Stratonicea (Caria)

Stratonicea

Στρατoνικεια / Στρατoνικη / Στρατονίκεια (Greek)
The ruins of the sebasteion in Stratonicea
Shown within Turkey
Alternate name	Stratonikeia, Stratoniceia, Stratoniki, Stratonike, Stratonice, Idrias, Chrysaoris, Hadrianopolis
Location	Eskihisar, Muğla Province, Turkey
Region	Caria
Coordinates	37°18′53″N 28°03′57″E / 37.31472°N 28.06583°E / 37.31472; 28.06583Coordinates: 37°18′53″N 28°03′57″E / 37.31472°N 28.06583°E / 37.31472; 28.06583
Type	Settlement
History
Builder	Antiochus I Soter

Stratonicea (Greek: Στρατoνικεια or Στρατoνικη; or per Stephanus of Byzantium: Στρατονίκεια) – also transliterated as Stratonikeia, Stratoniceia , Stratoniki, and Stratonike and Stratonice; earlier Idrias and Chrysaoris; and for a time Hadrianopolis – was one of the most important towns in the interior of Caria, Anatolia, situated on the east-southeast of Mylasa, and on the south of the river Marsyas; its site is now located at the present village of Eskihisar, Muğla Province, Turkey. It is situated at a distance of 1 km (0.62 mi) from the intercity road that connects the district center of Yatağan with Bodrum and Milas, shortly before Yatağan Power Plant if one has taken departure from the latter towns.

According to Strabo, it was founded by the Seleucid king Antiochus I Soter (281–261 BC), who named it after his wife Stratonice. Or at least this is what has been generally told; some historians have contested this date as too early, and proposed to consider the city's founder Stratonice's son, Antiochus II Theos, or, later still, Antiochus III the Great.