Attalia

Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament

(Ἀτταλεία Tisch. and Westcott-Hort’s Greek Testament-ία)

This maritime city of Pamphilia was founded by, and named after, Attalus II. Philadelphus, king of Pergamos (159-138 b.c.), who desired a more convenient haven than Perga (15 miles N.E.) for the commerce of Egypt and Syria. It was picturesquely situated on a line of cliffs, over which the river Catarrhactes rushed in torrents-or cataracts -to the sea. Attalia differed from its rival Perga, a centre of native Anatolian religious feeling, in being a thoroughly Hellenized city, honouring the usual classical deities-Zeus, Athene, and Apollo. Paul and Barnabas sailed from its harbour to Antioch at the close of their first missionary tour (Acts 14:25). Both politically and ecclesiastically it gradually overshadowed Perga, and to-day it is the most flourishing seaport, with the exception of Marsina, on the south coast of Asia Minor. It has a population of 25000, including many Christians and Jews, who occupy separate quarters. The name has been slightly modified into Adalia .

Literature.-W. M. Ramsay, Hist. Geog. of Asia Minor , London, 1890, p. 420; C. Lanckoronski, Villes de la Pamphylie et de la Pisidie , i. [Paris, 1890].

James Strahan.

Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible

ATTALIA (modern Adalia ). A town on the coast of Pamphylia, not far from the mouth of the river Catarrhactes, founded and named by Attalus II. It was besieged in n.c. 79 by P [Note: Priestly Narrative.] . Seruilius Isauricus, when in possession of the pirates. In the Byzantine period it was of great importance. It has the best harbour on the coast. Paul and Barnabas came on there from Perga, and took ship for Antioch ( Acts 14:25 ).

A. Souter.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Attali'a. (from Attalus). A coast-town of Pamphylia, mentioned in Acts 14:25. It was built by Attalus Philadelphus, king of Pergamos, and named after the monarch. All its remains are characteristic of the date of its foundation. Leake fixes Attalia at Adalia, on the south court of Asia Minor, north of the Duden Su, the ancient Catarrhactes.

Fausset's Bible Dictionary

(Acts 14:25.) Whence Paul and Barnabas sailed, on returning from their missionary tour inland to Antioch. The city was founded by and named from Attalus Philadelphus, king of Pergamus, as a port at the mouth of the river Catarrhactes, for the commerce of Egypt and Syria, as Troas was for that of the AEgean. Its modern name is Satalia.

People's Dictionary of the Bible

Attalia (ăl-ta-lî'ah). A seaport town of Pamphylia, Acts 14:25, named from its founder, Attalus; later it was called Satalia, and now Adalia.

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

A seaport in Pamphylia, at the mouth of the river Catarrhactes, visited by Paul and Barnabas on their way from Perga to Antioch, Acts 14:25 . There is still a village there of a similar name, with extensive ruins in the vicinity.

Morrish Bible Dictionary

Seaport of Pamphylia, near Perga, visited by Paul and Barnabas.Acts 14:25 . It was founded by Attalus king of Pergamus: now called Adalia .

Holman Bible Dictionary

Acts 14:25

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

(Ἀττάλεια ), a maritime city of Pamphylia (near Lycia, to which it is assigned by Stephen of Byzantium), in Asia Minor, near the mouth of the river Catarrhactes (see Wesseling, ad Antonin. Itin. p. 579, 670). It derived its name from its founder, Attalus Philadelphus, king of Pergamus (Strabo, 14:657), who ruled over the western part of the peninsula from the north to the south, and was in want of a port which should be useful for the trade of Egypt and Syria, as Troas was for that of the AEgean. All its remains are characteristic of the date of its foundation. It was visited by Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary tour, being the place from which they sailed on their return to Antioch from their journey into the inland parts of Asia Minor (Acts 14:25). It does not appear that they made any stay, or attempted to preach the Gospel in Attalia (see Conybeare and Howson's St. Paul, 1, 200).

This city, however, though comparatively modern at that time, was a place of considerable importance in the first century. Its name in the twelfth century appears to have been Satalia, a corruption, of which the crusading chronicler, William of Tyre, gives a curious explanation. It still exists under the name of Adalia (Busching, Erdbeschr. 11, 1, 121), and extensive and important ruins attest the former consequence of the city (Leake's Asia Minor, p. 193). This place stands on the west of the Catarrhactes, where Strabo (14, 4) places it; Ptolemy, however (v. 5, 2), places the ancient city on the east of the river, on which accounts Admiral Beaufort (Karamania, p. 135) held the present Laara to be the representative of Attalia, and the modern Adalia (or Satalia) to be the site of the ancient Olbia, which Mannert (Geog. 6, 130) thought to be the same with Attalia (see Forbiger, Alte Geogr. 2, 268); but Spratt and Forbes (Lycia, 1, 217) have found the remains of Olbia farther west, and it is therefore probable that the bed of the Catarrhactes changed at different times (see Smith's Dict. of Class. Geogr. s.v.).

The situation of this place made it a natural port of the adjacent region, and hence Paul readily found here a vessel coasting to Antioch, in Syria. See Lewin, Life and Letters of St. Paul, i, 155. .

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

at -a -lı̄´a Ἀτταλία , Attalı́a ̌ : A city on the southern coast of Asia Minor in ancient Pamphylia which, according to Acts 14:25 , was visited by Paul and Barnabas on the way to Antioch during their first missionary journey. The city was founded by Attalus Ii P hiladelphus (159-138 bc), hence, its name Attalia, which during the Middle Ages was corrupted to Satalia; its modern name is Adalia. Attalia stood on a flat terrace of limestone, about 120 ft. high, near the point where the Catarrhactes River flowed into the sea. The river now, however, has practically disappeared, for the greater part of its water is turned into the fields for irrigation purposes. The early city did not enjoy the ecclesiastical importance of the neighboring city of Perga; but in 1084 when Perga declined, Attalia became a metropolis. In 1148 the troops of Louis Iv sailed from there to Syria; in 1214 the Seljuks restored the city walls, and erected several public buildings. The city continued to be the chief port for ships from Syria and Egypt, and the point of entry to the interior until modern times, when the harbor at Mersine was reopened; it has now become a place of little importance.

The town possesses considerable which is of archaeological interest. The outer harbor was protected by ancient walls and towers now in ruins; its entrance was closed with a chain. The inner harbor was but a recess in the cliff. The city was surrounded by two walls which were constructed at various times from material taken from the ruins of the ancient city; the outer wall was protected by a moat. The modern town, lying partly within and partly without the walls is Thus divided into quarters. In the southern quarter live the Christians; in the northern the Moslems. Among other objects of archaeological interest still to be seen may be mentioned the inscribed arched gateway of Hadrian and the aqueduct. Rich gardens now surround the town; the chief exports are grain, cotton, licorice root and valonia or acorn-cups.

Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblial Literature

Attali´a, a maritime city of Pamphylia, in Asia Minor, near the mouth of the river Catarrhactes. It derived its name from its founder, Attalus Philadelphus, king of Pergamos. It was visited by Paul and Barnabas, A.D. 45 (Acts 14:25). It still exists under the name of Adalia, and extensive and important ruins attest the former consequence of the city.