Knidos

Knidos or Cnidus (modern-day TekirTurkey)an ancient Greek cityAsia Minor, once part ofcountryCaria. Itsituated atextremity oflong peninsula that formssouthern side ofSinus Ceramicus or GulfKos.

It was built partly onmainlandpartly onIslandTriopion or Cape Krio, which anciently communicated withcontinent bycausewaybridge,now bynarrow sandy isthmus. By means ofcausewaychannel between islandmainland was formed into two harbours,whichlarger, or southern, was further enclosed by two strongly-built moles thatstillgood part entire.

The extreme length ofcity was little less thanmile, andwhole intramural areastill thickly strewn.architectural remains. The walls, both insularcontinental, can be traced throughout their whole circuit;in many places, especially roundacropolis, atnortheast corner ofcity, theyremarkably perfect. Our knowledge ofsitelargely due tomission ofDilettanti Society1812, andexcavations executed by C T Newton1857-1858.

The agora,theatre, an odeum,templeDionysus,temple ofMuses,templeAphrodite andgreat numberminor buildings have been identified, andgeneral plan ofcity has been very clearly made out. The most famous statue byelder Praxiteles,Aphrodite, was madeCnidus. It has perished, but late copies exist,whichmost faithfulinVatican gallery. Intemple-enclosure Newton discoveredfine seated statueDemeter, which now adornsBritish Museum;about 3 miles south-east ofcity he came uponruins ofsplendid tomb, andcolossal figure oflion carved outone blockPentelic marble, 10 feetlength6height, which has been supposedcommemorategreat naval victoryConon overLacedaemonians394 BC.

Knidos wascityhigh antiquityprobablyLacedaemonian colonization. AlongHalicarnassusKos, andRhodian citiesLindos, KamirosIalyssosformedDorian Hexapolis, which held its confederate assemblies onTriopian headland,there celebrated gameshonourApollo, Poseidon andnymphs.

The city was at first governed by an oligarchic senate, composedsixty members,presided over bymagistrate; but, though itproved by inscriptions thatold names continued tovery late period,constitution underwentpopular transformation. The situation ofcity was favourablecommerce, andKnidians acquired considerable wealth,were ablecolonizeislandLipara,foundedcityCorcyra Nigra inAdriatic. They ultimately submittedCyrus,frombattleEurymedon tolatter part ofPeloponnesian Warwere subjectAthens.

In 394 BC Conon fought offportbattle which destroyed Spartan hegemony. The Romans easily obtained their allegiance,rewarded themhelp given against Antiochus by leaving themfreedomtheir city. DuringByzantine period there must still have beenconsiderable population: forruins containlarge numberbuildings belonging toByzantine style,Christian sepulchrescommon inneighbourhood.

Eudoxus,astronomer, Ctesias,writer on Persian history,Sostratus,builder ofcelebrated Pharos at Alexandria, aremost remarkable ofKnidians mentionedhistory.

This entry was originally from1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.