PE´DASA
PE´DASA (
Πήδασα: Eth.
Πηδασεύς), also called PEDASUM (
Plin. Nat. 5.29), an ancient city of Caria, in which the Persians suffered a defeat during the revolt of the Ionians. (
Hdt. 5.121,
6.20.)
It was once the chief seat of the Leleges. Alexander the Great deprived the place of its independence by giving it over to the Halicarnassians, together with five other neighbouring towns. (Plin.
l.c.) In the time of Strabo (
xiii. p.611) the town had ceased to exist, and the name of the district, Pedasis (
Πηδασίς), was the only remaining memorial of the place. (Comp.
Plb. 18.27;
Steph. B. sub voce As Herodotus assigns to Pedasa a portion of the territory of Miletus, it is clear that the town must have been situated between Miletus, Halicarnassus, and Stratoniceia; but its exact site is still only matter of conjecture, some placing it at the modern
Melasso, and others at
Arabi Hissar, neither of which suppositions is free from inconsistencies.
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L.S]
