Magarsa (), or Magarsus or Magarsos (Μάγαρσος), or Megarsus or Megarsos (Μέγαρσος), was a town in the eastern part of

ancient Cilicia Cilicia () is a geographical region in southern Anatolia, extending inland from the northeastern coasts of the Mediterranean Sea. Cilicia has a population ranging over six million, concentrated mostly at the Cilician plain (). The region inclu ...

, situated on a height close to the mouth of the river

Pyramus In Greek mythology, Pyramus and Thisbe () are a pair of ill-fated lovers from Babylon, whose story is best known from Ovid's narrative poem ''Metamorphoses''. The tragic myth has been retold by many authors. Pyramus and Thisbe's parents, drive ...

Alexander the Great Alexander III of Macedon (; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), most commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the Ancient Greece, ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia (ancient kingdom), Macedon. He succeeded his father Philip ...

, previous to the

Battle of Issus The Battle of Issus (also Issos) occurred in southern Anatolia, on 5 November 333 BC between the League of Corinth, Hellenic League led by Alexander the Great and the Achaemenid Empire, led by Darius III of Persia, Darius III. It was the second g ...

, marched from Soli to Megarsus, and there offered sacrifices to Athena Megarsis, and to Amphilochus, the son of

Amphiaraus Amphiaraus or Amphiaraos (; Ancient Greek: Ἀμφιάραος, Ἀμφιάρεως, "very sacred") was in Greek mythology the son of Oicles, a seer, and one of the leaders of the Seven against Thebes. Amphiaraus at first refused to go with Adr ...

, the reputed founder of the place. It seems to have formed the port of Mallus. It was later re-founded and renamed in

Hellenistic In classical antiquity, the Hellenistic period covers the time in Greek history after Classical Greece, between the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC and the death of Cleopatra VII in 30 BC, which was followed by the ascendancy of the R ...

times as

Antiochia ad Pyramum Antiochia ad Pyramum () was an ancient coastal city of Cilicia, on the Pyramus (also Pyramos, now the Ceyhan Nehri) river, in Anatolia. It was the successor settlement to Magarsa. The location of the city is on the Karataş Peninsula, Adana Provi ...

(Antioch on the Pyramus).

Strabo Strabo''Strabo'' (meaning "squinty", as in strabismus) was a term employed by the Romans for anyone whose eyes were distorted or deformed. The father of Pompey was called "Gnaeus Pompeius Strabo, Pompeius Strabo". A native of Sicily so clear-si ...

writes that during his time the tombs of Amphilochus and

Mopsus Mopsus (; Ancient Greek: Μόψος, ''Mopsos'') was the name of one of two famous seers in Greek mythology; his rival being Calchas. A historical or legendary ''Mopsos'' or ''Mukšuš'' may have been the founder of a house in power at widespread ...

were in Magarsa.Strabo, Geography, 14.5
/ref> Its site is located near Dörtdirek,

Karataş Karataş (Turkish language, Turkish for ''black stone'') is a municipality and Districts of Turkey, district of Adana Province, Turkey. Its area is 862 km2, and its population is 23,499 (2022). The town itself has 10,293 inhabitants. It is o ...

, in Asiatic Turkey.

References

Populated places in ancient Cilicia Former populated places in Turkey History of Adana Province Greek colonies in Anatolia {{category commons, Magarsus Antique City, Magarsa