CILICIA, a district of Asia Minor, extending along the south coast between Pamphylia and Syria. Its northern limit was the crest of Mt. Taurus. It was divided into Cilicia Trachea and Cilicia Pedias.
Cilicia Trachea is a rugged mountain district formed by the spurs of Taurus, which often terminate in rocky headlands with small sheltered harbours—a feature which, in classical times, made the coast a resort of pirates, and, in the middle ages, led to its occupation by Genoese and Venetian traders. The district is watered by the Geuk Su (Calycadnus), and is covered to a large extent by forests, which supply timber to Egypt and Syria. There were several towns but no large trade centres.
Cilicia Pedias included the rugged spurs of Taurus and a large plain of rich stoneless loam. Its eastern half is studded with isolated rocky crags, which are crowned with the ruins of ancient strongholds, and broken by the low hills that border the plain of Issus. The plain is watered by the Cydnus (Tarsus Chai), the Sarus (Sihun) and the Pyramus (Jihun), and is extremely produc tive. Through it ran the great highway, between the east and the west, on which stood Tarsus on the Cydnus, Adana on the Sarus, and Mopsuestia (Missis) on the Pyramus. The great highway from the west, on its long rough descent from the Anatolian plateau to Tarsus, ran through a narrow pass between walls of rock called the Cilician Gate (Ghulek Boghaz). After crossing the low hills east of the Pyramus it passed through a masonry (Cilician) gate, Demir Kapu, and entered the plain of Issus. From that plain one road ran southward to Alexandretta, and thence crossed Mt. Amanus by the Syrian Gate, to Antioch and Syria; and another ran northwards and crossed Mt. Amanus by the Amanian Gate, to North Syria and the Euphrates. By the last pass, which was apparently unknown to Alexander, Darius crossed the mountains prior to the battle of Issus. Both passes are short and easy, and connect Cilicia Pedias with Syria rather than with Asia Minor. In Roman times Cilicia exported the goat's-hair cloth, cilicium, of which tents were made.
Under the Persian empire Cilicia was apparently governed by tributary native kings, who bore a name or title graecized as Syennesis; but it was officially included in the fourth satrapy by Darius. Xenophon found a queen in power, and no opposition was offered to the march of Cyrus. Alexander found the gates open when he came down from the plateau in 333 B.C., and it may be inferred that the great pass was not under direct Persian con trol. After Alexander's death it fell to the Seleucids, who, how ever, never held effectually more than the eastern half. Cilicia Trachea became the haunt of pirates, who were subdued by Pom pey. Cilicia Pedias became Roman territory in 103 B.C., and the whole was organized by Pompey (64 B.C.) into a province, of which at one time Cicero was governor. It was reorganized by Caesar (47 B.e.), and about 27 B.C. became part of the province Syria-Cilicia-Phoenice. Under Diocletian (c. A.D. 297), Cilicia, with the Syrian and Egyptian provinces, formed the Diocesis Orientis. In the 7th century it was invaded by the Arabs, who held the country until it was reoccupied by Nicephorus II. in 965.
The Seljuk invasion of Armenia was followed by an exodus of Armenians southwards, and in 1080 there was founded in the Cili cian Taurus a small principality, which gradually expanded into the kingdom of Lesser Armenia. This Christian kingdom—situated in the midst of Muslim states, hostile to the Byzantines, giving valuable support to the crusaders, and trading with the great commercial cities of Italy—had a stormy existence of about 300 years. When Levond V. died (1342), John of Lusignan was crowned king as Gosdantin IV. ; but he alienated the Armenians by attempting to make them conform to the Roman Church, and at last the kingdom, a prey to internal dissensions, succumbed ('375) to the attacks of the Egyptians. Cilicia Trachea was occupied by the Osmanlis in the 15th century, but Cilicia Pedias was only added to the empire in 1515• From 1833 to 1840 Cilicia formed part of the territories ad ministered by Mohammed Ali of Cairo, who was compelled to evacuate it by the allied powers. By the treaty of Sevres (see TURKEY) part of Cilicia was granted to France, but on Oct. 20, 1921, after unsuccessful conflicts with the Nationalist troops, the French withdrew all claim to this area.
BIBLIOGRAPHY.—Besides the general authorities for Asia Minor, see Bibliography.—Besides the general authorities for Asia Minor, see Cambridge Ancient History, vol. iii. (with useful bibliography) ; J. R. S. Sterrett, Wolfe Expedition (1888) ; G. L. Schlumberger, Un Empereur byzantin (18go) ; D. G. Hogarth and J. A. R. Munro, Mod. and Anc. Roads in E. Asia Minor (R.G.S. Supp. Papers, iii.) R. Heberdey and A. Wilhelm, Reisen in Kilikien (1896) ; D. G. Hogarth, A Wandering Scholar (1896) . See also authorities under ARMENIA and MOHAMMED ALI.