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Loryma THE
three cities of the island of Rhodes (Lindos, Kamiros and Ialysos) had probably
started to absorb territory on the mainland opposite (the ‘peraia’) at least as
early as the fifth century BC. Loryma (Bozukkale – ‘broken fortress’) and the
peninsula on which it lies were among the earliest of these possessions. The
three old cities combined to form a new capital on the northern tip of the
island in 408 BC. The powerful unified state, enjoying a position athwart the
major trade routes east-west and north-south, became one of the major commercial
powers in the Greek world, particularly after the conquests of Alexander the
Great opened up Egypt and the East to Greek exploitation in the late fourth
century BC. The harbour at Loryma on the mainland opposite Rhodes is
exceptionally safe in all weathers, and this doubtless prompted the Rhodians to
protect it with the impressive elongated fortress which is the principal feature
of the site. Probably dating to the fourth century BC, the fortress measures
320m by 30m with walls some 2.5m thick built of regular ashlar blocks and
protected by eleven towers. Inside are two cisterns, but no other constructions
have been identified: the place seems to have had a purely military function. An
inscription on a rock altar at the eastern end of the fort shows that it was
sacred to Zeus Atabyrios, a form of the deity known only from Rhodes; a more
informal inscription just outside the walls nearby declares that ‘this place is
sacred’, and invites speculation that it was inscribed by an offi cer warning
his men not to relieve themselves in a holy place.
From
the shore to the fortress is a fairly easy climb of 10-15 minutes. There are fi
ne views over to Rhodes from the walls, and one can walk along their top for
almost the entire circumference, although this is not recommended for those who
suffer from vertigo. The remains of a third century BC temple of Apollo, some
walling, and a cistern belonging to the small town of Loryma can be seen at the
base of its acropolis hill north across the bay. The site was occupied as late
as the tenth century AD, for an arsenal (hoplotheke) is recorded there then, and
until recently the harbour was known as Oplosika Bükü, ‘Arsenal Bay’.
Two incidents from the fourth century BC are recorded at Loryma. In 395 the
Athenian admiral Konon gathered his fleet there before sailing out to defeat the
Spartans at a great battle off Knidos. Ninety years later, Demetrios the son of
Antigonos the One-Eyed (one of the generals who succeeded to Alexander the
Great's empire) gathered his forces in the same place before laying siege to the
city of Rhodes in an attempt to bring the island into his father’s domain. The
Rhodians resisted valiantly and after a year Demetrios gave up, earning for
himself the derisive nickname Poliorketes (‘Besieger’). The Rhodians used the
money raised from the sale of his siege-train to erect the Colossus in
commemoration of their victory.
WESTMINSTER CLASSIC TOURS