If we draw a line joining Antalya-Elmali-Fethiye the region which lies to
the south of this, today known as the "Teke Peninsula", was the homeland of
the ancient Lycian civilization. Before the Hittites arrival in Anatolia,
the first inhabitants of this region were "Luwis"; the ancestors of Lycians.
They spoke a language of their own of the Indo-European family. On ancient
Egyptian and Hittite tablets they were named as "Lucas". They first appeared
in history as the allies of the Hittites against the Egyptians in the Cadesh
War and also as the allies of the Trojans and King Priam against the "Akas".
The archeological findings at Lycian settlements date back to 8 BC. Below
are some important milestones and events from the Lycian civilization.
These are given in the chronological order:
BC. 1400. First appearance of Lycians on the historical scene with their
acts of piracy against the island of Cyprus.
BC. 545. The Invasions of Lycia by the Persian General Harpagos and the
massacre at Xanthus.
BC. 380-362. Efforts to create the "Lycian Confederation" by Limyrian
Prince Pericles.
BC. 333. The conquest (without any resistance) of Lycian cities by
Alexander the Great.
BC. 310-197. The invasion of the region by the Ptolemaic Dynasty of Egypt.
BC. 200-100. The foundation of the "Lycian Confederation" - the most
successful period.
BC. 100. Confused Lycian history - inner turmoil.
AD. 41. The annexation of Lycian cities by Emperor Claudius and the
second massacre at Xanthus.
AD. 141-240. Two violent earthquakes turn Lycian cities into ruins.
AD. 300-600. Lycian cities losing their importance as the Byzantines
gained dominance.
AD. 700. Continuous Arab attacks on the region and especially on the
coastal cities resulting in the Lycian cities losing all their importance
and, one by one, turning into villages.
AD. 1071. The entrance of the Selçuk Turks into Anatolia and the settling
of the Turcomen in the mountainous regions. The Lycians disappear from the
historical scene.
The most outstanding feature of the Lycians is the importance they
attached to their monumental graves. The Nereids Monument (and other relics)
taken to England by Charles Fellows in 1842 and now exhibited in the British
Museum is believed to have served as a model for the construction of the
Mausoleum of Halicarnasssus, one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient World.
Although some of the graves are known to be the final resting place fo kings
(for example the Tomb of Amyntas in Telmessus/Fethiye) the existence of
numerous graves would suggest that some of the affluent citizens also had
these tombs built prior to their deaths. The proximity of the graves to the
theaters also raises an unanswered question.
Almost every Lycian city possessed a theater and in Lycia today more than
fifty may be visited. The amazing concentration of cultural infrastructure
would indicate that the Lycians were very highly civilized people.
Certainly, the Lycian League is one of the earliest forms of democracy
recorded in history.