Bridge at Oinoanda
Encyclopedia
The Bridge at Oinoanda or Bridge of Kemerarası, is an Ottoman
arch bridge
over the river Xanthos
close to the Lycia
n town Oinoanda, Turkey
. It stands on or near the spot of a Roman bridge
, whose existence became known in the 1990s through the find of an ancient
bridge inscription.
inscription stone was found at the antique site at Kemerarası, which lies at the foot of the Oinoanda hill (Urluca). Since ancient times, the place has been an important junction of the upper Xanthos
valley. The existing Ottoman bridge runs parallel to the modern highway bridge. Lying face upwards, and largely intact, the limestone
block measures 130 cm high, 64 cm wide and ca. 42 cm thick. At the right side of the front face, a medium-sized chip makes textual additions necessary. Further difficulties arise from a number of peculiar spelling mistakes, which leads to the assumption that the mason
was probably a Greek
speaker.
in Lycia, Eprius Marcellus
, who is known to have held the office in the year 54 AD. By comparing its contents with the known chronology, Milner dates the construction more precisely to 50 AD, making a connection with road building activities which started in the wake of the Roman
annexation of Lycia seven years earlier under the supervision of Marcellus’ predecessor Quintus Vernanius. Probably, the Roman bridge should be understood as part of the Roman efforts to consolidate their hold onto the newly acquired province
by improving the road system to move troops around more swiftly.
(Corrected and amended) translation:
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
arch bridge
Arch bridge
An arch bridge is a bridge with abutments at each end shaped as a curved arch. Arch bridges work by transferring the weight of the bridge and its loads partially into a horizontal thrust restrained by the abutments at either side...
over the river Xanthos
Xanthos
Xanthos was the name of a city in ancient Lycia, the site of present day Kınık, Antalya Province, Turkey, and of the river on which the city is situated...
close to the Lycia
Lycia
Lycia Lycian: Trm̃mis; ) was a region in Anatolia in what are now the provinces of Antalya and Muğla on the southern coast of Turkey. It was a federation of ancient cities in the region and later a province of the Roman Empire...
n town Oinoanda, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. It stands on or near the spot of a Roman bridge
Roman bridge
Roman bridges, built by ancient Romans, were the first large and lasting bridges built. Roman bridges were built with stone and had the arch as its basic structure....
, whose existence became known in the 1990s through the find of an ancient
Classical antiquity
Classical antiquity is a broad term for a long period of cultural history centered on the Mediterranean Sea, comprising the interlocking civilizations of ancient Greece and ancient Rome, collectively known as the Greco-Roman world...
bridge inscription.
Inscription stone
The LatinLatin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
inscription stone was found at the antique site at Kemerarası, which lies at the foot of the Oinoanda hill (Urluca). Since ancient times, the place has been an important junction of the upper Xanthos
Xanthos
Xanthos was the name of a city in ancient Lycia, the site of present day Kınık, Antalya Province, Turkey, and of the river on which the city is situated...
valley. The existing Ottoman bridge runs parallel to the modern highway bridge. Lying face upwards, and largely intact, the limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
block measures 130 cm high, 64 cm wide and ca. 42 cm thick. At the right side of the front face, a medium-sized chip makes textual additions necessary. Further difficulties arise from a number of peculiar spelling mistakes, which leads to the assumption that the mason
Stonemasonry
The craft of stonemasonry has existed since the dawn of civilization - creating buildings, structures, and sculpture using stone from the earth. These materials have been used to construct many of the long-lasting, ancient monuments, artifacts, cathedrals, and cities in a wide variety of cultures...
was probably a Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
speaker.
Dating
The inscription, and thus also the construction of the bridge, are dated to the reign of the Roman governorRoman governor
A Roman governor was an official either elected or appointed to be the chief administrator of Roman law throughout one or more of the many provinces constituting the Roman Empire...
in Lycia, Eprius Marcellus
Titus Clodius Eprius Marcellus
Titus Clodius Eprius Marcellus was a prominent Roman senator, twice Consul, best known for his prosecution of the Stoic senator Thrasea Paetus and his bitter quarrel with Helvidius Priscus...
, who is known to have held the office in the year 54 AD. By comparing its contents with the known chronology, Milner dates the construction more precisely to 50 AD, making a connection with road building activities which started in the wake of the Roman
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
annexation of Lycia seven years earlier under the supervision of Marcellus’ predecessor Quintus Vernanius. Probably, the Roman bridge should be understood as part of the Roman efforts to consolidate their hold onto the newly acquired province
Roman province
In Ancient Rome, a province was the basic, and, until the Tetrarchy , largest territorial and administrative unit of the empire's territorial possessions outside of Italy...
by improving the road system to move troops around more swiftly.
Inscription text
Transcription (with additions):- TI CLAVDIVS DRVSI F
- CAESAR DEVS AVG GER
- MANICVS PONTIFE[x]
- MAX TR[I]BVNICIAE P[ot]
- X COS V IMP X II DES[ig]
- P P PONTEM PER T [CL?]
- EPRIVM MARCELLVM
- [l]EG AVG PROPR SO A
(Corrected and amended) translation:
- Ti(berius) Claudius son of Drusus Caesar, God, Augustus, Germanicus, chief pontiff, with tribunician power for the 10th time, consul for the 5th time, with imperatorial acclamation for the '12th' (18th) time, co(n)s(ul) des[ig(nate)], Father of the Fatherland, (built) the bridge by the agency of T(itus) [Cl(odius)?] Eprius Marcellus, praetorian [l]egate of the Aug(ustus), so(dalis) A(ugustalis).
See also
- List of Roman bridges
- Bridge near KemerBridge near KemerThe Kemer Bridge was a Roman segmental arch bridge near the ancient city of Xanthos in Lycia, in modern-day southwestern Turkey. Its remains are located on the upper reaches of the Xanthos river , 4 km upstream from the village Kemer, at a site where the gravel river bed reaches a width of...
- Roman architectureRoman architectureAncient Roman architecture adopted certain aspects of Ancient Greek architecture, creating a new architectural style. The Romans were indebted to their Etruscan neighbors and forefathers who supplied them with a wealth of knowledge essential for future architectural solutions, such as hydraulics...
- Roman engineeringRoman engineeringRomans are famous for their advanced engineering accomplishments, although some of their own inventions were improvements on older ideas, concepts and inventions. Technology for bringing running water into cities was developed in the east, but transformed by the Romans into a technology...