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Smyrna (İzmir)

Q1379299

Smyrna (Greek Σμύρνη): Greek town in Asia Minor, modern İzmir.

Gulf of İzmir

Situated at the estuary of the Hermus River
Belongs to an Early Bronze Age civilization in the (north)eastern Aegean Sea and has ceramics that resembles Troy I-III, Lesbos, and Samos.
According to legend, founded after the Ionian migration, when Greeks from the homeland crossed the Aegean Sea and settled in Asia Minor. The settlers in Smyrna were from Aeolia. Later, the town was taken over by Ionian Greeks, exiled from Colophon.
A rhyton from Smyrna

s.VII BCE: Flourishing town Old Smyrna, which was captured by the Lydian king Alyattes (r.c.600-c.560), who destroyed the town
The people living in the area rebuilt Smyrna after many centuries, after Alexander the Great had liberated the Greek towns in Asia Minor (334 BCE). The site they chose, was eight kilometers from Old Smyrna, on the other side of the gulf. However, it was only during the reign of Antigonus Monophthalmus and Lysimachus that they were really able to build a city (288 BCE).
When the Romans added Asia Minor to their empire, Smyrna was the third largest city, after Ephesus and Pergamon

Smyrna, Agora, Stoa

Smyrna, Agora, Capitaal

Smyrna, Agora, Cryptoporticus

Acropolis/citadel; a stadion and a theater at the foot of the hill; an agora with a cryptoporticus (second century CE); temple of Zeus in the neighborhood of the modern museum; a monument for Homer, who was believed to have been a Smyrniote
First century: Nicetes of Smyrna creates the Second Sophistic
Smyrna, Agora, Cryptoporticus

During the reign of Antoninius Pius (r.138-161), there is a border dispute with Ephesus. There is also an earthquake in 155 CE.
CE 156: Martyrdom of Polycarp of Smyrna
CE 178: Heavy earthquake (Aelius Aristides, "Lament for Smyrna"); recovery paid by Marcus Aurelius.
In Late Antiquity, there was a bishop
Repairs in the citadel during the reigns of Arcadius (r.395-408) and Heraclius (r.610-641)

Smyrna, Portrait of Caligula, reworked to resemble Titus	Smyrna, Roman baths, Germanicus	Smyrna, Portrait of Cleopatra I Syra	Smyrna, Sappho (Roman copy of a Hellenistic portrait)
Smyrna, Portrait of a sophist	Smyrna, Tombstone of a slave, whose master had been a centurio of IIII Scythica	Smyrna, Honorific decree for an officer of VI Ferrata	Smyrna, Relief with a tribute to Euripides
Smyrna, Diadumenianus	Smyrna, Tombstone of a retiarius named Euchrus	Smyrna, Tombstone of a gladiator from the team of Satornilos	Smyrna, Tombstone of a retiarius named Apollonius
Smyrna, Attalus II Philadelphus	Smyrna, Dedication to Hadrian