Isaura Nea (Ancient Greek: Ἴσαυρα Νέα), in LatinIsaura Nova, both meaning 'New Isaura', was a town of the Roman and Byzantine era,[1] so called in juxtaposition with the settlement of Isaura Palaea.[2] It also bore the name Leontopolis,[3] and in later days was included in the province of Lycaonia.[4]
Along with Isaura Palaea, the city was one of the two major settlements of the region of Isauria (Ἰσαυρία), now southern Turkey, and is identified with Aydoğmuş, formerly Dorla, Bozkır, Konya Province.[2]
History
Isaura Nea was the successor settlement to Isaura Palaea ('Old Isaura'), which had been destroyed by the Roman Servilius Isauricus (c. 75 BCE), and ceded by Rome to Amyntas of Galatia,[5] who built out of the ruins of Isaura Palaea a new city in the neighbourhood, which he surrounded with a wall; but he did not live to complete the work. In the 3rd century, Isaura Nea was the residence of the rival emperor Trebellianus;[6] but in the time of Ammianus Marcellinus nearly all traces of its former magnificence had vanished.[7]
Epitaphs have been found of three bishops, Theophilus, Sisamoas, and Mamas, who lived between the years 250 and 400. Three other bishops are also known, Hilarius, 381; Callistratus, somewhat later; Aetius, 451.[10] The last named bishop also bears the title of Isauropolis, the name of a city which also figures in the Hierocles's Synecdemus.[11] As no Notitiae Episcopatuum make mention of Isauropolis, Ramsay supposes that the Diocese of Isauropolis was early joined with that of Isaura Palaea which is mentioned in all the Notitiae.
^Review by: W. M. R. , Reviewed Works: Apophoreta Gotoburgensia, Vildmo Lundström oblata ; Denkmäler aus Lykaonien, Pamphylien, und Isaurien by H. Swoboda, J. Keil, F. Knoll The Journal of Hellenic Studies Vol. 56, Part 2 (1936), pp. 257-261.