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Smyrna

This article is about the Hellenistic through Byzantine Periods of Smyrna. For the earliest through the Archaic Periods, see Old Smyrna. For The Turkish city, see İzmir. For other uses, see Smyrna (disambiguation).
Smyrna
Σμύρνη/Σμύρνα (Ancient Greek)
The ancient Greek city of Smyrna in Anatolia
The Agora of Smyrna (columns of the western stoa)
Smyrna is located in Turkey
Smyrna
Shown within Turkey
Smyrna is located in Europe
Smyrna
Smyrna (Europe)
Locationİzmir, İzmir Province, Turkey
RegionIonia
Coordinates38°25′7″N 27°8′21″E / 38.41861°N 27.13917°E / 38.41861; 27.13917
TypeSettlement
Smyrna among the cities of Ionia and Lydia (c. 50 AD)

Smyrna (/ˈsmɜːrnə/ SMUR-nə; Ancient Greek: Σμύρνη, romanized: Smýrnē, or Σμύρνα, Smýrna) was a Greek city located at a strategic point on the Aegean coast of Anatolia. Due to its advantageous port conditions, its ease of defence, and its good inland connections, Smyrna rose to prominence. Since about 1930, the city's name has been İzmir.[1]

Two sites of the ancient city are today within İzmir's boundaries. The first, probably founded by indigenous peoples, rose to prominence during the Archaic Period as one of the principal ancient Greek settlements in western Anatolia. The second, whose foundation is associated with Alexander the Great,[2] reached metropolitan proportions during the period of the Roman Empire. Most of the ancient city's present-day remains date to the Roman era, the majority from after a 2nd-century AD earthquake. In practical terms, a distinction is often made between these. Old Smyrna was the initial settlement founded around the 11th century BC, first as an Aeolian settlement, and later taken over and developed during the Archaic Period by the Ionians. Smyrna proper was the new city to which residents moved as of the 4th century BC and whose foundation was inspired by Alexander the Great.[2]

  1. ^ Fant, Clyde E. (2003). A Guide to Biblical Sites in Greece and Turkey. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-988145-1. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
  2. ^ a b Pausanias, Description of Greece, 7.5