Cappadocia

In ancient geography, Cappadocia (spelled Kapadokya in Turkish) (Greek: ??????????; see also List of traditional Greek place names) was an extensive inland district of Asia Minor (modern Turkey). In the time of Herodotus the Cappadocians occupied the whole region from Mount Taurus to the Euxine (Black Sea).

Etymology

Herodotus tells us that the name of the Cappadocians (Katpatouka) was applied to them by the Persians, while they were termed by the Greeks "Syrians" or "White Syrians" (Leucosyri). Historian Josephus claimed that these people were founded by the biblical figure Meshech, son of Japheth, "and the Mosocheni were founded by Mosoch; now they are Cappadocians." AotJ I:6. For more on Cappadocia and 'Meshech' see Ivane Javakhishvili. Under the later kings of the Persian empire they were divided into two satrapies or governments, the one comprising the central and inland portion, to which the name of Cappadocia continued to be applied by Greek geographers, while the other was called Pontus. This division had already come about before the time of Xenophon. As after the fall of the Persian government the two provinces continued to be separate, the distinction was perpetuated, and the name Cappadocia came to be restricted to the inland province (sometimes called Great Cappadocia), which alone will be considered in the present article.

Related Topics:
Herodotus - Persians - Greeks - Josephus - Meshech - Japheth - AotJ - Ivane Javakhishvili - Pontus - Xenophon

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The kingdom of Cappadocia was still in existence in the time of Strabo as a nominally independent state. Cilicia was the name given to the district in which Caesarea, the capital of the whole country, was situated. The only two cities of Cappadocia considered by Strabo to deserve that appellation were Caesarea (originally known as Mazaca) and Tyana, not far from the foot of the Taurus.

Related Topics:
Cilicia - Caesarea - Tyana

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