Rhodiapolis
| Ῥοδιάπολις (Greek) | |
The ruins of Rhodiapolis lie on a hill west of modern Kumluca, which is visible in the background.
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 Shown within Turkey
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| Alternate name | Rhodia, Rhodiopolis |
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| Location | Kumluca, Antalya Province, Turkey |
| Region | Lycia |
| Coordinates | 36°23′13″N 30°15′56″E / 36.38694°N 30.26556°ECoordinates: 36°23′13″N 30°15′56″E / 36.38694°N 30.26556°E |
| Type | Settlement |
| History | |
| Builder | Probably Rhodian colonists |
| Associated with | Opramoas |
Rhodiapolis (Greek: Ῥοδιάπολις), also known as Rhodia and Rhodiopolis, was an ancient city in Lycia. Today it is located on a hill northwest of the modern town Kumluca in Antalya Province, Turkey.
It is called Rhodia by Ptolemy (V, 3) and Stephanus Byzantius; Rhodiapolis on its coins and inscriptions; Rhodiopolis by Pliny the Elder, who locates it in the mountains to the north of Corydalla. The city was considered to have been founded by colonists from Rhodes; the name Rhodiapolis means Rhodian City in English.
Not much is known of the history of Rhodiapolis. It was a relatively small city in the Lycian League with only one vote, but did have the right to mint coins. A notable amount of silver coins produced in Rhodiapolis have been found.
In the Roman period the city became famous for being the home of the millionaire philanthropist Opramoas. A monument was constructed in his memory close to the city's theater. On the monument's walls is the longest inscription in Lycia, commemorating his benefactions and the numerous honors bestowed on him. According to these, Opramoas donated approximately 500,000 denarii to twenty-eight cities in Lycia to repair the damage caused by an earthquake between 140 and 143 AD. He also funded the construction of two temples at Rhodiapolis. Heraclitus was another famous resident, known for his oratory and knowledge of medicine.
According to inscriptions the city was a center for the cult of Athena Polias during the Hellenistic and Roman period.
Rhodiapolis was in the late Roman province of Lycia and so its episcopal see was a suffragan of Myra, the metropolican see of that province. Only one bishop of Rhodiapolis is known, Nicholas, present in 518 at a Council of Constantinople. The Notitiae episcopatuum continue to mention the see as late as the 12th or 13th century.
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