Juliopolis or Ioulioupolis ( gr, Ἰουλιούπολις), occasionally also Heliopolis (Ἡλιούπολις), was an ancient and medieval city and episcopal see in

Anatolia Anatolia, tr, Anadolu Yarımadası), and the Anatolian plateau, also known as Asia Minor, is a large peninsula in Western Asia and the westernmost protrusion of the Asian continent. It constitutes the major part of modern-day Turkey. The ...

(modern

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula in ...

). In later

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

times, it also bore the name Basilaion (Βασιλαίον). Various authors assign it to the regions of Galatia, Bithynia, and

Paphlagonia Paphlagonia (; el, Παφλαγονία, Paphlagonía, modern translit. ''Paflagonía''; tr, Paflagonya) was an ancient region on the Black Sea coast of north-central Anatolia, situated between Bithynia to the west and Pontus (region), Pontus t ...

. Now, it is in the province of

Ankara Ankara ( , ; ), historically known as Ancyra and Angora, is the capital of Turkey. Located in the central part of Anatolia, the city has a population of 5.1 million in its urban center and over 5.7 million in Ankara Province, maki ...

Nallıhan Nallıhan is a rural town and district of Ankara Province in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey, 157km from the city of Ankara. According to the 2010 census, population of the district is 30,571 of which 12,457 live in the town of Nallıhan. Th ...

History

Archaeological evidence at the site points to settlement since prehistoric times. The town was originally known as ''Gordiou Kome'' (Γορδίου Κώμη, "village of

Gordion Gordion ( Phrygian: ; el, Γόρδιον, translit=Górdion; tr, Gordion or ; la, Gordium) was the capital city of ancient Phrygia. It was located at the site of modern Yassıhüyük, about southwest of Ankara (capital of Turkey), in the ...

"). Cleon of Gordiucome, a native of the town, raised its status to a city and renamed it as Juliopolis in honour of the

Emperor Augustus Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor; he reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is known for being the founder of the Roman Pr ...

. Augustus had rewarded him with the sovereignty over

Comana (Cappadocia) Comana was a city of Cappadocia ( el, τὰ Κόμανα τῆς Καππαδοκίας) and later Cataonia ( la, Comana Cataoniae; frequently called Comana Chryse or Aurea, i.e. "the golden", to distinguish it from Comana in Pontus). The Hittit ...

for his services in war against

Mark Antony Marcus Antonius (14 January 1 August 30 BC), commonly known in English as Mark Antony, was a Roman politician and general who played a critical role in the transformation of the Roman Republic from a constitutional republic into the au ...

, whom Cleon had earlier served and from whom he had received other lands. In

late antiquity Late antiquity is the time of transition from classical antiquity to the Middle Ages, generally spanning the 3rd–7th century in Europe and adjacent areas bordering the Mediterranean Basin. The popularization of this periodization in English ha ...

, the town gained in prominence due to its location on the so-called "Pilgrim Road" that connected

Constantinople la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه , alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya ( Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis ( ...

with

Ancyra Ankara ( , ; ), historically known as Ancyra and Angora, is the capital of Turkey. Located in the central part of Anatolia, the city has a population of 5.1 million in its urban center and over 5.7 million in Ankara Province, mak ...

. It is attested as a bishopric since the Council of Ancyra in 314. Emperor

Justinian I Justinian I (; la, Iustinianus, ; grc-gre, Ἰουστινιανός ; 48214 November 565), also known as Justinian the Great, was the Byzantine emperor from 527 to 565. His reign is marked by the ambitious but only partly realized ''renova ...

() undertook repairs to strengthen the city walls, that were being undermined by the nearby Skopas river (modern Aladağ Cayı). In late antiquity, the city belonged to the province of Galatia Prima, and later to the

Bucellarian Theme The Bucellarian Theme ( el, Βουκελλάριον θέμα, ''Boukellarion thema''), more properly known as the Theme of the Bucellarians ( el, θέμα Βουκελλαρίων, ''thema Boukellariōn'') was a Byzantine theme (a military-civil ...

. In ca. 880 the city changed its name again to Basilaion (Βασιλαίον), Basileon (Βασιλέον) or Basileion (Βασίλειον) in honour of the Emperor

Basil I Basil I, called the Macedonian ( el, Βασίλειος ὁ Μακεδών, ''Basíleios ō Makedṓn'', 811 – 29 August 886), was a Byzantine Emperor who reigned from 867 to 886. Born a lowly peasant in the theme of Macedonia, he rose in the ...

(), and a late document of the Byzantine Church refers to it by its original name of Γορδίου Κώμη.

Symeon the New Theologian Symeon the New Theologian ( el, Συμεὼν ὁ Νέος Θεολόγος; 949–1022) was an Eastern Orthodox Christian monk and poet who was the last of three saints canonized by the Eastern Orthodox Church and given the title of "Theolo ...

was born in Basileion in 949 AD. Emperor Constantine X Doukas () raised the see to the rank of a

metropolis A metropolis () is a large city or conurbation which is a significant economic, political, and cultural center for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections, commerce, and communications. A big ci ...

(without suffragans) in order to honour its incumbent bishop, later confirmed by

Michael VII Doukas Michael VII Doukas or Ducas ( gr, Μιχαήλ Δούκας), nicknamed Parapinakes ( gr, Παραπινάκης, lit. "minus a quarter", with reference to the devaluation of the Byzantine currency under his rule), was the senior Byzantine e ...

(). Although intended as temporary, the rank was retained, despite the protestations of Nicetas, Metropolitan of Ancyra, to Emperor

Alexios I Komnenos Alexios I Komnenos ( grc-gre, Ἀλέξιος Κομνηνός, 1057 – 15 August 1118; Latinized Alexius I Comnenus) was Byzantine emperor from 1081 to 1118. Although he was not the first emperor of the Komnenian dynasty, it was during ...

(). The site of the city has been securely identified thanks to the preservation of

milestone A milestone is a numbered marker placed on a route such as a road, railway line, canal or boundary. They can indicate the distance to towns, cities, and other places or landmarks; or they can give their position on the route relative to so ...

s with the inscription ''Iuliopolis'', from the Roman road connecting

Nicaea Nicaea, also known as Nicea or Nikaia (; ; grc-gre, Νίκαια, ) was an ancient Greek city in Bithynia, where located in northwestern Anatolia and is primarily known as the site of the First and Second Councils of Nicaea (the first and s ...

with

. The western parts of the site now lie submerged in the Sarıyar Dam reservoir, as well as the nearby Byzantine-era bridge (Sarılar Köprüsü) over the Skopas river. There have been found 671 graves in the Necropolis. A total of 71 of the graves were damaged, Which 37 by antique robbers, and 34 by smugglers. Also, numerous belongings being Jewelry, metal and ceramic pots, mirrors, smell bottles and coins were found during the excavations.

Bishops

A few of the bishops of Juliopolis/Basilaion are known: * Philadelphus, attended the Council of Ancyra (314) and the

First Council of Nicaea The First Council of Nicaea (; grc, Νίκαια ) was a council of Christian bishops convened in the Bithynian city of Nicaea (now İznik, Turkey) by the Roman Emperor Constantine I in AD 325. This ecumenical council was the first effort ...

(325) * Philetus, who signed the acts of the Eastern bishops at the

Council of Serdica The Council of Serdica, or Synod of Serdica (also Sardica located in modern day Sofia, Bulgaria), was a synod convened in 343 at Serdica in the civil diocese of Dacia, by Emperors Constans I, augustus in the West, and Constantius II, augustus in ...

(343) * Meliphthongus, attended the

Council of Chalcedon The Council of Chalcedon (; la, Concilium Chalcedonense), ''Synodos tēs Chalkēdonos'' was the fourth ecumenical council of the Christian Church. It was convoked by the Roman emperor Marcian. The council convened in the city of Chalcedon, Bi ...

(451) * Proclianus, signed in 458 the letter of the bishops of Galatia Prima to Emperor

Leo I the Thracian Leo I (; 401 – 18 January 474), also known as "the Thracian" ( la, Thrax; grc-gre, ο Θραξ),; grc-gre, Μακέλλης), referencing the murder of Aspar and his son. was Eastern Roman emperor from 457 to 474. He was a native of Dacia ...

* Pantoleon, attended a council at Constantinople (536) * Martyrius, attended the

Third Council of Constantinople The Third Council of Constantinople, counted as the Sixth Ecumenical Council by the Eastern Orthodox and Catholic Churches, as well by certain other Western Churches, met in 680–681 and condemned monoenergism and monothelitism as heretical ...

(680) * John, attended the

Quinisext Council The Quinisext Council (Latin: ''Concilium Quinisextum''; Koine Greek: , ''Penthékti Sýnodos''), i.e. the Fifth-Sixth Council, often called the Council ''in Trullo'', Trullan Council, or the Penthekte Synod, was a church council held in 692 at ...

(692) * Constantine, attended the

Second Council of Nicaea The Second Council of Nicaea is recognized as the last of the first seven ecumenical councils by the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church. In addition, it is also recognized as such by the Old Catholics, the Anglican Communion, an ...

(787) * Ignatius, attended the Council of Constantinople in 869/870 * Synetus, Metropolitan (possibly the first), addressee of Michael Psellos (mid-11th century)

Catholic titular see

The diocese was nominally restored in the 18th century as a

Latin Rite Latin liturgical rites, or Western liturgical rites, are Catholic rites of public worship employed by the Latin Church, the largest particular church '' sui iuris'' of the Catholic Church, that originated in Europe where the Latin language once ...

titular bishopric A titular see in various churches is an episcopal see of a former diocese that no longer functions, sometimes called a "dead diocese". The ordinary or hierarch of such a see may be styled a "titular metropolitan" (highest rank), "titular archbish ...

by the

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

. It has had following incumbents:''Catholic Hierarchy'' page
/ref> * Michał Jan Zienkowicz (27 June 1718 – 2 October 1730) * Józef Michał Trzciński (21 July 1732 – 3 January 1738, died) * Jean de Lolière-Puycontat, M.E.P. (28 August 1738 – 8 December 1755, died) * Franciscus Kornis de Göncz-Ruszka (12 June 1769 – 12 February 1790, died) *

Joseph Norbert Provencher Joseph-Norbert Provencher (February 12, 1787 – June 7, 1853) was a Canadian clergyman and missionary and one of the founders of the modern province of Manitoba. He was the first Bishop of Saint Boniface and was an important figure in the histo ...

(1 February 1820 – 4 June 1847) * Antoine-Magloire Doumer, SS.CC. (9 May 1848 – 24 Dec 1878, died) * Sylwester Sembratowicz (Sembratovyc) (28 February 1879 – 27 Mar 1885) * George Vincent King, O.P. (11 September 1885 – 25 February 1886, died) * Andrea Logorezzi (7 January 1887 – 15 June 1888) *

Anton Hubert Fischer Anton Hubert Fischer (Antonius Fischer) (30 May 1840, in Jülich, Rhine Province – 30 July 1912, in Neuenahr) was a Roman Catholic Archbishop of Cologne and Cardinal. Life The son of a professor, he was educated at the Friedrich Wilhelm ...

(14 February 1889 – 14 February 1903) * Bonaventure Finbarr Francis Broderick (16 September 1903 – 17 November 1943, died) * René-Joseph Piérard (29 December 1945 – 9 January 1948) * Ioan Maria Duma,

O.F.M. Conv. The Order of Friars Minor Conventual (OFM Conv) is a male religious fraternity in the Roman Catholic Church that is a branch of the Franciscans. The friars in OFM CONV are also known as Conventual Franciscans, or Minorites. Dating back to ...

(16 November 1948 – 16 July 1981, died)

References

Sources

External links

''Ancient City of Brigand King'' - Juliopolis Excavation
{{coord, 40, 04, N, 31, 40, E, display=title Catholic titular sees in Asia Defunct dioceses of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople Populated places of the Byzantine Empire History of Christianity in Turkey History of Ankara Province Galatia (Roman province) Former populated places in Turkey Populated places in ancient Galatia Populated places in Bithynia Populated places in ancient Paphlagonia