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

Anatolia Anatolia (), also known as Asia Minor, is a peninsula in West Asia that makes up the majority of the land area of Turkey. It is the westernmost protrusion of Asia and is geographically bounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the south, the Aegean ...

(modern

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

). In later

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived the events that caused the fall of the Western Roman E ...

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

Galatia Galatia (; , ''Galatía'') was an ancient area in the highlands of central Anatolia, roughly corresponding to the provinces of Ankara and Eskişehir in modern Turkey. Galatia was named after the Gauls from Thrace (cf. Tylis), who settled here ...

Bithynia Bithynia (; ) was an ancient region, kingdom and Roman province in the northwest of Asia Minor (present-day Turkey), adjoining the Sea of Marmara, the Bosporus, and the Black Sea. It bordered Mysia to the southwest, Paphlagonia to the northeast a ...

, and

Paphlagonia Paphlagonia (; , modern translit. ''Paflagonía''; ) was an ancient region on the Black Sea coast of north-central Anatolia, situated between Bithynia to the west and Pontus (region), Pontus to the east, and separated from Phrygia (later, Galatia ...

. Now, it is in the province of

Ankara Ankara is the capital city of Turkey and List of national capitals by area, the largest capital by area in the world. Located in the Central Anatolia Region, central part of Anatolia, the city has a population of 5,290,822 in its urban center ( ...

Nallıhan Nallıhan is a municipality and district of Ankara Province, Turkey. Its area is 2,079 km2, and its population 26,553 (2022). It is 157 km from the city of Ankara. Its elevation is 625 m. Nallıhan is one of many towns that claim to ...

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 language, Phrygian: ; ; or ; ) was the capital city of ancient Phrygia. It was located at the site of modern Yassıhüyük, Polatlı, Yassıhüyük, about southwest of Ankara (capital of Turkey), in the immediate vicinity of ...

"). 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 Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian (), was the founder of the Roman Empire, who reigned as the first Roman emperor from 27 BC until his death in ...

. Augustus had rewarded him with the sovereignty over

Comana (Cappadocia) Comana was a city of Cappadocia () and later Cataonia (; frequently called Comana Chryse or Aurea, i.e. "the golden", to distinguish it from Comana, Pontus, Comana in Pontus). The Hittite language, Hittite toponym ''Kummanni'' is considered likel ...

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 people, Roman politician and general who played a critical role in the Crisis of the Roman Republic, transformation of the Roman Republic ...

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

late antiquity Late antiquity marks the period that comes after the end of classical antiquity and stretches into the onset of the Early Middle Ages. Late antiquity as a period was popularized by Peter Brown (historian), Peter Brown in 1971, and this periodiza ...

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

Constantinople Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...

with

Ancyra Ankara is the capital city of Turkey and the largest capital by area in the world. Located in the central part of Anatolia, the city has a population of 5,290,822 in its urban center ( Etimesgut, Yenimahalle, Çankaya, Keçiören, Altında ...

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

Justinian I Justinian I (, ; 48214 November 565), also known as Justinian the Great, was Roman emperor from 527 to 565. His reign was marked by the ambitious but only partly realized ''renovatio imperii'', or "restoration of the Empire". This ambition was ...

() 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. 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, nicknamed "the Macedonian" (; 811 – 29 August 886), was List of Byzantine emperors, Byzantine emperor from 867 to 886. Born to a peasant family in Macedonia (theme), Macedonia, he rose to prominence in the imperial court after gainin ...

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

Symeon the New Theologian Saint Symeon the New Theologian (; 949–1022) was an Eastern Orthodox monk and poet who was one of the four saints canonized by the Eastern Orthodox Church and given the title of "Theologian" (along with John the Apostle, Gregory of Nazianzus, ...

was born in Basileion in 949 AD. Emperor

Constantine X Doukas Constantine X Doukas or Ducas (; – 23 May 1067), was Byzantine emperor from 1059 to 1067. He was the founder of the Doukid dynasty. During his reign, the Normans took over much of the remaining Byzantine territories in Italy, while in the ...

() 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 area for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections, commerce, and communications. A big city b ...

(without

suffragans A suffragan bishop is a type of bishop in some Christian denominations. In the Catholic Church, a suffragan bishop leads a diocese within an ecclesiastical province other than the principal diocese, the metropolitan archdiocese; the diocese led by ...

) in order to honour its incumbent bishop, later confirmed by

Michael VII Doukas Michael VII Doukas or Ducas (), nicknamed Parapinakes (, , a reference to the devaluation of the Byzantine currency under his rule), was the senior Byzantine emperor from 1071 to 1078. He was known as incompetent as an emperor and reliant on ...

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

Alexios I Komnenos Alexios I Komnenos (, – 15 August 1118), Latinization of names, Latinized as Alexius I Comnenus, was Byzantine Emperor, Byzantine emperor from 1081 to 1118. After usurper, usurping the throne, he was faced with a collapsing empire and ...

(). 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, railway line, canal or border, boundary. They can indicate the distance to towns, cities, and other places or landmarks like Mileage sign, mileage signs; or they c ...

s with the inscription ''Iuliopolis'', from the

Roman road Roman roads ( ; singular: ; meaning "Roman way") were physical infrastructure vital to the maintenance and development of the Roman state, built from about 300 BC through the expansion and consolidation of the Roman Republic and the Roman Em ...

connecting

Nicaea Nicaea (also spelled Nicæa or Nicea, ; ), also known as Nikaia (, Attic: , Koine: ), was an ancient Greek city in the north-western Anatolian region of Bithynia. It was the site of the First and Second Councils of Nicaea (the first and seve ...

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 ( ; ) was a council of Christian bishops convened in the Bithynian city of Nicaea (now İznik, Turkey) by the Roman Emperor Constantine I. The Council of Nicaea met from May until the end of July 325. This ec ...

(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 (; ) 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, Bithynia (modern-day Kadıköy, Istanbul, Turkey) from 8 Oct ...

(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" (; ), was Eastern Roman emperor from 457 to 474. He was a native of Dacia Aureliana near historic Thrace. He is sometimes surnamed with the epithet "the Great" (; ), probably to ...

* 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, and by certain other Western Churches, met in 680–681 and condemned monoenergism and monothelitism as heretical a ...

(680) * John, attended the

Quinisext Council The Quinisext Council (; , literally meaning, ''Fifth-Sixth Meeting''), 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 Constantinople under Ju ...

(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 Old Catholic Church, Old Catholics and others. ...

(787) * Ignatius, attended the Council of Constantinople in 869/870 * Synetus, Metropolitan (possibly the first), addressee of

Michael Psellos Michael Psellos or Psellus (, ) was a Byzantine Greeks, Byzantine Greek monk, savant, writer, philosopher, imperial courtier, historian and music theorist. He was born in 1017 or 1018, and is believed to have died in 1078, although it has also b ...

(mid-11th century)

Catholic titular see

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

Latin Church The Latin Church () is the largest autonomous () particular church within the Catholic Church, whose members constitute the vast majority of the 1.3 billion Catholics. The Latin Church is one of 24 Catholic particular churches and liturgical ...

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

Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

. 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 (1 February 1820 – 4 June 1847) * Antoine-Magloire Doumer, SS.CC. (9 May 1848 – 24 Dec 1878, died) *

Sylwester Sembratowicz Sylwester Sembratowicz (; 3 September 1836 – 4 August 1898) was the Metropolitan Archbishop of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church from 1885 until his death in 1898 and a Cardinal of the Catholic Church. Life Sylwester Sembratowicz was bor ...

(Sembratovyc) (28 February 1879 – 27 Mar 1885) * George Vincent King, O.P. (11 September 1885 – 25 February 1886, died) *

Andrea Logorezzi Andrea is a given name which is common worldwide for both males and females, cognate to Andreas, Andrej and Andrew. Origin of the name The name derives from the Greek word ἀνήρ (''anēr''), genitive ἀνδρός (''andrós''), that ref ...

(7 January 1887 – 15 June 1888) * Anton Hubert Fischer (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 (O.F.M. Conv.) is a male religious fraternity in the Catholic Church and a branch of the Franciscan Order. Conventual Franciscan Friars are identified by the affix O.F.M. Conv. after their names. They are ...

(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 Nallıhan