Editing Aspendos (section)

== History ==
[[File:Aspendos money.png|thumb|150px|Coins of Aspendos]]
The wide range of its coinage throughout the ancient world indicates that, in the 5th century BC, Aspendos had become the most important city in Pamphylia. At that time, according to [[Thucydides]], the Eurymedon River was navigable as far as Aspendos,<ref name="EB1911">{{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Aspendus|volume=2|pages=766–767|first=David George|last=Hogarth|author-link=David George Hogarth}}</ref> and the city derived great wealth from a trade in salt, oil and wool.

Aspendos did not play an important role in antiquity as a political force. Its political history during the colonisation period corresponded to the currents of the [[Pamphylia]]n region. Within this trend, after the colonial period, it remained for a time under Lycian hegemony.{{citation needed|date=July 2022}} In 546&nbsp;BC, it came under [[Persia]]n domination. The fact that the city continued to mint coins in its own name, however, indicates that it had a great deal of freedom even under the Persians.

Circa 465 BC, [[Cimon]] led an Athenian navy against a Persian navy in the [[Battle of the Eurymedon]], and destroyed it. Aspendos then became a member of the [[Delian League]].<ref>[http://cheap-holidaystoturkey.com Holidays to Turkey info] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120111060105/http://cheap-holidaystoturkey.com/ |date=2012-01-11 }}</ref>

The Persians captured the city again in 411&nbsp;BC and used it as a base. In 389&nbsp;BC, [[Thrasybulus]] of Athens, in an effort to regain some of the prestige that city had lost in the [[Peloponnesian Wars]], anchored off the coast of Aspendos in an effort to secure its surrender. Hoping to avoid a new war, the people of Aspendos collected money among themselves and gave it to the commander, entreating him to retreat without causing any damage. Even though he took the money, he had his men trample all the crops in the fields. Enraged, the Aspendians stabbed and killed Thrasybulus in his tent.{{citation needed|date=July 2022}}

[[File:Aspendos plan of the ancient city.jpg|thumb|276x276px|Plan of Aspendos]]
When [[Alexander the Great]] marched into Aspendos in 333&nbsp;BC after capturing [[Perge]], the citizens sent envoys asking him not to garrison soldiers there. He agreed, provided he would be given the taxes and horses that they had formerly paid as tribute to the Persian king.{{citation needed|date=July 2022}} After reaching this agreement Alexander went to Side, leaving a garrison there on the city's surrender. Going back through Sillyon, he learned that the Aspendians had failed to ratify the agreement their envoys had proposed and were preparing to defend themselves. Alexander marched to the city immediately. When they saw Alexander returning with his troops, the Aspendians, who had retreated to their [[Acropolis]], again sent envoys to sue for peace. This time, however, they had to agree to very harsh terms; a Macedonian garrison would remain in the city and 100 gold talents as well as 4,000 horses would be given in tax annually.

In 190&nbsp;BC, the city surrendered to the [[Roman Empire|Romans]], and the corrupt magistrate [[Verres]] later pillaged its art treasures.<ref name="EB1911"/><ref>{{cite book|author=Cicero|title=In Verrem II|pages=1. Chapter 53}}</ref>  It was ranked by [[Philostratus]] the third city of Pamphylia, and in [[Byzantine]] times seems to have been known as Primopolis. Toward the end of the Roman period the city began a decline that continued throughout Byzantine times, although in medieval times it was evidently still a strong place.<ref name="EB1911"/>

[[Diogenes Laërtius]] writes that there was a native of Aspendos called Demetrius, who was a pupil of Apollonius of Soli.<ref>[https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0004.tlg001.perseus-grc1:5.5 Diogenes Laertius, Lives of the Philosophers, § 5.83]</ref> In addition, he mentions [[Diodorus of Aspendus]].<ref>[https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0004.tlg001.perseus-grc1:6.1 Diogenes Laertius, Lives of the Philosophers, § 6.13]</ref>