jjares reviewed Ancient Smyrna: The History and Legacy of the Influential Greek City in Anatolia on + 3270 more book reviews
Hoping that the publishers read posted reviews, I submit the following hint. When telling the story of an ancient city (say, Ancient Smyrna), it would be very helpful to see a map of the likely/probable/possible site of the city(s) on the opening pages. Why? Because the reader is trying to place the information being read into some frame of reference. It took quite a bit of time to find (online) a likely/probable/possible site of the Old and New Smyrna cities.
Although Smyrna has had a 2000+ year history (and was even mentioned in the Bible -- the Book of Revelations), the city has not received much notice. Part of the reason is that Izmir (the current name of either ancient or newer Smyrna), has the second largest population in Turkey. Not much archaeological work has been done there because the current city sits upon the relics of the past and not many people are interested in archaeologists digging up their homes, businesses, and cemeteries.
Smyrna is so ancient that pre-Indo-European cultures of the Bronze Age migrated there and stayed for centuries. When the Bronze Age collapsed around 1200 BCE, the people of Smyrna formed closer ties to the Greeks (on the other side of the Aegean). Although ruled by the Lydians, Persians, and Romans, Smyrna was an important city closely allied with the Greeks.
It seems that the new Smyrna was constructed between 319 and 302 BCE. The Greeks established a library in honor of Homer (reputed to have come from Smyrna), and other buildings of learning. They also built a temple to their god, Nemesis. Smyrna's economy was based on farming, not trade, which surprised me.
In the New Testament of the Bible, Smyrna is listed as one of the "Seven Churches of the Book of Revelations." However, whatever archaeology has been done, it shows that Smyrna has a rich history centuries before the apostle Paul walked its streets. By the time the Book of Revelations had been written (estimated in the last quarter of the 1st-century CE), Smyrna was no longer persecuting Christians and had become one of the first of the 'Seven Churches of Asia.'
Although Smyrna has had a 2000+ year history (and was even mentioned in the Bible -- the Book of Revelations), the city has not received much notice. Part of the reason is that Izmir (the current name of either ancient or newer Smyrna), has the second largest population in Turkey. Not much archaeological work has been done there because the current city sits upon the relics of the past and not many people are interested in archaeologists digging up their homes, businesses, and cemeteries.
Smyrna is so ancient that pre-Indo-European cultures of the Bronze Age migrated there and stayed for centuries. When the Bronze Age collapsed around 1200 BCE, the people of Smyrna formed closer ties to the Greeks (on the other side of the Aegean). Although ruled by the Lydians, Persians, and Romans, Smyrna was an important city closely allied with the Greeks.
It seems that the new Smyrna was constructed between 319 and 302 BCE. The Greeks established a library in honor of Homer (reputed to have come from Smyrna), and other buildings of learning. They also built a temple to their god, Nemesis. Smyrna's economy was based on farming, not trade, which surprised me.
In the New Testament of the Bible, Smyrna is listed as one of the "Seven Churches of the Book of Revelations." However, whatever archaeology has been done, it shows that Smyrna has a rich history centuries before the apostle Paul walked its streets. By the time the Book of Revelations had been written (estimated in the last quarter of the 1st-century CE), Smyrna was no longer persecuting Christians and had become one of the first of the 'Seven Churches of Asia.'
