1. Location

Hyrcanis was a city in Lydia, in the Hyrcanian plain, associated by Aristotle Fontrie, the Greek antiquarian from Smyrna, with the modern-day village of Halıtpaşaköy (former Papazlı), based on numismatic and inscriptional findings. The name of the city was Hyrcanis, but the name Hyrcania is also mentioned.

The Hyrcanian plain was named after the settlers from Hyrcania (a region of the Caspian sea) who were transported to Lydia by the Persians during the Achaemenid period. The region was subsequently colonized by the Macedonians, whose katoikies were most probably subordinated to Hyrcanis, a Macedonian colony with a city status. More specifically, the sources refer to Lasnedda (Büyük Belenköy, between Halitpaşaköy and Marmara Golü), Tyanolleiton katoikia (Lütfiye), Eumenia of Hyrcania, […]szeddion demos (Gürıce), the Macedonians from Agatheira and most probably Darius’ kome (Dereköy).¹

The extent of the Hyrcanian plain is unknown. However, it is assumed that Hyrcanis must have been built at its centre in order to control the entire surrounding region. As a result, it must have spread from the banks of the Phrygios, Thyateira and Magnesia ad Sipilum to the west to Sardis and the mountainous regions to the southeast. Provided that Darius’ kome was part of the territory controlled by Hyrcanis, as suggested by most researchers, then the city must have also controlled lands outside the Hyrcanian plain, up to the confluence of the Hermus and the Phrygios rivers.

2. History – Coinage and institutions

The Achaemenid presence in the Hyrcanian plain probably dates back to Cyrus I’s reign (558-530 BC). Cyrus I forged alliances with the Hyrcanians and adopted a policy of establishing military colonies in the lands of Asia Minor. However, the neighbouring Darius’ kome was built by Darius I (522-486 BC), later than the first wave of colonization. The Achaemenid presence in the region is deduced from place names (Darius’ kome), human names (e.g. Bagoas) and cults (Ma Aneiketos). However, the city of Hyrcanis was built later, most probably by the Seleucids. This suggestion is partly based on the discovery of a votive inscription to Zeus Seleuc(e)ios, found in the neighbouring village of Alıbeylı.²

The foundation of the city was probably associated with the Galatian raids in Asia Minor. However, the view that it was built on a strategic location does not stand. The Macedonians of Hyrcanis are originally mentioned in an inscription from Amfissa in honour of a physician named Menophantos, dating back to the 1^st third of the second century BC.³ In 190 BC, the Roman consul L. Cornelius Scipio crossed the Hyrcanian plain, on route to Magnesia ad Sipilum, in order to face Antiochus III.⁴

Later on, the city was incorporated into the province of Asia according to the provisions of the conventus of Smyrna.⁵ Hyrcanis was destroyed by an earthquake in 17 AD. However, it was rebuilt by emperor Tiberius (14-37 AD), who granted a 5-year tax release and financial aid, and it was renamed to Caesarea. According to an inscription from Sardis, a delegate from Hyrcanis participated in the adoption of a resolution of the Lydian cities, honouring the emperor for his benefaction. Fourteen of these cities are mentioned and depicted in the pedestal of a statue of Tiberius from Puteoli, a city in Italy. One of the cities is Hyrcanis, depicted in a short tunic, boots and the typical Macedonian hat called causia.⁶ The triple name Caesareans Macedonians Hyrcanians appears in one inscription from Ephesus.⁷

The city is mainly known from inscriptional and numismatic evidence. Its copper coinage dates from Trajan’s reign (98-117 AD) to Philip’s reign (244-249 AD). The names of Macedonian Hyrcanians and Hyrcanians are dominant. However, it is not possible to date the different types.⁸

3. Administrative institutions and religion

Evidence of the administrative organization of the city can be found in stone and numismatic inscriptions. During the Imperial period, the city was governed by the demos and the boule, archontes and strategoi. The katoikies in the territory of Hyrcanis enjoyed a degree of autonomy and assembled in order to adopt honourary resolutions. They were also allowed to assign the task of temple construction to supervisors and the task of attributing formal honours to prominent citizens, the brabeutes (distributors of prizes). In some of these regions, the presence of Roman citizens who were not subordinate to the local authorities is also mentioned.

In terms of religion, apart from the eastern deities (Ma Aneiketos, Mother of God, Papias in Lasnedda, Theoi Sebastoi), equally important were Demeter Carpophoros, whose temple was built by L. Antonius Rufus in Darius’ kome, Aphrodite, Zeus Seleuc(e)ios and Heracles. Honours were also attributed to the institutions of the Roman Empire, the Roman Demos and the Sacred Senate. The imperial cult can also be deduced from inscriptional evidence: a dedication on a statue from the temple of Domitian (81-96 AD) in Ephesus, written by two archons of the city, Teimotheus, son of Teimotheus, and Metrodorus, son of Metrodorus, a pedestal of a statue dedicated to Antoninus Pius (138-161 AD) by general Menecrates, son of Menophilus, and other citizens, found in Hyrcanis, and an inscription honouring emperor Trebonianus Gallus (251-253 AD) and Volusianus (251-252 AD).⁹

Hyrcanis was a Christian diocese subordinated to the metropolis of Sardis. Bishop John of the city of the Hyrcanians or Urcanians participated in the Council of Chalcedon, whereas bishop Eustathius participated in the Council of Nicaea (787 AD). There are also references to the name Hyrcanis and altered versions of the name of the city (Orcanis, Urcanis, Hyrcanis, namely of Myron), as well as bishops Dionysius (1157 AD) and John (11^th or 12^th century AD), in episcopal or synodical sources dating from the 7^th to the 12^th century AD.¹⁰