View source for Aeolis

{{Short description|Area that comprised the west and northwestern region of Anatolia}}
{{For|the region of planet Mars|Aeolis quadrangle}}
{{Distinguish|Aeolus}}
{{Infobox
| bodyclass = geography
| abovestyle = background:#DEB887;
| subheader = Ancient region of Anatolia
| above = Aeolis ({{lang|grc|Αἰολίς}})
| image = [[File:Izmir016.jpg|300px|Aeolian city of Smyrna]]
| caption = Ruins of the [[Agora of Smyrna]]
| image2 = [[File:Turkey ancient region map Aeolis.jpg|300px|Aeolis]]
| caption2 = Map of western Anatolia with Aeolis shaded
| label1 = Location
| data1  = Western [[Anatolia]], [[Turkey]]
| label2 = State existed
| data2  =  8th-6th centuries BC (as [[Aeolian dodecapolis|Dodecapolis]])
| label3 = Language
| data3  =  [[Aeolic Greek]]
| label4 = Biggest city
| data4  = [[Smyrna]]<br />(modern-day [[İzmir]], [[Turkey]])
| label5 = [[Roman provinces|Roman province]]
| data5  =  [[Asia (Roman province)|Asia]]
}}

'''Aeolis''' ({{IPAc-en|'|iː|ə|l|ᵻ|s}}; {{langx|grc|Αἰολίς|Aiolís}}), or '''Aeolia''' ({{IPAc-en|iː|ˈ|oʊ|l|i|ə}}; {{langx|grc|Αἰολία|Aiolía|link=no}}), was an area that comprised the west and northwestern region of [[Asia Minor]] (modern-day [[Turkey]]), mostly along the coast, and also several offshore islands (particularly [[Lesbos]]), where the [[Aeolians|Aeolian]] [[Ancient Greece|Greek]] city-states were located. Aeolis incorporated the southern parts of [[Mysia]], and is bounded by it to the north, [[Ionia]] to the south, and [[Lydia]] to the east.

==Geography==
Aeolis was an ancient district on the western coast of [[Asia Minor]]. It extended along the [[Aegean Sea]] from the entrance of the [[Hellespont]] (now the [[Dardanelles]]) south to the [[Hermus River]] (now the Gediz River). It was named for the Aeolians, some of whom migrated there from [[Greece]] before 1000 BC. Aeolis was, however, an ethnological and linguistic enclave rather than a geographical unit. The district often was considered part of the larger northwest region of Mysia.

==History==
[[Image:Western Asia Minor Greek Colonization.svg|250px|right|thumb|Greek settlements in western Asia Minor, Aeolian area in dark red.]]
According to [[Homer|Homer's]] ''Odyssey'', [[Odysseus]], after his stay with the [[Cyclops|Cyclopes]], reached the floating island of [[Aeolia (mythical island)|Aeolia]], where [[Aeolus (son of Hippotes)|Aeolus]] son of Hippotas provided him with the west wind [[Zephyrus]].<ref>{{cite web | title=Homer, The Odyssey, Scroll 10, line 1 | website=Perseus Digital Library | url=http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0218:book=10:card=1 | quote=Thence we went on to the Aeolian island where lives Aeolus son of Hippotas, dear to the immortal gods. It is an island that floats (as it were) upon the sea, iron bound with a wall that girds it|access-date=2022-09-05}}</ref>

[[File:Aeolis Kyme Tetradrachm.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Aeolis, Kyme; Tetradrachm; Silver; circa 165-140 BC; Obverse: Head of the Amazon Kyme right, wearing taenia; Reverse: Horse walking right, skyphos (one handled cup) below, ΚΥΜΑΙΩΝ left, ΣΕΥΘΗΣ (magistrate) in exergue, all within laurel-wreath; 34.2mm, 16.409g; Reference: SNG Von Aulock 1640; Oakley obv. die 59; Sg4183 var]]

By the 8th century BC the Aeolians' twelve most important cities were independent. They formed a league of twelve cities (a [[Aeolian dodecapolis|Dodecapolis]]): [[Cyme (Aeolis)|Cyme]] (also called Phriconis), [[Larissa (Aeolis)|Larissa]], [[Neonteichos]], [[Temnos]], [[Cilla (city)|Cilla]], [[Notion (ancient city)|Notion]], [[Aegiroessa]], [[Pitane (Aeolis)|Pitane]], [[Aigai (Aeolian)|Aegae]], [[Myrina (Mysia)|Myrina]], [[Gryneion]], and [[Smyrna]].<ref>[[Herodotus]]. ''[[Histories (Herodotus)|The Histories]]:'' 1.149. Compare [[Ionian League]].</ref>

The most celebrated of the cities was [[Smyrna]] (modern [[Izmir, Turkey]]), but in 699 BC, Smyrna became part of an Ionian confederacy. {{citation needed|date=April 2017}} This league or [[confederation]], known as the ''[[Ionian League]]'', also called the ''Panionic League'', was formed at the end of the [[Mycale#The state of Melia|Meliac War]] in the mid-7th century BC.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Recent Finds in Archaeology: Panionion Sanctuary Discovered in Southwest Turkey|journal=Athena Review|volume=4|issue=2|pages=10–11|date=2005|url=http://www.athenapub.com/panionion.htm|access-date=2018-05-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120323210115/http://www.athenapub.com/panionion.htm|archive-date=2012-03-23|url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[Croesus]], king of [[Lydia]] (reigned 560-546 BC), conquered the remaining cities. Later they were held successively by the [[Persian people|Persians]], [[Ancient Macedonians|Macedonians]], [[Seleucids]], and Pergamenes.<ref>Each of the cities minted coins of its own, using different gods, animals and objects as identifying city badges.  See asiaminorcoins.com - [http://www.asiaminorcoins.com/gallery/index.php?cat=2 ancient coins of Aeolis]</ref>

[[Attalus III]], the last king of [[Pergamum]], bequeathed Aeolis to the [[Roman Republic]] in 133 BC. Shortly afterwards it became part of the Roman [[Asia (Roman province)|province of Asia]]. At the partition of the [[Roman Empire]] (395 AD), Aeolis was assigned to the East Roman (Byzantine) empire and remained largely under Byzantine rule until the early 15th century,{{citation needed|date=April 2017}} when the [[Ottoman Turks]] occupied the area.<ref>
Smyrna fell to the [[Seljuk Turks|Seljuk Turk]] [[Tzachas]] in 1076, to the Turkish [[Beylik of Aydın]] about 1330 and to the Turco-Mongol [[Timur]] in 1402 (after the [[Siege of Smyrna]]).
</ref>

==Notable people==
*[[Autolycus of Pitane]]
*[[Andriscus]]
*[[Elias Venezis]]

== See also ==
*[[Ancient regions of Anatolia]]
*[[Regions of ancient Greece]]

== Notes ==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

== References ==
*Pierluigi Bonanno, ''Aiolis. Storia e archeologia di una regione dell’Asia Minore alla fine del II millennio a.C.'', USA, 2006

==External links==
{{commonscat-inline}}

{{Historical regions of Anatolia}}
{{Ancient Greece topics}}
{{Ancient kingdoms in Anatolia}}

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[[Category:Aeolis| ]]
[[Category:States and territories established in the 8th century BC]]
[[Category:States and territories disestablished in the 6th century BC]]
[[Category:Ancient Greek geography]]
[[Category:Asia (Roman province)]]