It is called Rhodia by
Ptolemy (V, 3) and
Stephanus Byzantius; Rhodiapolis on its coins and inscriptions; Rhodiopolis by
Pliny the Elder, who locates it in the mountains to the north of
Corydalla. The city was considered to have been founded by colonists from
Rhodes; the name Rhodiapolis means
Rhodian City in English. Rhodiapolis was a relatively small city in the
Lycian League with only one vote, but did have the right to mint coins. Hellenistic finds in excavations belonging to monuments and particularly inscriptions and coins are definitive but comparatively few suggesting that the settlement at that time was small compared with the later Roman settlement. Due to the compact city area, most older buildings were overbuilt by later Roman ones and the theatre’s
cavea is the sole remaining monument that dates to the late Hellenistic period. In the
Roman period the city became famous for being the home of the rich philanthropist
Opramoas. A monument was constructed in his memory close to the city's theatre. On the monument's walls is the longest inscription in Lycia, commemorating his benefactions and the numerous honors bestowed on him. According to these, Opramoas donated approximately 500,000
denarii to 28 cities in Lycia to repair the damage caused by an earthquake between 140 and 143 AD. He also funded the construction of two temples at Rhodiapolis.
Heraclitus was another famous resident, known for his oratory and knowledge of medicine. According to inscriptions the city was a centre for the cult of
Athena Polias during the
Hellenistic and Roman period.
Ecclesiastical history Rhodiapolis was in the late
Roman province of
Lycia and so its
episcopal see was a
suffragan of
Myra, the
metropolitan see of that province. Only one bishop of Rhodiapolis is known, Nicholas, present in 518 at a
Council of Constantinople. The
Notitiae episcopatuum continue to mention the see as late as the 12th or 13th century. ==Excavation history==