Aspendos, one of the important cities of the ancient Pamphylia region, holds a strategic position on the banks of the Eurymedon River (modern Köprüçay), and is particularly known for its exceptionally well-preserved theatre dating from the Roman period. From the 5th century BCE onwards, it played a central role in regional trade by minting its own silver coins, and during the Byzantine period, it adopted the name Primoupolis.

History

The foundation of Aspendos is traditionally attributed to Greek colonists from Argos in the 10th century BCE, indicating the city's Hellenistic origins. However, the local Pamphylian culture of the region is also thought to have played a significant role in the city's development. From the 6th century BCE, like many other cities in Anatolia, it fell under the dominion of Lydia and subsequently the Achaemenid Persian Empire. Aspendos, which maintained a certain degree of internal autonomy under Persian rule, gained a significant place in history in 469 BCE when the Athenian commander Cimon defeated the Persian fleet in the Eurymedon River. In 333 BCE, during Alexander the Great's Anatolian campaign, it came under Alexander's control after a brief resistance. In the Hellenistic period following Alexander's death, the city changed hands between the Ptolemies and the Seleucids, respectively, and in the early 2nd century BCE, it entered the sphere of influence of the Kingdom of Pergamon. With the bequest of the Kingdom of Pergamon to Rome in 133 BCE, Aspendos was also incorporated into the Roman province of Asia. During the Roman period, the city experienced great prosperity and development, particularly standing out with its monumental structures in the 2nd century CE. In the Byzantine period, it began to be referred to by the name Primoupolis, meaning "First City," but gradually lost its political and economic significance.

Geographic Location

Aspendos was founded in the ancient region of Pamphylia, on the eastern bank of the Eurymedon River, known today as Köprüçay, approximately 16 kilometers from the sea, on a defensible hill. This strategic location allowed the city to serve as an important bridge in trade between the interior regions and the Mediterranean, and also provided access to fertile agricultural lands thanks to the alluvium carried by the river. The navigability of the Eurymedon River in antiquity strengthened the city's connection to the sea, enabling it to function as an inland port. Aspendos bordered other important Pamphylian cities such as Perge and Attaleia (Antalya) to its west, and Side to its east. This geographical and hydrographical position was decisive in making the city one of the most powerful and prosperous centers of the region, both defensively and economically.

Significance in Antiquity

Ancient Aspendos was one of Pamphylia's most important commercial centers due to its location on the Eurymedon River. The river played a critical role in transporting valuable products such as grain, horses, and salt from the interior regions to Mediterranean markets, and in delivering goods from the sea to the Anatolian hinterland. The city was particularly known for horse breeding and salt production, products that were in high demand in Mediterranean trade. Aspendos's economic power and independence are clearly evident from its capacity to mint its own silver coins from the 5th century BCE onwards. Politically, it is remembered for a significant military and strategic event in history: the defeat of the Persian fleet by the Athenian commander Cimon in the Battle of the Eurymedon in 469 BCE. Under the dominion of the Roman Empire, it experienced significant cultural and architectural development with the stability brought by the Pax Romana in the region. Its monumental theatre, built particularly in the 2nd century CE, is an indicator of the city's wealth and cultural sophistication. While detailed information about its religious life is limited, it is believed that deities from the Hellenistic and Roman pantheon were worshipped, blended with local Anatolian beliefs.

Coinage

Aspendos was an economically powerful city in the ancient world, possessing the authority to mint its own coins. It began minting silver coins from the early 5th century BCE and continued this activity until the Roman Imperial period. The city's most characteristic and recognized coin type, particularly seen on staters and drachms, features two wrestlers or a slinger on the obverse, and the three-legged 'triskeles' figure, which became the city's symbol, on the reverse. This triskeles motif may symbolize the city's dynamism, perhaps its central location on trade routes, or a type of solar symbol. In addition to silver coins, bronze coins were also minted during the Hellenistic and Roman periods. Coins minted during the Roman period typically depicted imperial portraits and the city's important structures or deities. Aspendos coins are invaluable sources for numismatists to understand the economic relations, cultural beliefs, artistic aesthetics, and the level of autonomy of the city during that period.

Aspendos is an ancient mint represented in the NumisTR database by 73 coin varieties. The recorded coins were struck in silver and bronze. Authorities named on the coins include Antiochus Iii The Great and Philip Iii Arrhidaeus. You can browse the city's coins in the Pamphylia coins list.

Archaeological Remains

Aspendos's surviving