TA´VIUM
TA´VIUM (
Ταουίον,
Ταύιον) or TAVIA, a town in the central part of eastern Galatia, at some distance from the eastern bank of the river Halys, was the chief town of the Galatian tribe of the Trocmi, and a place of considerable commercial importance, being the point at which five or six of the great roads met. (
Plin. Nat. 5.42;
Strab. xii. p.567;
Ptol. 5.4.9;
Steph. B. sub voce Ἄγκυρα; Hierocl. p. 696;
It. Ant. pp. 201, 203.)
It contained a temple with a colossal bronze statue of Zeus. Leake (
Asia Minor, p. 311) is strongly inclined to believe that
Tshorum occupies the site of ancient Tavium; but Hamilton (
Researches, i. p. 379, &c.) and most other geographers, with much more probability, regard the ruins of
Boghaz Kieui, 6 leagues to the north-west of
Jazgat or
Juzghat, as the remains of Tavium. They are situated on the slope of lofty and steep rocks of limestone, some of which are adorned with sculptures in relief.
There are also the foundations of an immense building, which are believed to be remains of the temple of Zeus. (Comp. Hamilton in the
Journal of the Roy. Geogr. Soc. vol. vii. p. 74, fell.; Cramer,
Asia Minor, ii. p. 98.) [
L.S].
