Elaiussa Sebaste
Elaiussa Sebaste · Elaiussa · Sebaste · Ayaş
Hellenistic to Byzantine (c.200 BCE–700 CE)·Cappadocian royal → Roman client kingdom·🇹🇷 Mersin Province, Cilicia, Turkey
About
About Elaiussa Sebaste
Model Augustan maritime city built by Archelaus of Cappadocia on a rocky promontory at Ayaş. The theatre cut into hillside (capacity 2,300), the agora with mosaic floor (Achilles–Briseis), and the hilltop 2nd-century imperial basilica/palace terrace give one of the best-preserved Cilician streetscapes. Aqueduct 10 km from Korasion carries water over gorges on arches. The offshore island (Pityoussa) holds a 5th-c. basilica. Elaiussa survived as a condominium of Rome and Archelaus, then prospered on olive oil export.
Why it mattersTextbook planned Augustan port-city bridging Cappadocian kingdom and Roman Cilicia.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Exact function of offshore island warehouses vs chapel?
- 02Aqueduct sourcing at Korycos gorge?
Theories
- 01Royal show-city importing Italian urban model for Cilician olive-oil market
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- Hellenistic Elaiussa, refounded 20 BCE as Sebaste by Archelaus
- Period
- Hellenistic to Byzantine (c.200 BCE–700 CE)
- Culture
- Cappadocian royal → Roman client kingdom
- Builders
- Archelaus of Cappadocia, Augustus, later Cilician merchants
- Purpose
- Olive-oil port and royal pleasure town; later naval base
- Abandoned
- c. 700 CE (Arab naval raids)
- Rediscovered
- 1836 Trémaux; 1995–present Sapienza Univ. Rome excavations
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
20 BCE
Augustus grants Elaiussa to Archelaus; becomes Sebaste
c.130 CE
Theatre and agora mosaics laid
5th c. CE
Island basilica built
On the ground
Structures & features
36.4833° N · 34.1667° E · 10 m · 2 mapped features
Hillside Theatre and Promontory
theatreSemi-circular theatre cut into limestone above harbour islet
36.4835° N · 34.1670° EAgora with Achilles Mosaic
agoraAgora floor with Achilles–Briseis mosaic and basilica terrace above
36.4830° N · 34.1663° E
Gallery