CILICIA, was an ancient dynasty of Asia Minor, ex tending from the 36th to the 40th degree of north lati tude; bounded on the cast by mount Amanus, which divided it from Syria ; on the south by the Alediterra nean sea ; on the west by a chain of mountains, which separated it from Pampiiylia and Pisidia ; and on the north by Isauria, Cappadocia, and Arminia Minor.
If we be allowed to prefer any one of the discordant accounts, found in ancient history, respecting the abori gines of this country. We would say, that it w as peopled by Tarshish the son of Javan, from whom it was, at lirst, denominated Tarsis, and its metropolis Tarsus. The descendants of this patriarch arc said to have kept pos session of this region till after the Trojan war, when Cilix, a brother of Cadmus, and a native of Phoenicia, migrated, with a daring colony or his countrymen, into Cyprus ; and, in the restless ardour of adventure, leav ing that island, invaded Tarsis, and deprived the inhabi tants of their independence, and the country of its name, which, from its conqueror, was now denominated Cilicia. Several bands, both from Greece and Syria, afterwards imitated this example, and, settling in the same coun try, were blended with the ancient inhabitants. The names of the kings who succeeded Cilix, and the actions which they performed, cannot arrest our attention, till the country willingly yielded to the power of Cyprus, and its sovereigns resigned their independence to the Persian court. Cilicia, however, enjoyed the shadow of royalty till the reign of Artaxerxes I\ Inemon, who stript it of its tributary kings, reduced it to a province of the Persian empire, and in this state of degradation it re mained till the Persian empire was extinguished by Alexander. At the death of that monarch, Cilicia be came a part of the dominions of Selcucus, under whose descendants it remained till it was subjected to the Ro mans, by the arms of Pompey. It was, however, under the proconsulship of Cicero that the country was com pletely subdued, and was formed into two divisions ; the eastern part being denominated Cilicia Campestris, and the western Cilicia Aspera. The Romans, with their accustomed policy, claimed the former, which was by far the most valuable, as a province ; but allowed the latter to boast of its own kings, who were, however, de pendent upon the senate. But Vcspasian deprived even this division of the last appearance of independence, and divided again the whole region into Cilicia Prima, for merly distinguished by the epithet Campestris. Cilicia Secunda, comprehending the maritime part of what was before denominated Aspera, and Isauria, which included the interior of the same district. In this state it remain
ed, till the Roman territory was divided under Honorius and Arcadius, when Cilicia naturally followed the for tunes of the eastern empire. When the eastern empire proved, at last, unable to preserve its boundaries from violation, Cilicia was torn from it by its bold invaders, and, after experiencing all the vicissitudes which have since agitated Asia Minor, it now forms a part of the extensive province of Caramania.
The whole region of Cilicia was surrounded by rocky and precipitous mountains, which defended it like a wall, and left it accessible only by three narrow passes, em phatically called the gates of Cilicia, one leading from Syria, a second by mount Amanus, and a third by mount Taurus. The eastern division, formerly denominated Cilicia Campestris, was, as the name imports, a level and a beautiful country, abounding in fruits and grain. The western division, called Cilicia Aspera, or Trachxa, was rough, stony, and mountainous, but compensated for its sterility by producing excellent horses, which, arc still in great repute. The air, in the interior, is favourable to health and longevity ; but on the sea-coast diseases of a dangerous nature frequently prevail. The principal ri vers which fertilize Cilicia, as they roll to the :Mediterra nean, arc the Sclinus, the Calycadmus, the Lamus, the Cydnus, the Serus, the Pyramus, and the Pinarns. The metropolis of this dynasty was Tarsus, now Tarasso, situated upon the Cydnus, and celebrated, in ancient times, as the rival of Athens and Alexandria, in every department of art and of science ; and still venerable as the birth-place of St Paul, who, when fame shall be con felt/A in proportion to the blessings of knowledge, of civilization, and of happiness, which the world has re ceived from its benefactors, shall be accounted the first of human characters. It would be inconsistent with our plan to enumerate all the cities of this region, which arc mentioned in ancient history : we may add, however, that Silo, built upon the sea-coast by the Greeks and Rho. dians, who, mixing together, lost the purity of their na tive languages, is said to have given occasion to the tern. solecism, which is still applied to an impropriety of ex pression. Anazarhum, situated on the Pyramus, was the native city of Dioscoridcs : lssus, now Aisse, on the bor ders of Syria, was famous for the battle of that name. fought between Alexander and Darius, and for the de feat of Niger by Severus : and Sarpedon is well known by the famous temple which it contained, consecrated to Apollo and Diana. (N)