city state · Anatolia and the Levant
Aspendos
Origins
Aspendos rose on a hill by the Eurymedon river, a few kilometres from the sea, in the 7th century BCE. Its people claimed descent from settlers from Argos, but its coins were inscribed in the local Pamphylian Greek dialect with the name Estwediiys.
Rule and society
The city prospered from horse breeding, farming and salt and river trade, and minted silver coins. Around 466 BCE the Athenian general Cimon defeated a Persian fleet and army near the Eurymedon. In 333 BCE Aspendos submitted to Alexander, who demanded tribute and horses after it reneged on terms.
Decline and legacy
Aspendos passed under Seleucid and Pergamene influence, then Roman rule, joining the province of Galatia in 25 BCE. Its theatre, built in the 2nd century CE, is one of the best preserved from antiquity.
On the connections map
Open the full map →Connections (3)
- Aspendos was part of Delian League465 BCE – 410 BCE
- Aspendos was a vassal of Achaemenid Empire410 BCE – 334 BCE
- Aspendos was conquered by Roman Empire25 BCE
More states of Anatolia and the Levant →
Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Aspendos. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/aspendos
- MLA
- “Aspendos.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/aspendos. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Aspendos.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/aspendos.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Aspendos’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/aspendos (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻