Docimium
Docimium, Docimia or Docimeium (Greek: Δοκίμια and Δοκίμειον) was an ancient city of Phrygia, Asia Minor where there were famous marble quarries.[1] The exact site of Docimium was a matter of some dispute until recently; it is now fixed at the modern Turkish town İscehisar, in Afyonkarahisar Province.[2]
History
This city, as appears from its coins – which bear the epigraph Δημος or Ιερα Συνκλητος Δοκιμεων Μακεδονεν – where the inhabitants are called Macedonians, may have been founded by Antigonos Dokimos.[3] The city's name in Greek is Romanized as Dokimeion, Dokimia Kome, Dokimaion, and later Dokimion.
Strabo places Docimium somewhere about Synnada: he calls it a village, and says that there is there a quarry of Synnadic stone,[4] as the Romans call it, but the people of the country call it Docimites and Docimaea; the quarry at first yielded only small pieces of the stone, but owing to the later efforts of the Romans large columns of one piece are taken out, which in variety come near the Alabastrites, so that, though the transport to the sea of such weights is troublesome, still both columns and slabs were brought to Rome of wondrous size and beauty. The word Docimaea (Δοκιμαίαν) in this passage of Strabo appears to be corrupt. It should be either Δοκιμαῖον or Δοκιμέα. Strabo says that the plain of Synnada is about 60 stadia long, and beyond it is Docimium. The Catholic Encyclopedia infers from this that he supposed Docimium to be not far from the limit of the plain. The Table makes it 32 M. P. between Synnada and Docimium, and Docimium is on the road from Synnada to Dorylaeum; but the number is certainly erroneous.
Docimium was the most important marble quarry and workshop for sarcophagi until around the late third century when the production of the famous columnar sarcophagi ended.[5]
Episcopal see
Many Christian inscriptions have been found at this site, dating to the time after Constantine.
Docimium was a suffragan of Synnada in Phrygia Salutaris. Six or seven bishops are known, from 344 to 879 (Lequien, Oriens Christianus, I, 853); another bishop is mentioned in an inscription. Docimium is included in the Catholic Church's list of titular sees.[6]
Docimaean Marble
Historically marble from Docimium was generally referred to as "Docimeaen marble" or "Synnadic marble".[7] Docimaean marble was highly admired and valued for its unique colors and fine grained quality by ancient people such as the Romans.[8] When the Romans took control over Docimaean quarries, they were impressed by the beautiful color combinations of Docimaean Pavonazzetto, which is a type of white marble with purple veins. These colours which streaked the white marble, taken from the city's holy mountain, were attributed to the drops of blood from the dying god Attis.[9] Emperors such as Augustus, Trajan and Hadrian made extensive use of Docimaean marble to many of their major building projects.[10][11] These include the Pantheon,[12][13] Trajan's Forum[14] and the Basilica Aemilia[15][16] (see the main article on Pavonazzo marble for a list of buildings including Docimaean marble).
From the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia
A titular see of Phrygia in Asia Minor. This city, as appears from its coins where the inhabitants are called Macedonians, must have been founded by Antigonos Dokimos. Its name is written Dokimeion, Dokimia Kome, Dokimaion, later Dokimion. It was famous for its marble-quarries, and is now identified with Istcha Kara Hissar, a village north-east of Afion Kara Hissar, in the vilayet of Brusa. On this site have been found many Christian inscriptions, later than Constantine. Docimium was a suffragan of Synnada in Phrygia Salutaris. Six or seven bishops are known, from 344 to 879 (Lequien, Or. Christ., I, 853); another bishop is mentioned in an inscription.
TEXIER, Description de l'Asie Mineure, I, 149; LEAKE, Asia Minor, 54; RAMSAY, Cities and Bishoprics of Phrygia, passim and 742; IDEM in Mélanges d'archéologie et d'histoire (Rome, 1882), II, 290; PERDRIZET in Bulletin de correspondance hellénique (1900), XXIV, 291.
References
- Back to citation Steph. B. s. v. Σύνναδα.
- Back to citation Talbert, Richard, ed. (2000). "Map 62". Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World. Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-0-691-03169-9, with accompanying Map-by-Map Directory.
- Back to citation Smith raises doubt whether the coins are genuine.
- Back to citation Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Kara-Hissar". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 15 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 674.
- Back to citation Niewöhner, Philipp (2017). The Archaeology of Byzantine Anatolia From the End of Late Antiquity Until the Coming of the Turks. Oxford University Press. p. 41. ISBN 9780190610463. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
- Back to citation Annuario Pontificio 2013 (Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2013 ISBN 978-88-209-9070-1), p. 882
- Back to citation Strabo. Geography. "Book 9, chapter 5, section 16"
- Back to citation Donato Attanasio (2003). Ancient White Marbles. p. 154. ISBN 9788882652470.
- Back to citation Robin Lane Fox, Pagans and Christians, p41
- Back to citation Donato Attanasio (2003). Ancient White Marbles. p. 157. ISBN 9788882652470.
- Back to citation Strabo. Geography. Book 12, 8, 14
- Back to citation Anthony Grafton (2010). Classical Tradition, Harvard University. p. 842. ISBN 9780674035720.
- Back to citation William Lloyd Macdonald (2002). The Pantheon, Harvard University. p. 86. ISBN 9780674010192.
- Back to citation Gaynor Aaltonen (2008). The History of Architecture. ISBN 9781782127970. chapter, ROME: CROSSING CONTINENTS; James E. Packer (2001). The Forum of Trajan in Rome. University of California Press. p. 120. ISBN 9780520226739; Ben Russell (2013). The Economics of Roman Stone Trade, Oxford University. OUP Oxford. p. 229. ISBN 9780199656394.
- Back to citation Max Schvoerer (1999). ASMOSIA 4, University of Bordeaux. Presses Univ de Bordeaux. p. 278. ISBN 9782867812446.
- Back to citation Gilbert J. Gorski (2015). The Roman Forum, Cambridge University. Cambridge University Press. p. 19. ISBN 9780521192446.