Lycians

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Myra rock tombs.

Lycian is the ancient collective name for the inhabitants of the Lycia landscape in Southwest Asia Minor in ancient times.

Origin of the Lycians in ancient sources

Lycians are mentioned several times in Homer's Iliad . They fight there on the Trojan side under the leadership of the heroes Sarpedon and Glaukos . The Greek hero Bellerophon is said to have accomplished great deeds in Lycia two generations before the Trojan War .

Herodotus claimed that the Lycians originally from Crete came to Termilen (Τερμίλαι) called and only through the Athens Lycus the son of Pandion , her name received (VII, 93). He also reported that they had landed in Asia Minor in the wake of their prince Sarpedon, who was expelled from Crete by his brother Minos , where both had fought over royal dignity, and that the Lycians had partly Cretan, partly Carian customs (I, 173 ). The conquest of Lycia by Sarpedon, brother of Minos and Rhadamanthys , is confirmed by Diodorus (V, 79). As the successor to the Cretan Sarpedon, his son Euandros is said to have ruled the country and was the father of Sarpedon, who fought in front of Troy.

In his comments on Herodotus, Adolf Schöll was of the opinion that the legend of Lykos, Pandion's son, and his Attic colony was probably only an invention of the Ionians , caused by the mere name. On the other hand, the poet Bakchylides , who belonged to the canon of the nine lyric poets , mentioned a Lycus alongside Actaius , Megalesios and Ormenus , sons of Nemesis and Tartarus , who are considered the four Telchines known by name . The latter are associated as indigenous people with the islands of Rhodes , Crete , Cyprus and Keos . Diodor (V, 56) reported that the Telchine Lykos settled in Lycia before the Deucalionic Flood and had the first temple built for the Lycian Apollo on the Xanthos river , which would have made him an early founder of the Lycian religion with the foundation of the Letoon .

Origin of the Lycians from today's perspective

In Hittite texts from the 15th to 13th centuries BC BC, for the first time in the form of [L] uqqa in the annals of the great king Tudḫaliya II. , The Lukka countries are mentioned, which today are generally roughly equated with the ancient landscape of Lycia (see below). Lycian written documents, which, however, date from the 5th century BC at the earliest. Are written in an Indo-European language , Lycian . It is related to the Luwian . In 2001, the Israeli historian and linguist Margalit Finkelberg examined the Cretan linear script A and found that there is a high degree of correspondence between the phonological and morphological systems of Minoan and Lycian. With this in mind, she concluded that the language of Linear A was either the direct ancestor of Lycian or a closely related idiom . In this context she referred to Herodotus testimony of the origin of the Lycians of Crete.

The Lukka countries of the Hittite texts lay in southwest Asia Minor and are likely to be roughly congruent with ancient Lycia (including the western parts of Pisidia , Pamphylia and the south of Caria ). It is very likely that the name Lykians is derived from Lukka . Here leads Fred Woudhuizen the derivative Lukka-> * Lukki-ya-> * Luhiya-> Luwiya- the urindogermanische * l (s) UK- (lights') back, similar to the Greek Lefkas (Λευκάς). These Lukka countries could never be conquered by the Hittites and were a source of unrest, especially towards the end of the empire. However, it is unclear whether they were allied with the Arzawa countries and other states in the west. The lukku (lkk) found in Egyptian texts are most likely identical to the inhabitants of the Lukka countries.

In spite of the lack of clarity of the controversial theories about the sea ​​peoples , from a more recent point of view there is a connection between the terms Lukku , Lukka countries , sea ​​peoples , Philistines , Lycians , Mycenaean and Aegean regions and not least the mythological accounts of Homer and Herodotus which probably also reflect an early connection to Crete and early Greek history. They are all numbered among the troublemakers in the Eastern Mediterranean, or on the coast of Asia Minor, the Levant and the Nile Delta , who threatened the old powers Hittites, Egypt , Cyprus ( Alaschia ) and Ugarit (as Hittite vassals) and ultimately destroyed them in part or in full.

history

The Lukka are mentioned for the first time in an Egyptian hieroglyphic inscription on a miniature obelisk in the Temple of the Obelisks of Byblos , in which a kwkwn s rwqq (= Kukkunis, son of the Lycian) as the seal bearer of King Abischemu II. (Around 1710 BC) is called. Then they appear, in addition to the mentions in Hittite texts, in Akkadian cuneiform in the letters of Amarna from the middle of the 14th century BC. BC, in Egyptian hieroglyphs again as Rwkw under Pharaoh Merenptah and in texts by Ugarit from the last years of the Bronze Age . The Lukka people fought on the side of the Hittites at the Battle of Kadesh (approx. 1274 BC). In the 5th year of Merenptah's reign (approx. 1209/08 BC), Lukku (mercenaries) attacked Egypt from the west together with members of other peoples (see also Sea Peoples ) in alliance with the Libyans . Around 1190 BC According to a text document from the last days of Ugarit, the last Hittite great king Šuppiluliuma II had to wage heavy, loss-making battles in the Lukka area. Egyptian sources do not list the Luka as a participant in the attack of the Sea Peoples on Egypt in the 8th year of Ramses III's reign. on.

Lycian sarcophagus in Kaş

The history of the Lycians in the following centuries is largely in the dark due to a lack of written sources and archaeological finds. In the southeast of the Hittite Empire and also in the area of ​​Lycia, successor states of the Hittites were formed. There were apparently hardly any Greek colonies - in contrast to the eastern South Asia Minor and the western Asia Minor coast. The Lycians presumably succeeded in repelling attempts at colonization such as the founding of Phaselis by Rhodes .

From the late 7th century BC The Lydian Empire became the dominant power in the western half of Asia Minor . Apparently the Lycians were not subjugated, because Herodotus writes that Alyattes II. Until 585 BC. BC had subjugated all areas west of Halys with the exception of Lycia.

Around 540 BC After bitter resistance, Lycia was conquered by the Persians and the important city of Xanthos was allegedly destroyed (the destruction of the Acropolis reported by Herodotus 120 years later cannot be proven archaeologically). For the first time in their history, the Lycians were demonstrably dependent on a foreign power. The Persian regime, however, must be regarded as rather moderate, the military was not stationed, the tributes were affordable; and ultimately the great king seems to have granted the dynasts of the Lycian cities extensive autonomy. The rulers of Xanthos in particular seem to have for a long time claimed dominance over all of Lycia with Persian help; with varying degrees of success. In this way, some dynasts achieved not only considerable scope for action, but also great prosperity and reputation, which many magnificent buildings and rock tombs still bear witness to today.

In 469 the Athenian Kimon Xanthos conquered , which was again (?) Destroyed. Some Lycian cities temporarily joined the Attic League , but changed sides again around 440: 429 the Lycians were able to repel an attempt by the Athenians to subjugate them again; from 413 at least Xanthos and Limyra fought on the Persian side against Athens.

Contrary to what older research assumed, there is no evidence that the cities of Lycia had already merged to form the " Lycian League " at this time . This is only from 167 BC. Certainly attested. Its political power and basic democratic structure, which has been celebrated since ancient times and whose fame radiated into the modern era of the 18th century, only unfolded long after the end of the so-called dynastic rule and the takeover of the Greek political system .

Between 380 and 360 Pericles of Limyra could control Lycia; but when he came into conflict with the Persians, he lost his power. The country was subordinated to the Carian satrap Mausolos II by the great king . The time of the dynasties was over. 334/33 BC BC Lycia was then conquered by Alexander the Great without resistance and united with Pamphylia and Pisidia in a satrapy (cf. Battle of Issus ). During the Diadoch period , the predominance of the Egyptian Ptolemies (from 309) and the Persian-Syrian Seleucids (from 197) alternated. After the victory over the Seleucid king Antiochus III. presented Rome Lycia in 188 BC Under Rhodian suzerainty. In 167 BC Then Lycia was declared free by the Roman Senate . The Lycians had successfully fought against Rhodes in the Lycian League. They minted their own federal coins. After Caesar's death in 44 BC BC Lycia is subjugated by Brutus . After internal Lycian unrest, Claudius established the province of Lycia in 43/44 AD (merged with Pamphylia to Lycia et Pamphylia from 72 AD ). Lycia is the last province of Asia Minor to be incorporated into the Roman Empire. 141 a devastating earthquake shakes the area. A period of economic boom followed, until another severe earthquake hit the country in 240. At the beginning of the 4th century, St. Nicholas , one of the 318 participants in the Council of Nicaea , becomes Bishop of Myra .

The Lycian language died in the 3rd century BC. Chr. From; other Lycian cultural peculiarities persisted into late antiquity .

Geography and cities

Lycian language

Lycian art and society

Herodotus, who in the 5th century BC He had apparently traveled to Lycia, writes in his work (I, 173) also of unusual customs of the Lycians: They are said to have named themselves after their mothers and listed their female ancestors. In addition, the status of a child was based on the status of the mother: if she had civil rights, her children also received civil rights. If, on the other hand, the mother was unfree, her children were also considered unfree, even if the father was a highly respected citizen. In earlier research it was concluded from this that women had previously occupied a very high position among the Lycians ( matriarchy ). In fact, this marginal note gave Herodotus Johann Jakob Bachofen the decisive impetus for his famous work on mother law at a time when the numerous grave inscriptions were still unknown and not deciphered. However, the grave inscriptions deciphered today do not prove this custom. But apparently the custom still existed here in Greek times that a man could marry into his wife's family, which was otherwise unthinkable in the patriarchal old world.

Lycian finds from before the 6th century BC BC are very rare and last at most into the 8th century BC. BC back. Therefore archeology could hardly shed light on the early history of Lycia. The most peculiar grave type is the pillar grave (also known as grave pillar), which was widespread in archaic and classical times and was apparently reserved for the dynastic elite. One of the most important representatives of this type is the so-called harpy monument . There are many rock graves from classical times that have a typical Lycian peculiarity: They reproduce a specific wooden architecture in stone. The models for these rock-fronted graves and stone grave houses are probably to be found in sacred buildings , although residential or palace buildings were also thought of as models. There are also sarcophagi with an ogival lid. The rock tombs in particular often show rich relief decorations and also have inscriptions in Lycian and later in Greek. Some of the early sarcophagi also have Lycian inscriptions. In Hellenism and in the empire Greek grave inscriptions are widespread, often have a similar form and call the grave Lord and other funeral authorized. The houses of many settlements are built into the rock.

From the 6th century BC Especially Greek (initially Ionic ) influences are evident. Persian influence, on the other hand, is limited, although Lycia was part of the Achaemenid Empire . An important example is the Nereid monument of Xanthos from the early 4th century BC. BC, which is now largely kept in the British Museum in London . Typically "Lycian" elements in art are difficult to identify and if so, what is "Lycian" is often disputed.

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Herodotus story . Seventh book. No. 93 . Metzler, Stuttgart 1832, p. 894–895 ( digitized - Greek: Ιστορίαι . Translated by Adolf Schöll ).
  2. ↑ Herodotus's story . First book. No. 173 . Metzler, Stuttgart 1855, p. 151–152 ( digitized - Greek: Ιστορίαι . Translated by Adolf Schöll).
  3. ↑ Diodor's of Sicily Historical Library . Fifth book. No. 79 . Metzler, Stuttgart 1831, p. 599 ( digitized - Greek: Διοδώρου τοῦ Σικελιώτου βιβλιοθήκης ἱστορικῆς τὰ σωζόμενα . Translated by Johann Friedrich Wurm ).
  4. ↑ The songs of Bakchylides (2): The dithyrambs and fragments . Brill, Leiden, New York, Cologne 1997, fragments of unknown origin, p. 108-109 ( online ).
  5. ↑ Diodor's of Sicily Historical Library . Fifth book. No. 56 . Metzler, Stuttgart 1831, p. 568-569 ( digitized - Greek: Διοδώρου τοῦ Σικελιώτου βιβλιοθήκης ἱστορικῆς τὰ σωζόμενα . Translated by Johann Friedrich Wurm).
  6. ↑ Friedrich Creuzer : Symbolism and mythology of the ancient peoples, especially the Greeks . Second part, third booklet. Leske, Leipzig and Darmstadt 1840, p. 536 ( digitized version ).
  7. ^ A b Fred Woudhuizen : Recurrent Indo-European Ethnonyms . In: Pius M. Mosima (Ed.): A Transcontinental Career, Essays in honor of Wim van Binsbergen (=  PIP-TraCS - Papers in Intercultural Philosophy and Transcontinental Comparative Studies . No. 24 ). Shikanda Press, Hoofddorp 2018, ISBN 978-90-78382-35-5 , (A6) Lougoi - Lugii - Lukka, p. 183-184 (English, online ).
  8. ↑ Margalit Finkelberg: The Language of Linear A: Greek, Semitic, or Anatolian? In: Robert Drews (Ed.): Greater Anatolia and the Indo-Hittite Language Family (=  Journal of Indo-European Studies: Monograph . No. 38 ). University of Michigan, 2001, ISBN 978-0-941694-77-3 , ISSN  0895-7258 , pp. 98 (English, online ).
  9. ↑ Frank Starke: Troy in the context of the historical-political and linguistic environment of Asia Minor in the 2nd millennium . In: Studia Troica Vol. 7 . 1997, pp. 449f.
  10. ^ Fred Woudhuizen: Recurrent Indo-European Ethnonyms . In: Pius M. Mosima (Ed.): A Transcontinental Career, Essays in honor of Wim van Binsbergen (=  PIP-TraCS - Papers in Intercultural Philosophy and Transcontinental Comparative Studies . No. 24 ). Shikanda Press, Hoofddorp 2018, ISBN 978-90-78382-35-5 , (A6) Lougoi - Lugii - Lukka, p. 185 (English, online ).
  11. ^ Fred Woudhuizen: The Ethnicity of The Sea Peoples (De etniciteit van de zeevolken) . Dissertation. Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam 2006, Historical Setting, p. 31, note 70 (English, online ).