The Princeton Encyclopedia of Classical Sites (eds. Richard Stillwell, William L. MacDonald, Marian Holland McAllister)

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PEDASA or Pedason (Gökçeler) Turkey.

In the hills of Caria above Halikarnassos. One of the eight Lelegian towns mentioned by Strabo (611; ef. Plin., HN 5.107). The Pedasans offered strong resistance to the Persian Harpagos ca. 544 B.C. (Hdt. 1.175), and shortly after 499 another Persian army was ambushed and destroyed by the Carians near Pedasa (Hdt. 5.121). In the Delian Confederacy Pedasa paid two talents at first, reduced to one talent in the second period, but nothing thereafter. (It is, however, disputed whether another Pedasa may be meant; see next entry). The town was incorporated by Mausolos into his enlarged Halikarnassos (Strab. l.c.), but continued to be occupied as a garrison post in Hellenistic times. It was perhaps occupied for a time by Philip V during his Carian campaign (Polyb. 18.44).

The site is assured by Herodotos' description of it as above Halikarnassos, and by the survival of the name at the neighboring village of Bitez. It comprises a walled citadel with a keep at its E end and an outer enclosure below on the S. The citadel wall is of irregular masonry, something over 1.5 m thick, and has a gate on the W. The keep is approached on the W by a ramp which is flanked by a tower in coursed masonry; in a corner of the tower is a staircase.

In a hollow below the site on the SW are remains which seem to be those of the Temple of Athena, as implied by an inscription found close by (CIG 2660). On the slopes to the SE are numerous chamber tumuli, comprising a vaulted chamber and dromos enclosed by a circuit wall and surmounted by a pile of loose stones; these have produced pottery of early Archaic date.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

W. R. Paton & J. Myres, JHS 8 (1888) 81f; 16 (1896) 202ff, 215 no. 4; A. Maiuri, Annuario 4-5 (1921-22) 425ff; G. E. Bean & J. M. Cook, BSA 50 (1955) 123-25, 149-51.

This text is based on the following book(s):
The Princeton encyclopedia of classical sites. Stillwell, Richard. MacDonald, William L. McAlister, Marian Holland. Princeton, N.J. Princeton University Press. 1976.
OCLC: 75030210
ISBN: 0691035423

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