminorcoins.com - [http://www.asiaminorcoins.com/gallery/index.php?cat=2 ancient coins of Aeolis]