ALABANDA
ALABANDA (
ἡ Ἀλάβανδα,
τὰ Ἀλάβανδα: Eth.
Ἀλαβανδεύς, Eth.
Alabandeus, Eth.
Alabandensis, Eth.
Alabandenus: Adj. Alabandicus), a city of Caria, was situated 160 stadia S. of Tralles, and was separated from the plain of Mylasa by a mountain tract. Strabo describes it as lying at the foot of two hills (as some read the passage), which are so close together as to present the appearance of an ass with its panniers on.
The modern site is doubtful; but
Arab Hiss&,acute; on a large branch of the Maeander, now called the
Tshina, which joins that river on the S. bank, is supposed by Leake to represent Alabanda; and the nature of the ground corresponds well enough with Strabo's description. The
Tshina may probably be the Marsyas of Herodotus (
5.118).
There are the remains of a theatre and many other buildings on this site; but very few inscriptions. Alabanda was noted for the luxurious habits of the citizens. Under the Roman empire it was the seat of a Conventus Juridicus or court house, and one of the most flourishing towns of the province of Asia.
A stone called “lapis Alabandicus,” found in the neighbourhood, was fusible (
Plin. Nat. 36.8. s. 13), and used for making glass, and for glazing vessels.
Stephanus mentions two cities of the name of Alabanda in Caria, but it does not appear that any other writer mentions two. Herodotus, however (7.195), speaks of Alabanda in Caria (
τῶν ἐν τῇ Καρίῃ), which is the Alabanda of Strabo.
The words of description added by Herodotus seem to imply that there was another city of the name; and in fact he speaks, in another passage (8.136), of Alabanda, a large city of Phrygia. This Alabanda of Phrygia cannot be the town on the
Tshina, for Phrygia never extended so far as there.
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G.L]
