Arsuz, Turkey

History

Arsuz had many names throughout history, including: Rhosus, Rhossos, Rhossus, Rhopolis, Port Panel/Bonnel, Kabev and Arsous. The earliest documents about it date from the Seleucid Empire, of which Antioch became the capital.

Malalas writes that the city was founded by Cilix, son of Agenor. Harpalus set up a bronze statue of Glycera at Rhosus. Demetrius I of Macedon moved the statue of the goddess Tyche from Antigoneia to Rhosus.

Arsuz was then an important seaport on the Gulf of Issus. In 64 BC, it was annexed by the Roman Empire. Under the name Rhosus, it was a city and bishopric (see below) in the late Roman province of Cilicia Secunda, with Anazarbus as its capital. It is mentioned by Strabo, Ptolemy, Pliny the Elder and Stephanus of Byzantium; and later by Hierocles and George of Cyprus.

Some Christians in Rhosus accepted as truth the Docetic Gospel of Peter and for them in around AD 200 Serapion of Antioch composed a treatise condemning the book. Theodoret relates the history of the hermit Theodosius of Antioch, founder of a monastery in the mountain near Rhosus, who was forced by the inroads of barbarians to retire to Antioch, where he died and was succeeded by his disciple Romanus, a native of Rhosus; these two religious are honoured by the Greek Orthodox Church on 5 and 9 February.

From the History section of Arsuz on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.