HISTORY OF BODRUM (ANCIENT HALICARNASUS)The town of Bodrum is founded on the ancient Halicarnassus, one of the most famous cities antiguity.The archaeological evidences in the museum reflect a past of five thousand years in Bodrum and it is neighborhood.The region, as it can be understood from the various artifacts displayed , was invaded throughtout the centuries by many civilizations. The invaders came mainly from the islands to the region called Caria in the antique age.The region of Caria included the the province of Muğla and part of what is Aydın today Anatolia, then also, was divided into many regions. According to the writers of antiquity, Caria extended from the Menderes river in the west to the Dalaman creek in the east. The native inhabitants of the region were the Carians and the Legians.In the Iliad, Homer mentios the Carians as the inhabitants of Anatolia and allias of the Trojans againts the Greeks.
" Herodotus of Halicarnassus (484-425 B.C.), considered as the father of history says :’’The Carians have crossed over to the mainland from the islands when still living on the islands they were called Legeians and were ruled by King Minos’’ Heredotus adds that, according to the Cretans, they were the first to make use of sings and handles on shield and crests on helmets. The Creants also recounted, he says, that the Carians were a maritime folk but the carians would have none of this, maintaining that they have always lived on the mainland.’’
The carians and Lelegeians lived near the coast in villages built on high hills which they surrounded with walls. Herodotus writes that Halicarnassus was founded by the Dorians who came from Trozen on the east coast of the Pleponnese.
According to the geographer Strabo of Amasya, Halicarnassus was founded by Anthes, son of Poseidon. In A.D. 26 Halicarnassus envoys came to Rome in order to convince the emperor Tiberius to have the temple to be erected in his name is Halicarnassus, on the ground that for 1200 yeras their cities had not felt the shock of an earthquake.This would put the foundation of the city right after the Trojen war. Strabo disagrees with this and claims that Halicarnassus,was not is existence in the first quarter of the XI. Century B.C. The traveller and geographer Pausanias points out that the founder of the city was the grandchild of Aention, who was the son of Anthes. The Dorians, use the islands are their stepping-stone arrived to south-west anatolia around 1000 B.C. After many waves of Dorian migrations following each other, the new-comers were forced the settle on the coast. The first settlement in Halicarnassus was on rocky little island where the castle stands today.The island called Zephyria in those days, Zephyros meaning western wind, is joined with the mainland today. Halicarnassus, with three other cities joined the six-city Dorian league called Hexapolis.The cult center of the league was the Triopian Apollo temple at Deveboynu near Cnidus. Meeting hear periodically, the league discuss matters concerning economy and politics. Festivals were also held in honour of Apollo. Halicarnassus was expelled from the Dorian Hexapolis shortly before the Persian invasion in 546 B.C. The story has told by Herodotus is that a certain man called Agasicles From Halicarnassus recived a bronze tripod as his prize after winning a victory in a game held in honour of Apollo Agasicles disregarded the rule which required him to dedicate the prize on the sport to Apollo, took it home with him and hung it up in his house.The other cities of the Hexahapolis; Lindus, Lalysus, Camirus, Cos, and Cdinus, claiming that this action was an insult to the god, expelled Halicarnassus from the league.This of cours was apretext; the real reason baing the increasing jealously felt againts Halicarnassus rising power.After this event Halicarnassus quicly became lonion in culture.This is confirmed by the works of Herodotos who wrote in lonian dialect, as did is uncle Panyasis, the epic poet.
After the conquest to Sardis by the Persian king Cyrus, the western Anatolian cities fell rapidly under Persian rule. In the cities they conquered the persians put the power dynasties who would rule in their interest.
During Xerxes’ campaing againts the Greeks (around 480 B.C.), the daughter of the tyrant Lygdamis, Artemisia I was the ruler of Halicarnassus. Herodotus has provided as with much information on Artemisia. He writes that she joined with the Persiansto fights againts the Greeks, and, also ruled over the islands of Cos, Nisyros and Calydnos. At Salamis she advised Xerxes not to risk a naval battle with the Greeks.However as the king had follewed the wish of the majority, she joined the battle in person and fought with so much prowes at the king exclaimed ’’My man have shown themselves women and my women men’’. Heredotus has not writen the name of her housband, but she must surely have taken over the rule after his death.
Following Artemisia’s death, first her son Psyindalis and later her grandson Lygdamis II became tyrants of Halicarnassus. Psyindalis who had a weak character did not archieve anything of much importance. Lygdamis II, on the other hand, exerted a despotic rule. It is said that Herodotus, forced to leave his native city because of Lygdamis’ cruelty, later returned and helped to the overthrow of the dynasty. Political strife, however, made him leave the city once again.
Halicarnassus took part in the lonian revolution, and around 486 B.C. joined the Attica-Delos Confederacy. The revenues it paid to the conferadetion were less than those paid by the cities of Termara and Pedasa.This is a evidence that Halicarnassus was a comparatively small city about middle of the V. Century B.C. In 404 B.C. Sparta put end to the confederation, and Halicarnassus for a while might have enjoyed democratic rule. In the beginnig of the IV. Century B.C. the Persians were again in power. With the treaty between Athens and Persia known as the ‘’king’s Peace’’, the cities of Asia went under totel Persian control.The Persians, once more, divied Anatolia into regions called satrapies. The rule of the Carian region was given to the Hekatomnos dynasty settled in Mylasa.
The first satrap whose name we know was Hyssaldomus from Mylasa. He was succeesed by his son Hecatomnos in 387 B.C. Hecatomnos had three sons (Maussollos, Idrieus, Pixodarus) and two daugthers (Artemisia II;Ada), In 377 B.C. Hecatomnos died and his son Maussollos became the satrap of Caria.As in the times of the Lydamis dynasty, Maussollos transfered the capital back to Halicarnassus and rebuilt it on a much grander scale.Easy to defend and situated in a place favourable to naviagation and commerce. Halicarnassus quickly prospered. During the reing of Mussollos the inhabitants of the six neighbouring Lelegian cities were forced to live in Halicarnassus. An ambitious man, he conquered the islands of Cos and Rhodes, and Halicarnassus rebuilt by the most famous architects and sculptors of the age.The money necessary for this was supplied from the heavy taxes he livied. In his reign even long hair was taxed.
Maussollos died in 353 B.C., after reigning over Caria from twentyfour years.The rule of the satrapy passed to Artemisia, his elder sister and wife (with the exception of Egyptian Pharaohs and Polynesian of Egyptian Pharaohs and Polynesian kings, marriage between brothers and sister is never seen in the ruling families of the world. These, considering themselves far superior to the rest of the population did not want to mix; they therefore started to marry within the family).Artemisia II ruled for a very short period of two years, but made herself famous in two notable respects. The first was that she contiuned the construction of the superbtomb, the Maussolleion, which had started in her husband’s time. Artemisia’s other the claim to fame was the re-conquest of Rehodes.
The Rehodians, considering it an indignity to be ruled by a woman prepared a fleet and attacke Halicarnassus.Artemisia being informed of the Rhodians intentions, hid her fleet in the secret harbour.
When the Rhodians sailed to the main harbour and put their man ashore to occupy the city she quickly led her ships around the island were the castle stands to day and seized the unmanned ships. The Rehodian soldiers , unable to retreat, were surrounded and destroyed in the agora (market-place). Artemisia then put her own men abourd the enemy ships and sailed to Rhodes. The city thinking that their soldiers were returning victorious, opened its gates without hesitatian and was easly captured.To celebrate this victory Artemisia had her own statue erected.To prevent the statue to be destroyed under any circumstances she had it surrounded with a wall and declared it forbidden ground. After her died in 351 B.C Idrieus came to power Idrieus died in 351 B.C. leaving the rule to his wife Ada. The youngest brothers Pixodoros married his daugther to a Persian noble by the name of Orontobates, but died shortly before the arrive of Alexander in 344 B.C. In the spring of that year, after defeating the Persian army at Grnikos(Bigacreek), Alexsander started occupying Anatolia with remarkable speed. When he arrived to Halicarnassus pixodaros had recently died and the Persion orontobates was in control as satrap.The forces in the city consisted of Persian soldiers and Greek mercanaries under the command of the Rhodian Memnon.As we understand from the detailed accounts of the historians Diodorus and Arrian; The city defended herself bravely.Alexander first attacked the Mylasa gate on the eastern side, then proceeded to at attackt violently to the Myndus gate.The satrap Orontobates and Memon retreated to the two inner castles at Salmacis and Zephyria.Alexander ordered the city to be sacked and the Macedonian soldiers burnt the whole city down leaving only the Maussoleion untouched.After the sacking, the inhabitants brought over from the six lelegian cities during Maussollos reing were sent back as Orontobates and Memnon were still holding on in the castles. Alexander gave the command of the siege to Ada, who by her own will had opened him the gates of Alinda, and proceeded to Lycia was also made the satrap of Caria.The Persians held on for about a year ,meanwhile occupying Cos will their fleet though it is not known precisely how long they were able to control the islans.After the death of Alexander, Halicarnassus was controlled by one of his generals, Asandros, in 313 B.C. first antigonos also know as Monoftalmos (one-eyed), and later general Lisymahos in 301 B.C. ruled over the region. Lsymahos was killed at the better of Kurupedion and Caria than was ruled by the Ptolemies(281B.C.)and had to pay a tax of one ‘’Trireme ‘’a year to the Egyptian kingdom.
Halicarnassus was never able to recuperate after Alexanders plunder.In 201 B.C. Plilip V of Macedonia for a short while occupied the city. In 196 B.C. Antiochus III of Syria attempted to take it back from the Ptolemies, but was prevented by the Allies of the latter, the Rehodians. With peace of Apemeia in 189 B.C. the Romans gave the sovereignty of Halicarnassus to Rhodes; but this was never fully put into practice.The city independence lasted until 129 B.C., when the Romans organized the province of Asia and include Cariain in it. Halicarnassus was plundered by the prite Verres in 80 B.C. and by 60 seems to have been a city of no economical importance, As the ‘’ tyrannicides’’ Brutus and Cassius had established their headquarters at Myndus near Halicanassus, the city suffered great damage during the power struggle in Rome (43 B.C. ). Better times came however with the establishment of the empire under Augustus and Halicarnassus was once again prospreus. Several temples including the Mars temple, were built during this period. In 400 A.D. the Roman provinces were re-organized and Caria became a separate province. With the adoptian of Christianity as the offical religion Halicarnassus developed into a Diocese connected to the Archbishopric at Aphrodisias.
Although Halicarnassus had passed under Turkish rule in the last quarter of the 11. Century, Byzantium again controlled the region during the first crusade (1096-1099).The Deniz Gazi’s under the command of the Menteşe Bey captured the city and built a castle towards the middle of the 13. Century. The Anatolian unity was destroyed with the defeat of Yıldırım Beyazıt by Tamerlane at the battle of Ankara in 1402. Meanwhile, the Knights of St. John demanded land from Mehmet Çelebi, in compensation for their castle in İzmir which had been wrecked. The knights were given Halicarnassus, but had to figth against the Menteşe Bey who claimed the land for himself. Finnaly capturing the city, which they called Mesy, the knights started building their castle on the Dorian acrapolis where the pervious.Turkish castle was situated.With the conquest of Rhodes in Junuary 5th 1523 by Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, Bodrum once again became a part of the Ottoman empire. In 1770 the Rusia novy shelled the town, and in the Greek revolt of 1824 it was used by the Turks a military base. During the first World War the French battleship’’Dublex’’shelled Bodrum and tride to make a landing, this attemp, however, was a failture because of the resistantce of the inhabitants.The war ended with the Ottoman empire on the losingside ,and Bodrum was occupied by Italian forces in 11 May 1919.The Italians used the castle as their headquarters and tried to establish good relations with the inhabitants.When it became obvious that the war of indenpence led by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk would be won by the Turks,the Italians left Bodrum and the region of Muğla.
Bodrum, today , is one of the flourishing holiday towns of the Turkish Republic.
BIBLIOGRAPHY: ALP OZEN OGUZ(1980) BODRUM DONMEZ OFFSET ANKARA |
