Korykos or Corycus was an ancient city in Cilicia, located at the mouth of the valley called Şeytan deresi; the site is now occupied by the town of Kızkalesi.
In antiquity, Corycus was an important harbor and commercial town. It was the port of Seleucia, where, in 191 BCE, the fleet of Antiochus the Great was defeated by the Romans. In the Roman times it preserved its ancient laws; the emperors usually kept a fleet there to watch over the pirates. Corycus was also a mint in antiquity and some of its coins survive.
Corycus was controlled by the Byzantine Empire. Justinian I restored the public baths and a hospital. The admiral Eustathios Kymineianos re-fortified the island on the orders of Alexios I Komnenos at the beginning of the 12th century, adding a supplementary castle on a small island. This castle was later called "maidens castle", because it was told that a king held his daughter here in captivity until she was killed by a venomous snake.
Until the mid-14th century the Armenians held both the mainland and island castles, which guarded this strategic port for the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia.
In antiquity, Corycus was an important harbor and commercial town. It was the port of Seleucia, where, in 191 BCE, the fleet of Antiochus the Great was defeated by the Romans. In the Roman times it preserved its ancient laws; the emperors usually kept a fleet there to watch over the pirates. Corycus was also a mint in antiquity and some of its coins survive.
Corycus was controlled by the Byzantine Empire. Justinian I restored the public baths and a hospital. The admiral Eustathios Kymineianos re-fortified the island on the orders of Alexios I Komnenos at the beginning of the 12th century, adding a supplementary castle on a small island. This castle was later called "maidens castle", because it was told that a king held his daughter here in captivity until she was killed by a venomous snake.
Until the mid-14th century the Armenians held both the mainland and island castles, which guarded this strategic port for the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia.
Modern location: Kizkalesi, Turkey
(1)
Korykos
Obverse: turreted head of Tyche right; ΣA
Reverse: Hermes standing half left, wearing, petasos, holding phiale kerykeion KΩPYKIΩTΩN EΠI // ΔI
Diameter:
21.5 mm
Die Orientation: -
Weight: 5.7 g
Die Orientation: -
Weight: 5.7 g
No notes for this coin
SNGvA 5679; SNG Cop 118 var. (control letters); BMC Lycaonia p. 66, 1 - 8 var. (same)