1. Mythology – Location and Foundation of the City

Cyzicus (or Kyzikus), the city of Mysia, was built on the southern coast of Propontis, on the Arctonessos peninsula¹ (now Kapu Dağ) and was one of the greatest commercial ports of the area in antiquity. According to mythology, the city was named after King Cyzicos (or Kyzikos), accidentally killed by the Argonauts.² In the early historical years Cyzicus accepted colonists from Miletus of Ionia and, as a Milesian colony, came into the spotlight. Eusebios, the ecclesiastical historian of the 4^th century AD, mentions two different dates for the foundation of Cyzicus: 756 and 679 BC. Adopting the theory of ‘double colonisation’ some researchers accept the first date. According to this theory, the first Milesians settled in Cyzicus around the mid-8^th century BC but the location was abandoned after a Cimmerian raid; it was colonised again in the 7^th century BC. However, the archaeological evidence supports only the second date, since the pottery found there is not earlier than the 7^th century BC. As a result, Cyzicus must have been founded around 680 BC, the period when Miletus started the systematic colonisation of the area.³

2. Historical Background

As regards the early history of the city, only a general framework may be established. In the 6^th century BC Cyzicus, like all the Greek cities of Asia Minor, was under Croesus (560-546 π.Χ.), the King of Lydia. After Croesus was defeated by the Persians in 546 BC, the area of the Hellespontic Phrygia, where Cyzicus belonged, came under the administration of the third Persian satrapy based in Dascylium. In 478 BC, after the Greek victories against the Persians, Cyzicus threw off the Persian occupation. It became a member of the Delian League paying an annual tax of nine talents. During the Peloponnesian War it defected from the League, but the Athenians occupied the city again in 410 BC. A significant naval battle between the Athenians under Alcibiades and the Lacedaemons (Spartans), resulting in the Athenian victory, took place near the city.⁴ Cyzicus remained under the Athenian power until the naval battle of Aegospotami (405 BC), which signalled the end of the Peloponnesian War. After the Spartans were shattered by the Persians in the naval battle of Cnidus in 394 BC, a confederation of cities, where Cyzicus belonged as well, was founded.⁵ Confederation coins had a common front side representing Herakles strangling the snakes and carried the inscription ‘ΣΥΝ’. Cyzicus remained free until 386 BC, when the Antalcidas' Peace brought all the Greek cities of Asia Minor under the power of the Persians again. However, the conditions of the second Persian domination are unknown. Some time later (373 BC) Cyzicus joined the Second Athenian League, which it abandoned during the Allied War (357-355 BC).

In the years of Alexander the Great and his successors the city remained free and consolidated its economic domination by annexing several nearby cities, such as Proconnesus and Artaki a little after 362/1 BC, while towards the late 4^th century BC the cities of Plakia, Skylake, Tereia as well as the island Bysbikos were also annexed. Finally, Dascylium had been annexed by the early Hellenistic period.⁶

A new period started for the city in 281 BC after the battle of Corupedium (Lydia), which signalled the subordination of the city to the Seleucids, who exercised a loose administrative control, though. In the 2^nd century BC the city came under the control of Pergamon. Relations between Cyzicus and the Kingdom of Pergamon were particularly close already from the years of Philetaerus (281-263 BC), the founder of the Attalid dynasty. The marriage of Attalus I to Apollonias from Cyzicus, mother of Eumenes II and Attalus II, as well as the support of Cyzicus to Pergamon during the wars against the kingdoms of Bithynia and Pontus, prove the common fate of the two cities.

When the Kingdom of Pergamon was passed to Rome in 133 BC, Cyzicus went through a period of prosperity and became free again until the 1^st century BC.

Cyzicus was a loyal and powerful ally of Rome in the Mithradatic Wars. The strong resistance of its inhabitants against Mithradates VI Eupator Dionysus, who besieged the city unsuccessfully in the third Mithridatic War (74-67 BC), was generously rewarded by the Romans.

Cyzicus was declared a free city.⁷ This meant that it was exempted from any contribution and tribute to Rome, while the Roman guard would be withdrawn and an independent judicial authority would be established. An additional reward was the annexation of extra regions of Mysia. Between 73 BC and 25 AD the territory of Cyzicus extended to the west until the Granicus River and to the east until Lake Apolloniatis.⁸ This territorial extension, the greatest ever happened in the city’s history, resulted in consolidating its power in the Propontis and strengthening its position as a commercial centre and naval power. Cyzicus actively participated as a naval power on the side of Jules Caesar in the civil war against Pompey (49-48 BC).

In 20 BC Cyzicus fell in disgrace with Emperor Augustus as it was charged with the murder of Roman citizens and lost its freedom, granted by Agrippa five years later, though. In 25 AD Tiberius finally subjugated the city because it was accused of ill-treating Roman citizens and failing to offer services to the temple of Augustus.

Relations with Rome were restored in the years of Caligula (37-41 AD). Cyzicus was awarded the honorary title of neokoros regaining some of its lost privileges, but not its full independence. The favour of Cyzicus with Rome continued in the years of Emperor Hadrian (117-138 AD) as well. In 124 AD, during his campaign to Asia Minor, Hadrian visited Cyzicus, struck by a devastating earthquake, and helped with the city’s reconstruction.

The peaceful conditions throughout the first two Christian centuries contributed to the economic and residential development of the city. Thanks to commerce, Cyzicus became one of the wealthiest and most powerful cities of Asia Minor that period. In the 2^nd century BC, in the years of Emperor Antoninus Pius (138-161 AD), the city was struck by an earthquake again.

In the 3^rd century AD the successive barbaric raids on the Asian Roman territories signalled a period of turmoil and decline. In the years of Gallienus (253-268 AD) and Claudius Gothicus (268-270 AD), Cyzicus was besieged by Goths, Scythians and Heruli. When Diocletian (286-305 AD) reorganised the Roman state, Cyzicus became the capital of the province of Hellespont and, thus, after the Empire was partitioned, it belonged to the East Roman Empire. In 543 AD, in the years of Justinian, a new devastating earthquake levelled the city. The final blow was given by the Arabs, who besieged the city (675 AD), and an earthquake (1063 AD), which devastated the city completely.⁹

3. Economy

Cyzicus started to thrive mainly after Miletus, the metropolis of the district, was occupied by the Persians (494 BC) and particularly in the 4^th century BC, when its territory was expanded. The privileged location of the city made its two ports commercial hubs and Cyzicus became the centre of sea communications between the Black Sea and the Aegean.¹⁰ Not even the neighbouring Lampsacus, its biggest rival, could doubt the domination of Cyzicus in the Propontis.¹¹

The Propontis was famous for the great quantities of fish, one of the main sources of wealth in Cyzicus. The foremost place of fishing in the city’s economy is proven by coins, where the fish Bonito, the emblem of Cyzicus, always appears on their front sides.

The city prospered thanks to sea commerce and the fertile soil of the area, famous for its wines and expensive perfumes in antiquity.¹²

The mint of Cyzicus played an important role in the economy of the city, issuing electrum staters. From the mid-6^th until the 4^th century BC the Cyzicene staters, proving the existence of an extensive commercial network, dominated from Troy to Ionia, in the Propontis, Bithynia and the Black Sea. This was continued and included silver (from 550-530 BC on) and copper coins (around 400 BC).¹³

4. Political System

The main administrative bodies of the democratic regime of Cyzicus were the Boule and the Deme. According to the Athenian model, the members of the tribe exercising the prytaneia were in command of both bodies.¹⁴ The deme of Cyzicus was divided into six tribes, as it happened in Miletus, the metropolis of the district. Each tribe took over prytaneia twice a year for a period of one month each time. The supervisor presided at the assemblies of the deme, helped by a secretary. Other evidenced institutions were the eponymous archon, replaced by the hipparchos in the 4^th century BC. Other officers were the generals and the hieromnimones.¹⁵

5. Religion

Epigraphic texts and coins help modern researchers revive the religious life of Cyzicus.

Patron saint of the city was Apollo and celebrations and games were held in his honour.¹⁶ In lots of dedicative inscriptions from Cyzicus Apollo is depicted as a guitar player accepting offers from worshippers.¹⁷ The worship of Athena Polias (‘Athena, Guardian of the City’) and Athena Soteira was widely spread. Besides, according to literal tradition, the first sanctuary to Athena in Asia was built in Cyzicus.¹⁸ One of the most important cults was that of a Kore called Soteira, who, according to some coins, was worshipped from the 4^th century BC on. Other deities worshipped in Cyzicus were Ge Karpoforos (fertile Earth), Poseidon, Pan and Cybele, whose sanctuary, according to tradition, had been founded by the Argonauts. It is evidenced by epigraphic and literal sources that the city held festivals honouring Cybele, while the Anthesteria, celebrations with dramatic contests in honour of Dionysus, according to the Anthesteria of Athens, were also organised.

In Roman years Cyzicus was given the title of Neokoros twice. Being the centre of the imperial cult, according to the title, the city honoured the Roman Emperor and held glorious games and festivals.¹⁹

6. Buildings

A lot of ancient writers wrote about the grandeur of the ancient city of Cyzicus. Cicero describes it as the most special city of Asia²⁰, while Strabo thinks that the city is equally beautiful to Rhodes, Marseille and Carthage.²¹ Epigraphic texts also provide ample evidence about public buildings.²² Unfortunately Cyzicus remains the least studied and excavated city in comparison with the rest of big Asia Minor cities. In the area where the once noble city stood, there are only a few sparse ruins today. The state of the ruins coupled with the little research done in the area makes the reading of the city plan impossible.

Only parts of the pre-Roman fortification wall of the 4^th century BC, built of polygonal masonry, have been preserved. The rest of the preserved parts were built until the Byzantine period.

Outside the wall, to the north of the city, there are very a few traces of the Roman amphitheatre of the 2^nd century AD. Among the ruins of Cyzicus the Temple of Hadrian to the west of the city is of particular importance. It was the finest and biggest of all temples, according to Dion Cassius,²³ and was considered one of the wonders of the ancient world. It is a dipteral or, according to others, pseudo-dipteral Corinthian temple, whose foundations are the only existing remains. The temple was completed (124-138 AD) thanks to the substantial contribution of Hadrian and, as a result, the grateful citizens of Cyzicus dedicated the temple to Hadrian’s worship.²⁴ In 1431 Kyriakós from Ancona visited the site of Hadrian’s temple and designed its preserved upper part with the 33 columns in place so far.²⁵ Unluckily, in the 18^th century the building material was removed from the temple in order to be used in buildings in Constantinople.

7. Arts and sciences

Particularly interesting are the findings of plastic arts, such as archaic sculptures, which include sepulchral steles, a kouros and a marble circular base depicting a central female image between two dancers. Although a local creation, the strong artistic influence from Miletus is obvious.²⁶
Cyzicus was also an important center of letters and sciencies. It was the homland of the grammarian Agathocles, the historian Neanthes and the poet Hermocles. During the 4th century BC the famous mathematician Eudoxus of Cnidus founded a school in Cyzicus, where he teached for several years. Among his students Callippus of Cyzicus was the most important.