Demographics of the Roman Empire Chart 6-2 Major Cities of Asia Minor Explanation The most prosperous of Rome’s provinces was Asia, encompassing what is now the western half of modern-day Turkey. Populated by Greeks and the original people of the eastern Aegean region, Asia boasted rich and powerful cities like Pergamum and Smyrna. Most important was Ephesus, the fourth largest city of the empire. Jewish synagogues and many ethnic groups were found amidst these diverse cosmopolitan urban centers. In all these cities there were soon to be found significant Christian populations. The important role of Antioch is made clear in Acts, but Ephesus and the cities of Asia Minor possessed the largest numbers of Christian inhabitants. Indeed, after the first decades of Christianity and for centuries to follow, Asia Minor was the most important Christian area. References David Magie, Roman Rule in Asia Minor to the End of the Third Century after Christ (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1950). James S. Jeffers, The Greco-Roman World of the New Testament (Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1999), 259–91. Nicomedia Pergamum Thyatira Sardis Smyrna Philadelphia Antioch-Caesarea Ephesus Laodicea Miletus Tarsus Charting the New Testament, © 2002 Welch, Hall, FARMS Major Cities of Asia Minor in order of importance CITY, EPHESUS, PERGAMUM, SMYRNA, PROVINCE ASIA ASIA ASIA LOCATION Coast, where River Valley of the Caicus At the mouth of the Cayster enters the River, 15 miles inland Hermus River, on a Aegean Sea from the Aegean Sea large sheltered harbor of the Aegean STATUS Provincial capital of First capital of the Second most impor- Asia Roman province of tant commercial city Asia, by the first of Asia century relegated to co-capital of Asia behind Ephesus POPULATION 400,000 (4th largest 100,000 200,000–250,000 of Roman Empire) ETHNICITY Primarily Greek, also Greek and Phrygian Greek Lydian, some Jews, some Romans FOUNDATION c. 1000 B.C. by Ionian c. 700 B.C. c. 900 B.C. by Aeolian Greeks Greeks GOVERNMENT Residence of Roman Roman quaestorian Town council (boule) proconsul of Asia; deputy of proconsul and council of elders local town council of Asia; town council (gerousia) (boule) administration (prytanis and boule) ECONOMIC Primary commercial One of three great Greatest port of Asia and trade center of intellectual centers and most important Asia Minor of the Roman empire trade center with the world’s second largest library and most prestigious medical school CHRISTIAN Asia’s primary Christian Mentioned as one of One of the seven PRESENCE center. Residence of seven churches of churches of Asia, large Paul for three years, Asia, Christian com- Christian community, residence of Apostle munity since time of perhaps founded by John for several Paul, but it remained John; Apostolic father decades. Traditional small due to the Polycarp was bishop residence of Mary, heavy local influence of Smyrna (Rev 2) Mother of Jesus, at the of cults of Zeus and end of her life. Large Asclepius (Rev 2) Christian population, first of the seven churches of Asia in Revelation (Acts 15, 18–19; Rev 2) Charting the New Testament, © 2002 Welch, Hall, FARMS Chart - ₍₎ Major Cities of Asia Minor TARSUS, PRE-A.D. 60 SYRIA, CITY, MILETUS, NICOMEDIA, POST-A.D. 60 PROVINCE ASIA BITHYNIA-PONTUS CILICIAN CAPITAL LOCATION On the coast where West coast of the 12 miles north of the the Meander River Propontis (Sea of Mediterranean and 25 joins the Latmian Gulf Marmara), 50 miles miles southeast of the of the Aegean Sea east of Byzantium famed Cilician gates STATUS For centuries the most Capital of small Capital of Cilicia prosperous city of Asia, Hellenistic kingdom chief city of the Ionian of Bithynia in late 3rd League, destroyed and early 2nd century by Persia in 494 B.C.; B.C.; provincial capital though rebuilt, it never of the Roman province attained its former of Bithynia-Pontus greatness POPULATION 150,000 50,000–75,000 100,000–150,000 ETHNICITY Greek Greek Cilician, Greek, Syrian, large Jewish center FOUNDATION c. 2400 B.C.by 264 B.C. by c. 2400 B.C. Minoans, conquered Nicomedes I by Mycenaean Greeks c. 1400 GOVERNMENT Town council Roman proconsular Roman proconsular administration governor, town governor resident but (prytanis and boule) council is self-governing under local elected officials ECONOMIC Endowed with four Trade and agriculture Major center of higher fine harbors, Miletus education, agriculture, was one of the great and trade; the great trade centers of the Asia Minor road from Mediterranean the west and eastern caravan routes termi- nated at port CHRISTIAN Paul visits and meets A large Christian pop- Paul’s native city and PRESENCE with elders of Asia ulation is attested by site of his early mis- there to bid farewell A.D. 115 in the corre- sionary efforts (Acts 19) spondence of Pliny (Acts 9) to Trajan requesting information about how to try persons accused of being Christian Charting the New Testament, © 2002 Welch, Hall, FARMS Chart - ₍₎ Major Cities of Asia Minor CITY, SARDIS, ANTIOCH-CAESAREA, LAODICEA, PROVINCE ASIA PISIDIA ASIA LOCATION On the River Hermus In central Anatolia on On the upper reaches in the great plain of the major road from of the Lycus River, 90 Sardis, 50 miles east Phrygia to Galatia miles east of Ephesus of Ephesus and Smyrna STATUS One-time capital of Roman citizen colony Important regional the Lydian Empire center POPULATION 50,000 40,000 50,000 ETHNICITY Overwhelmingly Greek, some Italian, Greek Lydian, some Greek, large Jewish center large Jewish center FOUNDATION c. 1200 B.C. c. 400 B.C. c. 250 B.C. by Seleucid ruler Antiochus II GOVERNMENT Town council Roman propraetorian Town council governor, town aediles administration and decuria (prytanis and boule) ECONOMIC Wealthy and prosper- Agriculture Important wool pro- ous center of fertile duction and banking agricultural region center and productive gold mining area CHRISTIAN One of the seven Paul visits on first, One of the seven PRESENCE churches of Asia second, and possibly churches of Asia, (Rev 3) third missionary jour- recipient of Paul’s neys through Asia non-extant Epistle Minor to the Laodiceans (Acts 13) (Rev 3) Charting the New Testament, © 2002 Welch, Hall, FARMS Chart - ₍₎.