Perge

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About Perge

From the plate:

The first dig at Perge had been made by Ord. Prof. Dr. Arif Müfit Mansel and his team under his leadership in the year of 1946. Between the years 1975-1986, the digs were made under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Jale Inan. During the digs the remains of formal buildings and many sculptures which had been made by people of Perge were found out. In the year of 1988, Prof. Dr. Haluk Abbasoğlu became the head of the diggings and they began to dig for houses to understand social life of people and their life style. In the meantime, a common Project with Giessen University-Germany also started in Acropol to discover life in Perge before Roman times. Our knowledge is limited by Roman and Greek Ages about the foundation and development of the City.
Archeologic discoveries go back up to the 5th Century B.C. According to Strabon, the City was established by colonists from Argos in leadership of the heros like Mopsos, Kakhas after the Troia War. These men called the region as “Pamphylia – The country of all tribes”. In fact, basements which were found in front of the door of Hellenistic Period but belonging to the age of Roman Empire confirm Strabon.
However, in the year of 1986, on a bronze tablet which was found at Hattusas, capital City of Hittites, name of the City was written, indicating presence of Perge before Akhas in 13th Century B.C. In order to illuminate the period of Perge before Parha and Roma times, diggings were made in Acropol and some ceramic, stone tools and buried pieces were found. Depending on those findings we can say that, Perge had been established long ago in Early Bronze Era (4-3 thousand B.C.). Because of the Ktistes names and finds of a limited number of ceramic pieces in Acropolis, we can think that there was a relationship with Mikens in 12th century B.C.
A Greek Colonization were established probably by Rhodos in the beginning of 7th Century B.C. New comers met traditional people who settled there and mixed with them in time, causing development of new cultures. In this period the City was settled on the hill called Acropolis. Buildings were belong to a very wide period from Arcaic Era to Early Byzantine period; from the ways for climbing up to Acropolis and from the defensing walls at south side of the hill, we understand that the City was autonomous under partial effect of the Greek Culture. After the 5th Century B.C., Perge turned to be Hellen. In the Hellenistic and briljant period of Perge, below city of Late Hellenistic-Roman period was probably be established starting from hill sides over to the plain. Comparing with Acropolis, because of their defense techniques, this place represents a later period.
After the death of Alexander the Great, Pamphylia remained under the sovereignty of Antigonos for a while and then between the years of 223-118 B.C., it was governed by Seleukoses so the walls of the Below City were built in their period. For reason that Pax Romana provided a continous peace, they did not need defense systems any more and the City began to develop to the South regions in 1st Century A.D. As a result of donations of a very rich woman Plancia Manga, the City became very beautiful at the beginning of the 2nd Century A.D. The City had a magnificent period of Roman Empire between the 2nd and the 3rd Century A.D. Most of the structures of the City remained until today, for example theatre, stadium, Agora, Baths, Foundations, Coloumned streets reflects the glory of that period.
In ancient times, the most valuable privilege that the holy places could get, was the right of immunity (asylia) which provided an absolute protection to the persons entering from the borders. Perge could get the right of immunity as a result of efforts of an envoy named Apollonius in last years of Emperor Domitianus. Apollonius probably utilized effect of Senator Marcus Plancius Varus in Rome, who belongs to Plancius Family, being the foremost family of Perge. 3rd Century A.D. was a prosperity period. In this period, title of "Neokoros-Guard of the temple" was added to the right of immunity (asylia). The City got the status of metropolis in this period.
From now on, the City used titles of "the first" or "the first in Pamphylia" on the coins. However, title of "immunity" were not used on the coins and inscriptions of the City before the end of the 2nd Century AC. Getting this title is celebrated by a festival named as Asyleia Augusteia. One of the few people from Perge in ancient times was mathematicien Appolonios who was one of the consecutives of Eukleides and worked at Iskenderiye in 3rd Century A.D. He is known as the first scientist who searched for properties of the ellipses. Outsourcing system of the universe was put into a theoretical basis by Apollonios first and later on, developed by Ptolemaios.

With thanks to mmdurango44 for the picture with the text of the plate.