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).

History

Little is known of the history of Cappadocia before it became subject to the Persian empire, except that the country was the home of a great Hittite power centred at Hattusa (the modern village of Bo?azköy in north-central Turkey), which has left monuments at many places. With the decline of the Syro-Cappadocians after their defeat by Croesus, Cappadocia was left in the power of a sort of feudal aristocracy, dwelling in strong castles and keeping the peasants in a servile condition, which later made them apt for foreign slavery. It was included in the third Persian satrapy in the division established by Darius, but long continued to be governed by rulers of its own, none apparently supreme over the whole country and all more or less tributary to the Great King. Thoroughly subdued at last by the satrap Datames, Cappadocia recovered independence under a single ruler, Ariarathes (hence called Ariarathes I), who was a contemporary of Alexander the Great, and maintained himself on the throne of Cappadocia after the fall of the Persian monarchy.

Related Topics:
Persian empire - Hittite - Hattusa - Croesus - Satrapy - Darius - Great King - Datames - Ariarathes - Alexander the Great

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The province was not visited by Alexander, who contented himself with the tributary acknowledgment of his sovereignty made by Ariarathes before the conqueror's departure from Asia Minor; and the continuity of the native dynasty was only interrupted for a short time after Alexander's death, when the kingdom fell, in the general partition of the empire, to Eumenes. His claims were made good in 322 BC by the regent Perdiccas, who crucified Ariarathes; but in the dissensions which brought to Eumenes's death, the son of Ariarathes recovered his inheritance and left it to a line of successors, who mostly bore the name of the founder of the dynasty.

Related Topics:
Asia Minor - Eumenes - 322 BC - Perdiccas - Dynasty

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Under Ariarathes IV Cappadocia came into relations with Rome, first as a foe espousing the cause of Antiochus the Great, then as an ally against Perseus of Macedon. The kings henceforward threw in their lot with the Republic as against the Seleucids, to whom they had been from time to time tributary. Ariarathes V marched with the Roman proconsul Crassus against Aristonicus, a claimant to the throne of Pergamon, and their forces were annihilated (130 BC). The imbroglio which followed his death ultimately led to interference by the rising power of Pontus and the intrigues and wars which ended in the failure of the dynasty.

Related Topics:
Ariarathes IV - Rome - Antiochus the Great - Perseus - Macedon - Seleucids - Ariarathes V - Proconsul - Crassus - Aristonicus - Pergamon - 130 BC - Pontus

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Cappadocians, supported by Rome against Mithradates, elected a native lord, Ariobarzanes, to succeed (93 BC); but it was not till Rome had disposed at once of the Pontic and Armenian kings that his rule was established (63 BC). In the civil wars Cappadocia was now for Pompey, now for Caesar, now for Antony, now against him. The Ariobarzanes dynasty came to an end and a certain Archelaus reigned in its stead, by favour first of Antony, then of Octavian, and maintained tributary independence till AD 17, when the emperor Tiberius, on Archelaus's death in disgrace, reduced Cappadocia at last to a province.

Related Topics:
Mithradates - Ariobarzanes - 93 BC - Armenian - 63 BC - Pompey - Caesar - Antony - Archelaus - Octavian - 17 - Tiberius

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Cappadocia contains several underground cities, largely used by early Christians as hiding places.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

There are many places to "must see" in Cappadocia like; Fairy Chimneys, Goreme Valley, Goreme National Park and rock churches, underground cities of Kaymakli, Derinkuyu or Ozkonak, Zelve Valley, Avanos with its pottery and, Uchisar rock fortress, Ihlara valley, Soganli.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Over the years, the landscape of Cappadocia has been used in such movies as Yor: Hunter from the Future and the Turkish remake of Star Wars.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~