Antigoneia/(Col. Augusta) Alexandria Troas is an important ancient city located in the Troas region, in northwestern Anatolia. It was founded in the late 4th century BCE by Antigonos Monophthalmos under the name Antigoneia, and later renamed Alexandria Troas by Lysimachus after 301 BCE. It gained significant prosperity and strategic importance, especially during the Roman Imperial period, as a colony city.

History

The history of Antigoneia/(Col. Augusta) Alexandria Troas begins in the late 4th century BCE with its foundation as Antigoneia by Antigonos Monophthalmos, one of Alexander the Great's generals, during his struggle for power in the region. The city quickly gained importance due to its strategic location, but following Antigonos's defeat in the Battle of Ipsus in 301 BCE, control of the region passed to Lysimachus. Lysimachus renamed the city "Alexandria" in his own honor and in dedication to Alexander, adding the epithet "Troas" to distinguish it from other Alexandrias in the Troas region. During the Hellenistic period, the city successively came under the rule of the Seleucids and the Kingdom of Pergamon, becoming part of the Roman Empire in 133 BCE when the Kingdom of Pergamon was bequeathed to Rome. During the Roman period, it obtained privileges with the status of "civitas libera et immunis" (free and immune city), and during the reign of Emperor Augustus, it was made a Roman colony under the name "Colonia Augusta Alexandria Troas". The city achieved great prosperity during this period, notable for significant infrastructure projects (e.g., the baths built by Herodes Atticus). It is even rumored that Emperor Constantine considered it as a capital before founding Byzantium. The city maintained its importance until the Late Antique period.

Geographic Location

Antigoneia/(Col. Augusta) Alexandria Troas is located today within the borders of the Ezine district of Çanakkale province, near the Aegean Sea coast, in the southwestern part of the Troas region. The city's geographic location formed the basis of its strategic importance in antiquity. Its position at a point controlling the sea trade routes between the Aegean Sea and the Propontis (Sea of Marmara) provided it with a significant advantage. The potential to market the products of the fertile Troas hinterland by sea also contributed significantly to its economic development. Important centers such as Troy (Ilion) to the north, and Assos and Neandria to the south, were among its neighboring cities, clearly demonstrating its integration into the regional political and economic network.