Flaviopolis
FLAVIO´POLIS(Φλαβιόπολιςor Φλαοϋιόπολις), a town of Cilicia, to the west of Tarsus. From coins found at Ushak, it is manifest that this place occupies the site of the ancient Flaviopolis. Respecting its history scarcely anything is known, and it cannot be ascertained whether it owed its name to the emperor Vespasian, or to some member of the family of Constantine. In later times it was the see of a Christian bishop. (Ptol. 5.8.6; Arundell, Asia Minor, vol. 1. p. 116.)
[L.S]FLAVIO´POLIS[CRATEIA]
Almost certainly identifiable with modern Kadirli on the river Savrun at the NE corner of the plain and ca. 160 km from Adana. Kozan (120 km NE of Adana) is out of the question since it has virtually no pre-Armenian remains and no trace of an ancient road thither from the ruins of Anazarbos (Anavarza) 35 km S. According to the Antonine Itinerary, however, Flaviopolis was the first city from Anazarbos on the road N to Kokossos (Göksun), and a stretch of this road, with milestones in situ, still exists. Also, ca. 5 km N of Anavarza, a Roman bridge spans the Savrun at Tozlu and a number of inscriptions were found there in 1949. Most scholars agree on the identification of Flaviopolis with Kadirli, for epigraphic evidence there proves the existence of a city whose magistrates were demiurgi.
Flaviopolis was founded in A.D. 74 by Vespasian, as part of an imperial program for the urbanization of the Cilician Plain. Until then the rural hinterland, as well as the city of Anazarbos, was probably administered by the Tracondimotid dynasty from Hieropolis Castabala. Some mosaic floors, inscriptions, and building blocks have been found at Kadirli, and a 6th c. church has been excavated. Flaviopolis was bishopric of Cilicia Secunda in the Christian era.
BIBLIOGRAPHYItAnt. 212.2; J. T. Bent, JHS 11 (1890) 223-26; R. Heberdey & A. Wilhelm, “Reisen in Kilikien,” Wien. Denkschr. 44 (1896) 32-33; H. Bossert & B. Alkim, Karatepe, Second Prelim. Report (1947) 17ff; M. Gough, AnatSt 2 (1952) 93-95.
M. GOUGH