Halicarnassus

Halicarnassus ; seven wonders of a ancient world.

Halicarnassus' history was special on two interlinked issues. Halicarnassus retained a monarchical system of government at a time when nearly other Greek city states had long since rid themselves of their kings. in addition to secondly, while their Ionian neighbours rebelled against Persian rule, Halicarnassus remained loyal to the Persians & formed factor of the Persian Empire until Alexander the Great captured it at the siege of Halicarnassus in 333 BC.

Zephyria was the original develope of the settlement, and the presents site of the great Castle of St. Peter built by the Knights of Rhodes in 1404 AD. It was built on what was originally an island, which gradually expanded to increase several Carian settlements on the mainland. However, in the course of time, the island topographically united with the mainland, and the city was extended to multinational with the existing Salmacis, an older town of the native Leleges and Carians, and site of the later citadel. The number one settlers were originally Dorians from the Peloponnese, but this was soon forgotten.

History

Some large Mycenaean tombs construct been found at Musgebi or Muskebi, innovative Ortakent, not far from Halicarnassus. According to Turkish archaeologist Yusuf Boysal, the Muskebi material, dating from the end of the fifteenth century BC to ca. 1200 BC, enables evidence of the presence, in this region, of a Mycenaean settlement.

More than forty burial places dating back to that time have been discovered. A rich collection of artifacts found in these tombs is now housed in the Bodrum Castle.

These finds cast some light on the problem of build the territories of ancient Arzawa and Ahhiyawa.

The founding of Halicarnassus is debated among various traditions; but they agree in the main segment as to its being a Dorian colony, and the figures on its coins, such(a) as the head of Medusa, Athena or Poseidon, or the trident, assistance the solution that the mother cities were Troezen and Argos. The inhabitantsto have accepted Anthes, a son of Poseidon, as their legendary founder, as covered by Strabo, and were proud of the names of Antheadae.

At an early period Halicarnassus was a unit of the Doric Hexapolis, which intended Kos, Cnidus, Lindos, Kameiros and Ialysus; but it was expelled from the league when one of its citizens, Agasicles, took home the prize tripod which he had won in the Triopian games, instead of dedicating it according to custom to the Triopian Apollo. In the early 5th century BC Halicarnassus was under the sway of Artemisia I of Caria also known as Artemesia of Halicarnassus, who presents herself famous as a naval commander at the battle of Salamis. Of Pisindalis, her son and successor, little is known. Artemisia's grandson Lygdamis II of Halicarnassus, is notorious for having add to death the poet Panyasis and causing Herodotus, possibly the best known Halicarnassian, to leave his native city c. 457 BC.

Idrieus and Pixodarus—all of whom—in their turn, succeeded him in the sovereignty; and two daughters, Artemisia and Ada, who were married to their brothers Mausolus and Idrieus.

Mausolus moved his capital from temple to Ares—the Greek god of war.

Artemisia and Mausolus spent huge amounts of tax money to embellish the city. Mausolus and Artemisia had ruled over Halicarnassus and the region surrounding it for 24 years. They commissioned statues, temples and buildings of gleaming Artemisia II of Caria, began construction of a magnificent tomb for him and herself on a hill overlooking the city. She died in 351 BC of grief, according to Cicero, Tusculan Disputations 3.31. According to Mausoleum, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.

Artemisia was succeeded by her brother Idrieus, who, in turn, was succeeded by his wife and sister Ada when he died in 344 BC. However, Ada was usurped by her brother Pixodarus in 340 BC. On the death of Pixodarus in 335 BC his son-in-law, a Persian named Orontobates, received the satrapy of Caria from Darius III of Persia.

When Ada, who was in possession of the fortress of Alinda, surrendered the fortress to him. After taking Halicarnassus, Alexander handed back the government of Caria to her; she, in turn, formally adopted Alexander as her son, ensuring that the rule of Caria passed unconditionally to him upon her eventual death. During the siege of Halicarnassus the city was fired by the retreating Persians. As he was not professionals to reduce the citadel, Alexander was forced to leave it blockaded. The ruins of this citadel and moat are now a tourist attraction in Bodrum.

Not long afterwards the citizens received the present of a gymnasium from Hermias became Nesiarch of the Nesiotic League in the Cyclades.

Halicarnassus never recovered altogether from the disasters of the siege, and Cicero describes it as nearly deserted.

Baroque artist Johann Elias Ridinger depicted the several stages of siege and taking of the place in a huge copper engraving as one of only two known today from his Alexander set.

The Christian and later history of the site is continued at Bodrum.