Battle of the Caecus River in the context of "Bakırçay"

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⭐ Core Definition: Battle of the Caecus River

The Battle of the Caecus River or Battle of the Kaikos was a battle between an army of the Kingdom of Pergamon commanded by Attalus I, and the Galatian tribes who resided in Anatolia (Asia Minor). The battle took place near the source of the Caecus River (Ancient Greek: Κάϊκος, romanized: Káïkos) and resulted in a victory for the Kingdom of Pergamon.

The exact date of the battle is unknown, but it seems to have taken place early in the reign of Attalus I. Attalus I celebrated it as a great victory and as establishing his legitimacy as ruler early in his reign, and used it as a reason to dub himself Soter, Savior, and to take the title of basileus, king. R. E. Allen suggests the early 230s (238 to 235 BC) as the best guess of the date.

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👉 Battle of the Caecus River in the context of Bakırçay

Bakırçay (Latin: Caicus, Ancient Greek: Κάϊκος) is a river in Turkey. It rises in the Gölcük Dağları mountains and debouches into the Gulf of Çandarlı.

In antiquity, the Bakırçay was or formed part of the Kaikos or Caicus River which flowed near the city of Pergamon and was the site of the Battle of the Caecus River. The Kaikos River is mentioned by Hesiod and Plutarch, who claims that its name was originally Astraeus (Ἀστραῖος) but was changed after Caicus, a son of Hermes, threw himself into it after sleeping with his sister Alcippe. However, since the course of the river has changed since antiquity it is not clear how the ancient names apply to the modern geographical features. Leake infers from the direction of L. Scipio's march from Troy to the Hyrcanian plain, that the Caicus was the north-eastern branch of the river of Pergamon which flows by Menduria (possibly Gergitha) and Balıkesir (Caesaraea). The Caicus as it seems is formed by two streams which meet between 50 and 65 km above its mouth, and it drains an extensive and fertile country. Strabo (p. 616) says that the sources of the Caicus are in a plain separated by the range of Temnos from the plain of Apiae, and that the plain of Apia lies above the plain of Thebe in the interior. He adds that there also flows from Tetanus a river (the Mysius) which joins the Caicus below its source. The Caicus enters the sea approximately 12 km from Pitane, and 3 km from Elaea. Elaea was the port of Pergamon, which was on the Caicus, approximately 25 km from Elaea.

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Battle of the Caecus River in the context of Attalus I

Attalus I (Ancient Greek: Ἄτταλος 'Attalos'), surnamed Soter (Greek: Σωτήρ, 'Savior'; 269–197 BC), was the ruler of the Greek polis of Pergamon (modern-day Bergama, Turkey) and the larger Pergamene Kingdom from 241 BC to 197 BC. He was the adopted son of King Eumenes I, whom he succeeded, and the first of the Attalid dynasty to assume the title of king, sometime around 240 to 235 BC. He was the son of Attalus and his wife Antiochis.

Attalus won an important victory, the Battle of the Caecus River, over the Galatians, a group of migratory Celtic tribes from Thrace, who had been plundering and exacting tribute throughout most of Asia Minor for more than a generation. The victory was celebrated with a triumphal monument at Pergamon (The Dying Gaul) and Attalus taking the surname "Soter" and the title of king. He participated in the first and second Macedonian Wars against Philip V of Macedon as a loyal ally of the Roman Republic, although Pergamene participation was ultimately rather minor in these wars. He conducted numerous naval operations throughout the Aegean, gained the island of Aegina for Pergamon during the first war and Andros during the second, twice narrowly escaping capture at the hands of Philip V. During his reign, Pergamon also repeatedly struggled with the neighboring Seleucid Empire to the east, resulting in both successes and setbacks.

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LINKED FROM (PARENTS)
← Attalus I ← Bakırçay ← Caicus ← Attalus I Soter ← Caïcus
LINKS TO (CHILDREN)
Kingdom of Pergamon → Attalus I → Galatians (people) → Anatolia → Bakırçay → Ancient Greek language → Romanization of Ancient Greek → Soter → Basileus →