Aytap is the modern name for the ancient city of Iotapa (sometimes given as Iotape and Iotape Philadelphos) in Cilicia. The city's ruins are located in southern Turkey near modern day Alanya (ancient Coracesium). The city was founded in 52 CE by Antiochus IV of Commagene (l. c. 17 - c. 72 CE, r. 38-72 CE). He established and named the city for his sister-wife and queen Julia Iotapa (r. 38-52 CE). The region of Rough Cilicia (known by the Romans as Cilicia Aspera) was formerly part of the kingdom of Archelaus of Cilicia (l. c. 8-38 CE), a distant relative of Antiochus IV. After Archelaus' death, the Roman emperor Caligula (r. 37-41 CE), who was on good terms with Antiochus IV, gave him Cilicia Aspera as a gift.
More about: AytapDefinition
Timeline
-
52 CEIotapa (Aytap) founded by Antiochus IV of Commagene in honor of his late wife Julia Iotapa.
-
c. 52 CE - c. 72 CEIotapa (Aytap) mints coins dedicated to Antiochus IV of Commagene and his family.
-
98 CE - 260 CEIotapa (Aytap) mints coins from the reign of Trajan through the reign of Valerian.
-
235 CE - 284 CEIotapa (Aytap) disappears from historical record during the Roman Crisis of the Third Century.
