• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Lycia

In Greek mythology, the Chimera (Greek Chímaira; Latin Chimaera) is a monstrous creature of Lycia in Asia Minor, which was made of the parts of multiple animals. Chimera was one of the offspring of Typhon and Echidna and sister of such monsters as Cerberus and the Lernaean Hydra.

From the Iliad little more can be learned than that the Lycians at the siege of Troy were a warlike and powerful nation, affording throughout the war distinguished services to the Trojans, under their several leaders, Glaucus, Sarpedon, and Pandarus. (Iliad, B: V. and xii.) Herodotus being from the neighboring province of Caria is more minute in the history of the early inhabitants of Lycia, omitting nothing, apparently traditional or otherwise, known in his time respecting their origin. But respecting the condition of the country in his own time his narrative is unfortunately too brief; for it was then that the so-called Lycian rock-tombs, monuments and the language upon them, were first sculptured and inscribed according to the opinion of the scholars who have investigated the inscriptions. Herodotus briefly noticed that "those inhabitants of Lycia, now calling themselves Xanthians, are all strangers, excepting certain families ;" on which account it may be supposed that the manners and customs they had introduced were undeserving of particular notice, as being foreign to the true Lycians.

Herodotus relates that "The Lycians came in ancient times from Crete under Sarpedon, who being expelled by his brother, settled in the Milyadian territory ; such was then the name of the country now occupied by the Lycians ; the Milyans were now called Solymians. For some time they were governed by Sarpedon, and were called at that time, as they are even now by some of their neighbours, Termilians. But Lycus, son of Pandion, having been driven from Athens by his brother iEgeus, came among the Termilians, and was received by Sarpedon ; and in course of time it happened that the name of this stranger was adopted by the people, who afterwards were called Lycians: their laws are partly Cretan, partly Carian; one of their customs is entirely peculiar to themselves: that the children take the name of their mothers, and not that of their fathers." (b. i. c. 173.)

The Lycians remained an independent nation until Cyrus turned his armies against them after the fall of Croesus. " The Carians were reduced to servitude by Harpagus, the general of Cyrus, without displaying any instances of valour; but the Lycians, when Harpagus arrived in the plains of Xanthus, came forth against him, and fighting a few with many gave signal instances of valour ; but, being defeated and driven into their city, they brought into the citadel their wives, their children, their goods, and slaves, and then setting fire to the fortress consumed them all. Having so done, they bound themselves by a tremendous oath, and going forth fought till all were slain. Those Lycians who now call themselves Xanthians are, with the exception of forty families, strangers, who have since settled in that place. Thus was Xanthus taken by Harpagus, and in nearly the same manner Caunus also, for the Cauuians imitated in great measure the Lycians. (b. i. 171, 174, 176.)"

After the Persian conquest under Harpapos in 545 BC, the Persians seem to have established dynasts in the country, and this dynastic system was the prevalent one down to the first half of the fourth century BC. Lycia thus formed a province of the Persian Empire, and furnished a contingent of 50 ships (under Kubernis, son of Kossikas) to the fleet of Xerxes.

The Athenian Empire was extended to Lycia just before the battle of the Eurymedon, and the Lycians paid Athenian1 Empire, tribute to Athens. Telmessns and Phaselis paid tribute on their own account. At the same time the coinage points to a monetary union of some kind, which almost certainly accompanied a political union. Probably at the time of the revolt of Samos, the Lycians broke loose from the Athenian Empire, but the influence of Athens continued to be felt.

Early in the fourth century, the Lycians under their king Pericles attacked and captured Telmessus. Pericles was apparently the last of the dynasts of Lycia. It was probably under him that the Lycians took part in the great revolt of the Satraps which came to an end in B.c. 362. Lycia then fell under the power of Maussollus, and remained under Caria until the middle of the century. It was perhaps at the beginning of or during the Carian rulej that the Lycian Milyas was united to Lycia proper.

After a short return to Persian domination, the combined districts were acquired by Alexander the Great without much difficulty. Down to Alexander's time Lycia did not become Hellenised, but continued to nse its own language and many non-Hellenic customs. After the death of Alexander the history of Lycia becomes very complicated. It was held by some of his immediate successors, by the Ptolemies and Seleucids in succession.

After the defeat of Antiochus III, it was given by the Romans in 188 B.C. to Rhodes, the immemorial enemy (Telmessus being excepted and given to Eamenes). For twenty years Lycia remained subject to Rhodes in spite of repeated struggles to regain her autonomy. In 168 B.C. , Lycia was placed under the Roman protectorate, and from this time dates the Lycian league. In this league the various cities were incorporated, with votes proportioned to their importance.