Knidos or Cnidus ( / ˈ n aɪ d ə s / ; Ancient Greek : Κνίδος , Ancient: [knídos] , Modern: [ˈkniðos] , Knídos ) was a Greek city in ancient Caria and part of the Dorian Hexapolis , in south-western Asia Minor , modern-day Turkey. It was situated on the Datça peninsula , which forms the southern side of the Sinus Ceramicus , now known as Gulf of Gökova . By the 4th century BC, Knidos was located at the site of modern Tekir , opposite Triopion Island. But earlier, it was probably at the site of modern Datça (at the half-way point of the peninsula).
26-446: It was built partly on the mainland and partly on the Island of Triopion or Cape Krio. The debate about it being an island or cape is caused by the fact that in ancient times it was connected to the mainland by a causeway and bridge. Today the connection is formed by a narrow sandy isthmus . By means of the causeway the channel between island and mainland was formed into two harbours, of which
52-573: A city on Corcyra Nigra in the Adriatic . They ultimately submitted to Cyrus , and from the battle of Eurymedon to the latter part of the Peloponnesian War they were subject to Athens . During the Hellenistic age , Knidos boasted a medical school ; however, the theory that this school already existed at the beginning of the classical age is an unwarranted extrapolation. In their expansion into
78-609: A minor character in the Shakespeare play “ Julius Caesar ", was also from Knidos. During the Byzantine period there must still have been a considerable population: for the ruins contain a large number of buildings belonging to the Byzantine style, and Christian sepulchres are common in the neighbourhood. Bishop Ioannes of Cnidus took part in the Council of Chalcedon in 451 CE and was one of
104-406: A narrow stretch of sea between two landmasses that connects two larger bodies of water. Isthmus and land bridge are related terms, with isthmus having a broader meaning. A land bridge is an isthmus connecting Earth's major land masses. The term land bridge is usually used in biogeology to describe land connections that used to exist between continents at various times and were important for
130-525: A particularly advantageous shortcut for marine transport. For example: Leo I the Thracian Leo I ( Ancient Greek : Λέων , romanized : Leōn ; c. 401 – 18 January 474), also known as " the Thracian " ( Latin : Thrax ; Ancient Greek : ὁ Θρᾷξ ), was Eastern Roman emperor from 457 to 474. He was a native of Dacia Aureliana near historic Thrace . He is sometimes surnamed with
156-630: Is notable for being the first Eastern Emperor to legislate in Koine Greek rather than Late Latin . He is commemorated as a saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church , with his feast day on 20 January. He was born in Thracia or in Dacia Aureliana province in the year 401 to a Thraco-Roman family. His Dacian origin is mentioned by Candidus Isaurus , while John Malalas believes that he
182-571: The Catholic Church as a titular see . The first Western knowledge of the modern site was due to the mission of the Dilettante Society in 1812, and the excavations executed by C. T. Newton in 1857–1858. The agora , the theatre, an odeum , a temple of Dionysus , a temple of the Muses, a temple of Aphrodite and a great number of minor buildings have been identified, and the general plan of
208-586: The Isaurians and was thus able to eliminate Aspar. The price of the alliance was the marriage of Leo's daughter to Tarasicodissa, leader of the Isaurians, who, as Zeno , became emperor in 474. In 469, Aspar attempted to assassinate Zeno and very nearly succeeded. Finally, in 471, Aspar's son Ardabur was implicated in a plot against Leo but was killed by palace eunuchs acting on Leo's orders. Leo sometimes overestimated his abilities and made mistakes that threatened
234-579: The city has been very clearly made out. The most famous statue by Praxiteles , the Aphrodite of Knidos , was made for Cnidus. It has perished, but late copies exist, of which the most faithful is in the Vatican Museums . In a temple enclosure Newton discovered the fine seated statue of Demeter of Knidos , which he sent back to the British Museum , and about three miles south-east of the city he came upon
260-555: The epithet " the Great " ( Latin : Magnus ; Ancient Greek : ὁ Μέγας ), probably to distinguish him from his young grandson and co- augustus Leo II ( Ancient Greek : ὁ Μικρός , romanized : ho Mikrós , lit. 'the Small';). During his 17-year rule, he oversaw a number of ambitious political and military plans, aimed mostly at aiding the faltering Western Roman Empire and recovering its former territories. He
286-565: The expedition, which ended in defeat because of bad leadership from Leo's brother-in-law Basiliscus . This disaster drained the Empire of men and money. Procopius estimated the costs of the expedition to be 130,000 pounds of gold; John the Lydian estimated the costs to be 65,000 pounds of gold and 750,000 pounds of silver. Leo died of dysentery at the age of 73 on 18 January 474. Leo and Verina had three children. Their eldest daughter Ariadne
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#1732851054299312-703: The internal order of the Empire. The Balkans were ravaged by the Ostrogoths , after a disagreement between the Emperor and the young chief Theodoric the Great , who had been raised at Leo's court in Constantinople, where he was steeped in Roman government and military tactics. There were also some raids by the Huns . However, these attackers were unable to take Constantinople thanks to the walls , which had been rebuilt and reinforced in
338-405: The larger, or southern, was further enclosed by two strongly built moles that are still in good part entire. The extreme length of the city was little less than a mile, and the whole intramural area is still thickly strewn with architectural remains. The walls, both of the island and on the mainland, can be traced throughout their whole circuit; and in many places, especially round the acropolis, at
364-790: The migration of people and various species of animals and plants, e.g. Beringia and Doggerland . An isthmus is a land connection between two bigger landmasses, while a peninsula is rather a land protrusion that is connected to a bigger landmass on one side only and surrounded by water on all other sides. Technically, an isthmus can have canals running from coast to coast (e.g. the Panama Canal ), and thus resemble two peninsulas; however, canals are artificial features distinguished from straits . The world's major isthmuses include: Of historic importance were: The cities of Auckland , Madison , Manila , and Seattle are located on isthmuses. Canals are often built across isthmuses, where they may be
390-455: The northeast corner of the city, they are remarkably perfect. Knidos was a Hellenic city of high antiquity. According to Herodotus ' Histories) (I.174), the Cnidians were Lacedaemonian colonists; however, the presence of demiurges there argues for foundation or later influence by other Doric Greeks , possibly Argives . Diodorus Siculus ( Bibliotheca Historica 5.53) claimed that Cnidus
416-500: The region, the Romans easily obtained the allegiance of Knidians, and rewarded them for help given against Antiochus III the Great by leaving them the freedom of their city. Eudoxus , the astronomer , Ctesias , the writer on Persian history , and Sostratus , the builder of the celebrated Pharos at Alexandria , are the most remarkable of the Knidians mentioned in history. Artemidorus ,
442-511: The reign of Theodosius II and against which they possessed no suitable siege engines . Leo's reign was also noteworthy for his influence in the Western Roman Empire , marked by his appointment of Anthemius as Western Roman emperor in 467. He attempted to build on this political achievement with an expedition against the Vandals in 468. 1,113 ships carrying 100,000 men participated in
468-664: The ruins of a splendid tomb, and a colossal figure of a lion carved out of one block of Pentelic marble , ten feet in length and six in height, which has been supposed to commemorate the great naval victory, the Battle of Cnidus in which Conon defeated the Lacedaemonians in 394 BC. The Knidos Lion is now displayed under the roof of the Great Court in the British Museum. In 2022, the low tide revealed ruins of an ancient port near
494-508: The signatories of the letter that in 458 the bishops of the Roman province of Caria , to which Cnidus belonged, wrote to Byzantine Emperor Leo I the Thracian after the murder of Proterius of Alexandria . Bishop Evander was at the Second Council of Constantinople in 553 and Bishop Stauratius at the Second Council of Nicaea in 787. No longer a residential bishopric, Cnidus is today listed by
520-418: The site which is believed to have been the port of Knidos. Isthmus An isthmus ( / ˈ ɪ s m ə s , ˈ ɪ s θ m ə s / ; pl. : isthmuses or isthmi ) is a narrow piece of land connecting two larger areas across an expanse of water by which they are otherwise separated. A tombolo is an isthmus that consists of a spit or bar , and a strait is the sea counterpart of an isthmus,
546-422: Was at first governed by an oligarchic senate , composed of sixty members, and presided over by a magistrate; but, though it is proved by inscriptions that the old names continued to a very late period, the constitution underwent a popular transformation. The situation of the city was favourable for commerce, and the Knidians acquired considerable wealth, and were able to colonize the island of Lipara , and founded
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#1732851054299572-453: Was born in 463. He died five months following his birth. The only sources about him are a horoscope by Rhetorius and a hagiography of Daniel the Stylite . The Georgian Chronicle , a 13th-century compilation drawing from earlier sources, reports a marriage of Vakhtang I of Iberia to Princess Helena of Byzantium, identifying her as a daughter of the predecessor of Zeno. This predecessor
598-490: Was born prior to the death of Marcian (reigned 450 – 457). Ariadne had a younger sister, Leontia . Leontia was first betrothed to Patricius , a son of Aspar, but their engagement was probably annulled when Aspar and another of his sons, Ardabur, were assassinated in 471. Leontia then married Marcian , a son of Emperor Anthemius and Marcia Euphemia . The couple led a failed revolt against Zeno in 478–479. They were exiled to Isauria following their defeat. An unknown son
624-633: Was founded by both Lacedaemonians and Argives. Along with Halicarnassus (present day Bodrum , Turkey) and Kos, and the Rhodian cities of Lindos , Kamiros and Ialyssos it formed the Dorian Hexapolis , which held its confederate assemblies on the Triopian headland, and there celebrated games in honour of Apollo , Poseidon and the nymphs . This was also the site of the Temple of Aphrodite, Knidos . The city
650-547: Was of Bessian stock. He served in the Roman army , rising to the rank of comes rei militaris . Leo was the last of a series of emperors placed on the throne by Aspar , the Alan serving as commander-in-chief of the army, who thought Leo would be an easy puppet ruler . Instead, Leo became more and more independent from Aspar, causing tension that would culminate in Aspar's assassination. Leo's coronation as emperor on 7 February 457,
676-518: Was the first to add a Christian element to the traditional Roman procedure, having been performed by the Patriarch of Constantinople , a fact which symbolized the transformation of Roman imperial traditions into Medieval Roman and Christian ones. This Christian coronation ritual was later imitated by courts all over Europe, especially in the West in the course of Late Antiquity . Leo I made an alliance with
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