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ISAURIA

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Originally appearing in Volume V14, Page 866 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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ISAURIA , in See also:

ancient See also:geography, a See also:district in the interior of See also:Asia See also:Minor, of very different extent at different periods. The permanent See also:nucleus of it was that See also:section of the See also:Taurus which lies directly to See also:south of See also:Iconium and Lystra. See also:Lycaonia had all the Iconian See also:plain; but Isauria began as soon as the foothills were reached. Its two See also:original towns, Isaura Nea and Isaura Palaea, See also:lay, one among these foothills (Darla) and the other on the See also:watershed (Zengibar Kale). When the See also:Romans first encountered the Isaurians (See also:early in the 1st See also:century B.e.), they regarded See also:Cilicia Trachea as See also:part of Isauria, which thus extended to the See also:sea; and this See also:extension of the name continued to be in See also:common use for two centuries. The whole See also:basin of the Calycadnus was reckoned Isaurian, and the cities in the valley of its See also:southern See also:branch formed what was known as the Isaurian See also:Decapolis. Towards the end of the 3rd century A.D., however, all Cilicia was detached for administrative purposes from the See also:northern slope of Taurus, and we find a See also:province called at first Isauria-Lycaonia, and later Isauria alone, extending up to the limits of See also:Galatia, but not passing Taurus on the south. See also:Pisidia, part of which had hitherto been included in one province with Isauria, was also detached, and made to include Iconium. In See also:compensation Isauria received the eastern part of See also:Pamphylia. Restricted again in the 4th century, Isauria ended as it began by being just the See also:wild district about Isaura Palaea and the heads of the Calycadnus. Isaura Palaea was besieged by See also:Perdiccas, the Macedonian See also:regent after See also:Alexander's See also:death; and to avoid See also:capture its citizens set the See also:place alight and perished in the flames. During the See also:war of the Cilician and other pirates against See also:Rome, the Isaurians took so active a part that the proconsul P.

Servilius deemed it necessary to follow them into their fastnesses, and compel the whole See also:

people to submission, an exploit for which he received the See also:title of Isauricus (75 B.C.). The Isaurians were afterwards placed for a See also:time under the See also:rule of Amyntas, See also:king of Galatia; but it is evident that they continued to retain their predatory habits and virtual See also:independence. In the 3rd century they sheltered the See also:rebel See also:emperor, Trebellianus. In the 4th century they are still described by See also:Ammianus See also:Marcellinus as the See also:scourge of the neighbouring provinces of Asia Minor; but they are said to have been effectually subdued in the reign of Justinian. In common with all the eastern Taurus, Isauria passed into the hands of Turcomans and Yuruks with the Seljuk See also:conquest: Many of these have now coalesced with the aboriginal See also:population and See also:form a settled See also:element: but the district is still lawless. This comparatively obscure people had the See also:honour of producing two See also:Byzantine emperors, See also:Zeno, whose native name was Traskalisseus Rousoumbladeotes, and See also:Leo III., who ascended the See also:throne of See also:Constantinople in 718, reigned till 741, and became the founder of a See also:dynasty of three generations. The ruins of Isaura Palaea are mainly remarkable for their See also:fine situation and their fortifications and tombs. Those of Isaura Nea have disappeared, but numerous See also:inscriptions and many sculptured stelae, built into the houses of Darla, prove the site. It was the latter, and not the former See also:town, that Servilius reduced by cutting off the See also:water See also:supply. The site was identified by W. M.

End of Article: ISAURIA

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