ASPENDUS
ASPENDUS (
Ἄσπενδος: Eth.
Ἀσπένδιος), a city of Pamphylia, on the Eurymedon, 60 stadia from the mouth of the river, and an Argeian colony (Strab. p. 667).
It is mentioned by Thucydides (
8.81,
87,
108) as a port, or at least a place up to which ships might ascend.
The town was situated on highly ground; on a mountain, as Pliny (
5.27) calls it; or a very lofty hill, which commands a view of the sea. (Mela, 1.14.)
The site must be easily determined by an examination of the lower part of the Eurymedon. From an extract in Spratt's
Lycia (vol. ii. p. 32) it may be collected that the name is still Aspendus; it is described as 6 or 8 miles from the sea, and a lofty city. One argument that is urged to prove the identity is, that a great marsh near it is still called
Capru, a name identical with that of the ancient marsh or lake Capria. Strabo mentions the lake Capria, and then the Eurymedon; and he may mean that the lake or marsh is near the river.
The brief extract as to Aspendus in Spratt is rather obscure. Pliny (
31.7) mentions a lake
[p. 1.242]at Aspendus, where salt was produced by evaporation.
In the neighbourhood the olive was much cultivated.
Thasybulus lost his life at Aspendus; being surprised in his tent by the Aspendians, on whom he had levied contributions. (
Xen. Hell. 4.8;
Diod. 14.99.) Alexander, in his Asiatic expedition, visited Aspendus, and the place surrendered upon preparation being made by the king to besiege it. (Arrian,
Arr. Anab. 1.26.)
It was a populous place after Alexander's time, for it raised on one occasion 4000 hoplites. (
Plb. 5.73.)
The consul Cn. Manlius, when moving forward to invade Galatia, came near Termessus, and made a show of entering Pamphylia, which brought him a sum of money from the Aspendii and other Pamphylians. (
Liv. 38.15;
Plb. 22.18.)
The old medals of Aspendus have the epigraph
ΕΣ. ΕΣΤ. ΕΣΤΦ. ΕΣΤΦΕΔΝΓΣ., but those of more recent date have the common form
ΑΣ. ΑΣΠΕΝΔΙΩΝ. (Cramer,
Asia Minor, vol. ii. p. 282.)
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| COIN OF ASPENDUS. |
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