The region of Rough Cilicia (modern area the southwestern coastal area of Turkey), known in antiquity as Cilicia Tracheia, constitutes the western part of the larger area of Cilicia. It is characterized by the ruggedness of its territory and the protection afforded by the high mountains combined with the rugged seacoast fostered the prolific piracy that developed in the late Hellenistic period, bringing much notoriety to the area. It was also known as a source of timber, primarily for shipbuilding.
The twenty-two papers presented here give a useful overview on current research on Rough Cilicia, from the Bronze Age to the Byzantine period, with a variety of methods, from surveys to excavations. The first two articles (Yağcı, Jasink and Bombardieri), deal with the Bronze and Iron Ages, and refer to the questions of colonization, influences, and relations. The following four articles (Tempesta, de Souza, Tomaschitz, Rauh et al.) concern the pirates of Cilicia and Isauria who were a big problem, not only for the region but throughout the Mediterranean and Aegean during the late Hellenistic and especially Roman periods.
Approaching the subject of Roman Architecture, Borgia recalls Antiochus IV of Commagene, a king with good relations to Rome. Six papers (Spanu, Townsend, Giobbe, Hoff, Winterstein, and Wandsnider) publish work on Roman architecture: architectural decoration, council houses, Roman temples, bath architecture, cenotaph, and public buildings. Ceramics is not neglected and Lund provides a special emphasis on ceramics to demonstrate how pottery can be used as evidence for connections between Rough Cilicia and northwestern Cyprus.
Six contributions (Varinliog(lu, Ferrazzoli, Jackson, Elton, Canevello and Özy?ld?r?m, Honey) deal with the Early Christian and Byzantine periods and cover rural habitat, trade, the Kilise Tepe settlement, late Roman churches, Seleucia, and the miracles of Thekla. The final article (Huber) gives insight into methods applied to the study of architectural monuments.
Table of Contents
1. Introductory Remarks (Serra Durugönül)
2. Problematizing Greek Colonization in the Eastern Mediterranean in the Seventh and Sixth Centuries BC: The Case Of Soli (Remzi Yağcı)
3. The Göksu River Valley from Late Bronze to Iron Age: Local Cultures, External Influences, and Relations with Foreign Peoples (Anna M. Jasink and Luca Bombardieri)
4. Central and Local Powers in Hellenistic Rough Cilicia (Claudia Tempesta)
5. Who Are You Calling Pirates? (Philip De Souza)
6. The Cilician Pirates―How to Approach an Obscure Phenomenon (Kurt Tomaschitz)
7. Anchors, Amphoras, and Ashlar Masonry: New Evidence for the Cilician Pirates (Nicholas Rauh, Matthew Dillon, and Richard Rothaus)
8. The Rule of Antiochus IV of Commagene in Cilicia: A Reassessment (Emanuela Borgia)
9. Architectural Decoration in Roman Rough Cilicia: Preliminary Remarks (Marcello Spanu)
10. The ‘Council-Chamber’ at Asar Tepe: A Preliminary Study (Rhys F. Townsend)
11. Roman Temples in Rough Cilicia: A Diachronic Analysis (Chiara Giobbe)
12. Bath Architecture Of Western Rough Cilicia (Michael Hoff)
13. Şekerhane Köşkü In Selinus: The Alleged Cenotaph For The Roman Emperor Trajan. Preliminary Report On Current Architectural Research (Claudia Winterstein)
14. Public Buildings and Civic Benefactions in Western Rough Cilicia: Insights from Signaling Theory (Luann Wandsnider)
15. Connections Between Rough Cilicia and Northwestern Cyprus Between About 200 BC and Ad 200: The Ceramic Evidence (John Lund)
16. Rural Habitat in the Hinterland of Seleucia Ad Calycadnum During Late Antiquity (Günder Varinlioğlu)
17. Production and Trade of a Cilician City from the Roman to Byzantine Age: The Case of Elaiussa Sebaste (Adele Federica Ferrazzoli And Marco Ricci)
18. Byzantine Settlement at Kilise Tepe in the Göksu Valley (Mark Jackson)
19. Late Roman Churches in the Upper Göksu Valley, Isauria (Hugh Elton)
20. Seleucia Under One God: Christianity in Seleucia in the Early Christian Era (Sevim Canevello and Murat Ozyildirim)
21. Topography in the Miracles of Thekla: Reconfiguring Rough Cilicia (Linda Honey)
22. Research on Ancient Cities and Buildings in Rough Cilicia (Gerhard Huber)
