Nysa on the Maeander

Nysa
Νῦσα (in Greek)
The bouleuterion/odeion of Nysa
Nysa on the Maeander is located in Turkey
Nysa on the Maeander
Shown within Turkey
LocationSultanhisar, Aydın Province, Turkey
RegionCaria
Coordinates37°54′06″N 28°08′48″E / 37.90167°N 28.14667°E / 37.90167; 28.14667
TypeSettlement
Not to be confused with Nisa (Lycia) or Nyssa (Cappadocia).
Map of ancient cities of Caria
Ancient cities of Caria

Nysa on the Maeander (Greek: Νύσα or Νύσσα) was an ancient city and bishopric of Asia Minor, whose remains are in the Sultanhisar district of Aydın Province of Turkey, 50 kilometres (31 mi) east of the Ionian city of Ephesus, and which remains a Latin Catholic titular see.

At one time it was reckoned as belonging to Caria or Lydia,[1][2] but under the Roman Empire it was within the province of Asia, which had Ephesus for capital, and the bishop of Nysa was thus a suffragan of the metropolitan see of Ephesus.[3][4][5]

Nysa was situated on the southern slope of mount Messogis, on the north of the Maeander, and about midway between Tralles and Antioch on the Maeander. The mountain torrent Eudon, a tributary of the Maeander, flowed through the middle of the town by a deep ravine spanned by a bridge, connecting the two parts of the town.[6][7][8][9][10][11] Tradition assigned the foundation of the place to three brothers, Athymbrus (Ἀθυμβρός), Athymbradus (Ἀθύμβραδος), and Hydrelus (Ὕδρηλος), who emigrated from Sparta, and founded three towns on the north of the Maeander; but in the course of time Nysa absorbed them all; the Nysaeans, however, recognise more especially Athymbrus as their founder.[12][6]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Bean was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Smith was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Lequien was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Gams was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Culerrier was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ a b Strabo. Geographica. Vol. xiv. p.650. Page numbers refer to those of Isaac Casaubon's edition.
  7. ^ Homeric Hymn 4.17
  8. ^ Pliny. Naturalis Historia. Vol. 5.29.
  9. ^ Ptolemy. The Geography. Vol. 5.2.18.
  10. ^ Hierocles. Synecdemus. Vol. p. 659.
  11. ^ Stephanus of Byzantium. Ethnica. Vol. s.v.
  12. ^ Stephanus of Byzantium. Ethnica. Vol. s.v. Ἄθυμβρα.