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Worms made possible a period of relative harmony, but the design of the Hohenstaufen, Frederick Barbarossa to restore the dignity of the so‐called Roman Empire (sacrum imperium) led to renewed conflict and schism, in which the question of imperial rights in Italy was of fundamental importance. From 1194 onwards, the union of Sicily and the emperor under the Henry VI created intense political pressure on the papacy.

Much of the medieval frontier line between Scotland and England, as constituted by treaty in 1237, corresponds to the modern line. The medieval frontier lacked the defensive qualities of what may be loosely described as its predecessor, Hadrian's Wall: much of the medieval line was, indeed, an obstacle for armies, but no insuperable barrier to small-scale communications. However, most of the frontier line bisects the central highland masses and lateral communications were in many places difficult. Consequently, when in the 14th century the Borders were divided in both England and Scotland into military commands, these were constituted as separate East and West Marches under their own Wardens. Frontier defences were hampered too by the frequent separation of the national frontier from the divisions between areas where tillage played an important part in mixed farming and areas where pastoralism predominated.

Antalya, the modern name for ancient Attalia, is a delightful city perched on the Mediterranean coast of southern Turkey. The eleventh largest city in modern Turkey, Antalya is a thriving tourist center. Although many visitors to the city use it as a base for visiting beaches along Turkey’s Mediterranean coast or archaeological sites in nearby locations, Antalya has plenty of charm and interest of its own. Attalia was a city in the region known as Pamphylia, an area bounded by the Taurus Mountains on the north and the Mediterranean Sea on the south. Situated on what is now called the Gulf of Antalya, the city served as the major port in Pamphylia during Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine times. Attalus II, who was king of Pergamum from 159 to 138 B.C.E., founded the city and named it after himself. When Attalus III (r. 138–133 B.C.E.) bequeathed the Pergamum kingdom to Rome in his will, Attalia was one of the areas excluded and thus became a free city for a while. In 77 B.C.E. Attalia was annexed by the Romans. During the 2nd century C.E. Emperor Hadrian conferred the status of colony on the city and visited Attalia in 130 C.E. The Hadrian Gate was built to commemorate this visit. Dedicated to the emperor, the triple-arched gate was made of marble and contained a dedicatory inscription in bronze letters. During the Byzantine era the city was known as Adalia and continued to serve as an important port city. Used by the Crusaders as a harbor on their way to the Holy Land, the city was conquered by the Seljuk Turks in 1207. The Seljuks left their mark upon the city by means of several buildings, some of which still decorate the city’s landscape. Around the end of the 14th century, the Ottomans gained control of the city. During this period Antalya continued to flourish and serve as an important harbor on the Mediterranean. When the Allies dismantled the Ottoman Empire at the end of World War I, Antalya was given to Italy, only to be retaken by the Turkish army in 1921.

Often crowded with tourists, Ephesus is a must-see stop on any itinerary through western Turkey. Few archaeological sites in Turkey are as impressive as Ephesus. The excavated and reconstructed buildings bear eloquent testimony to this important and grand city of ancient Asia Minor. Strolling the streets of Ephesus, past fountains, statues, monuments, temples, a great library, residences, the agora, and the theater, the modern visitor can easily imagine the ancient city thronged with crowds engaged in the various activities of their society. Ephesus is situated near the Aegean coast, east and slightly north of the island of Samos and approximately 40 miles south of Izmir. The modern city of Selçuk is located in the general area of ancient Ephesus. In antiquity Ephesus was a major port city situated on the Aegean coast. Over the years alluvial deposits from the Cayster River, which ran near the city, filled in the harbor, and as a result, the site of the city today lies approximately 5 miles inland from the coast. In addition, Ephesus was the beginning point for the main highway that ran from the Aegean coast to the eastern part of Anatolia, which along with its harbor allowed the city to flourish as a commercial and transportation center. According to the geographer Strabo, the earliest inhabitants of Ephesus were a group of peoples called Leleges and Carians. Sometime around 1100–1000 B.C.E., a group of Ionian Greek colonists, supposedly led by the legendary Athenian prince Androclus, established a Greek settlement at the base of the northern slope of Panayïr Daǧï (Mt. Pion), one of three hills in the vicinity of ancient Ephesus. An ancient legend claims that Androclus chose this site on the basis of an oracle that said the city should be established at the site indicated by a fish and a wild boar. When Androclus and his companions landed on the coast of Asia Minor, Androclus joined some locals who were grilling fish. One of the fish, along with a hot coal, flipped off the grill.

At one time one of the most important cities in Lycia, Myra almost has passed into obscurity. In addition to some interesting tombs and a theater, the most enduring legacy of ancient Myra is the tradition that developed around its most famous resident and bishop, St. Nicholas, who was the historical person behind the legend of Santa Claus. Popular etymology explained the name of the city as being derived from the Greek word for myrrh, an aromatic spice, but this is unlikely. Myra was a city in the Lycian region of Anatolia, along the Mediterranean coast approximately 85 miles southeast of modern Antalya. The ruins of ancient Myra lie about a mile north of Demre (or Kale), a small town along highway 400, the coastal road. Signs in the town point the way to Myra. The ancient city was considered a port city, even though it was about 3.5 miles from the coast. Its port was actually Andriace, but the name Myra often included the city proper and its port at Andriace. Thus, for example, when Acts 27:5 states that the ship carrying Paul landed at Myra, the actual port would likely have been Andriace. Whether Paul and the others with him went to Myra after disembarking from the ship is not known. The Myrus, or Andracus, River (Demre Çayï) flowed past the city on its way to the Mediterranean. Settled probably as early as the 5th century B.C.E., Myra became one of the leading cities of the Lycian League by the 2nd century B.C.E. Myra was one of the six most important members of the league, which consisted of twenty-three cities. As such, it was entitled to three votes in the league (the maximum allowed). In spite of its importance, the city does not seem to have played a major role in ancient history. During Roman times the city apparently enjoyed good relations with Rome. Augustus (and after him, Tiberius as well) was honored by the people of Myra by their bestowing on him the title of “imperator of land and sea, benefactor and savior of the whole universe.”

In ancient times Patara possessed one of the best harbors on the Lycian coast. Modern visitors will be forced to use their imaginations to visualize the port of Patara, since the harbor eventually fell victim to the effects of silting from the Xanthos River. Today a beach and sand dunes cover the mouth of the ancient harbor, while the inner part of the harbor is now a marsh. Patara served as the port city for Xanthos, the leading city of the region of Lycia, which was located about 6 miles up the Xanthos River. Patara is located on the southwestern shore of Turkey, due east from the island of Rhodes. It is situated about halfway between Fethiye and Kale, near the present-day village of Gelemiş, about 3.5 miles south of the modern road (highway 400) that runs along Turkey’s Mediterranean shore. Patara is approximately 6 miles east of the mouth of the Xanthos River. A stream from the Xanthos flowed into the sea at Patara and deposited the river’s silt there. Important in the past because of its harbor, the area around Patara is known today for its 11 miles of excellent, sandy beaches. Supposedly named after Patarus, a son of Apollo, the city was famous in antiquity for its Temple of Apollo (no archaeological evidence of the temple has yet been found) and the oracle of Apollo. According to ancient tradition, Apollo liked to spend the winter at Patara and thus the oracle of Apollo was operative only during the winter months. Pottery finds at Patara provide evidence for a settlement here as early as the 6th century B.C.E. In 334–333 B.C.E. Patara, along with several other Lycian cities, surrendered to Alexander the Great. During the subsequent Hellenistic period, the city came first under the control of the Ptolemies and then the Seleucids. Ptolemy II Philadelphus (r. 282–246 B.C.E.) expanded the city and renamed it Arsinoe in honor of his wife, but the new name never took hold. In 196 B.C.E., the Seleucid ruler Antiochus III of Syria captured several Lycian cities, including Patara.

Certainly a striking city in its day, Perga (also spelled Perge) today still is an impressive place to visit. Its theater, stadium, agora, towers, baths, and colonnaded streets give the visitor a good sense of what an ancient city was like. Perga is located in the ancient region of Pamphylia, approximately 9 miles east of Antalya. To visit the site, take highway 400 east from Antalya to the town of Aksu, in which there is a yellow sign on the left that points to Perga, which is a little more than a mile north of Aksu. The Aksu Çayï (the ancient Cestrus River) comes within 3 miles of the site on its way to the Mediterranean, approximately 7 miles away. In ancient times Perga apparently had a port on the river, which was navigable, thus allowing the city to benefit commercially from the river. Ancient tradition claims that Perga was founded after the Trojan War by Greek settlers under the leadership of Calchas (a seer whose prophecies helped the Greeks in the war) and Mopsus (another ancient seer). The acropolis at Perga, however, was inhabited much earlier than this, even during the Bronze Age. When Alexander the Great came through the area in 333 B.C.E., the city of Perga offered no resistance to him. Some of the people from Perga even served as guides to lead a part of Alexander’s army from Phaselis into Pamphylia. After Alexander’s death, the city was controlled by the Ptolemies and then by the Seleucid rulers. One of the most famous natives of Perga during the Hellenistic period was Apollonius, a 3rd-century-B.C.E. mathematician who wrote a ninevolume work on conics. His works were important contributions to astronomy and geometry. He studied in Alexandria and later lived in Pergamum. After the defeat of the Seleucids by the Romans in 189 B.C.E. at the battle of Magnesia, Perga became a part of the Pergamene kingdom. Bequeathed to Rome in 133 B.C.E. by the last Pergamene king, Attalus III, the city came under Roman control four years later, as a part of the Roman province of Asia Minor.

Pergamum is unquestionably one of the most impressive archaeological sites in all of Turkey. Pergamum’s attractions are hard to surpass—the breathtaking view from its theater carved out of the side of the acropolis, the magnificent restored Temple of Trajan, the foundations of the Great Altar of Zeus, the ancient healing center of Asclepius, the Temple of Serapis (the Red Hall), and the archaeological museum. A visit to Pergamum should not be rushed. There is much here to reward the patient visitor who will explore the riches of this ancient city. The site of ancient Pergamum is scattered in and around the modern town of Bergama, located in the western part of Turkey, approximately 65 miles north of Izmir. According to ancient mythology, Pergamum was founded by Telephus, king of Asia Minor and the son of Hercules (and thus the grandson of Zeus). Archaeological evidence indicates that Pergamum was settled as early as the 8th century B.C.E. Xenophon, the Greek historian who was involved in a mercenary expedition against the Persians, mentions that in 399 B.C.E. he and his soldiers spent some time at Pergamum. Little is known about Pergamum until the Hellenistic period, when Pergamum and all of Asia Minor came under the control of Alexander the Great. After the death of Alexander in 323 B.C.E., Lysimachus, one of Alexander’s generals (the Diadochoi) involved in the struggle for Alexander’s kingdom, eventually gained control of all of Asia Minor. He deposited a considerable amount of wealth in the treasury of Pergamum and placed one of his officers, Philetaerus, in charge. Philetaerus eventually turned against Lysimachus. After Lysimachus’ death, Philetaerus (r. 281–263 B.C.E.) used the money to establish a principality, with Pergamum as its capital. Unmarried (and supposedly a eunuch due to an accident), Philetaerus adopted his nephew Eumenes I as his successor. Eumenes I (r. 263–241 B.C.E.) was successful in defeating the Seleucid king Antiochus I at Sardis and expanding the rule of Pergamum throughout the Caicus River valley and all the way to the Aegean Sea. Upon his death, he was succeeded by his adopted son Attalus I Soter (r. 241–197 B.C.E.).