Augusta (Cilicia)

Augusta (Ancient Greek: Αὔγουστα^[1] or Αὐγοῦστα^[2]) was a town in the interior of ancient Cilicia, inhabited during Roman and Byzantine times.^[3] It was founded in 20 AD and named after Livia, the widow of the Emperor Augustus.^[4] Ptolemy places this town in a district named Bryelice. The town also bore the name Augustopolis, and possibly Thebae.^[2]

The city probably lost its position as an important center after the Muslim invasion of Cilicia in the 7th century.^[4]

Its site is located near Gübe in Asiatic Turkey.^[5][2]

In 431 Tarianus, Bishop of Augusta represented the town at the Council of Ephesus.^[6][7]

The ancient city, was flooded due to Seyhan Dam in 1955.^[8][4] Before it disappeared under the waters of the dam the researchers managed to partially survey the site and record some buildings of the city. Among these were the foundations of a triumphal arch, two colonnaded streets crossing each other, a theater, a civic basilica, some shops, a bath building and a dam on the river.^[4]

References

1. Stephanus of Byzantium. Ethnica. Vol. s.v.
2. Lund University. Digital Atlas of the Roman Empire.
3. Pliny. Naturalis Historia. Vol. 5.27.
4. The Princeton Encyclopedia of Classical Sites, AUGUSTA Cilicia Campestris, Turkey
5. Richard Talbert, ed. (2000). Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World. Princeton University Press. p. 66, and directory notes accompanying. ISBN 978-0-691-03169-9.
6. John Fulton, Index Canonum: The Greek Text, an English Translation, and a Complete Digest of the Entire Code of Canon Law of the Undivided Primitive Church (Wipf and Stock Publishers, 16 Sep 2014 page 151.
7. Charles Joseph Hefele, A History of the Councils of the Church: from the Original Documents, to the close of the Second Council of Nicaea A.D. 787 (Wipf and Stock Publishers, 1 Feb 2007) page 58.
8. Ancient city comes to light as water recedes

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Smith, William, ed. (1854–1857). "Augusta". Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography. London: John Murray.

37°14′43″N 35°20′39″E