Nicomedia
In 712 BC, a group of settlers from Megara established a colony on the coast of northwestern Asia Minor. They named their new settlement Astacus, which means lobster in Greek. The name reflected the abundant seafood found in the nearby waters. Lysimachus destroyed the city decades later during his wars of succession. Nicomedes I of Bithynia rebuilt the ruins in 264 BC. He renamed the place Nicomedia to honor himself and his father. This reconstruction marked the beginning of the city's long history as a major urban center.
Diocletian selected Nicomedia as the eastern capital of the Roman Empire in 286 AD. He introduced the Tetrarchy system that divided imperial rule among four rulers. The city became the most senior capital within this new structure. Constantine the Great defeated Licinius at the Battle of Chrysopolis in 324 AD. This victory ended the Tetrarchy and made Constantine the sole emperor. He resided in Nicomedia for six years before choosing Byzantium as his new capital. Constantine died in a royal villa near Nicomedia in 337 AD.
On the 23rd of February 303 AD, Diocletian ordered the destruction of the newly built church at Nicomedia. Pagans celebrating the festival of Terminalia watched as scriptures were burned and precious stones seized. The next day he issued his First Edict Against the Christians across the empire. A fire destroyed part of Diocletian's palace just days later. Another fire followed sixteen days after that event. Galerius blamed Christians for both blazes despite no official charges being filed. He executed two palace eunuchs who allegedly conspired with believers to start the fires. Six more executions occurred through the end of April 303.
Pliny the Younger wrote about Nicomedia's aqueducts in letters sent to Trajan in 110 AD. He complained that citizens wasted 3,318,000 sesterces on an unfinished water system plagued by engineering failures. Two or three aqueducts supplied the city during Roman times. One of these structures dated back to Hellenistic periods before Roman rule. The city featured a theatre, a forum, and colonnaded streets typical of major urban centers. Diocletian constructed an enormous palace and new shipyards when making it his capital. An armory and mint also operated within the fortified walls under imperial direction.
A major earthquake struck Nicomedia on the 24th of August 358 causing extensive devastation. A fire completed the destruction shortly after the seismic event. The city was rebuilt on a smaller scale than before. Emperor Justinian I added new public buildings during the sixth century. Plague broke out in Constantinople forcing Constantine V to establish his court at Nicomedia between 746 and 747. Most of the seaward city had been abandoned by the eighth century according to Persian geographer Ibn Khurdadhbih. Settlements moved to the hilltop citadel where ruins still exist today. The Ottomans finally captured the city in 1337 after multiple sieges.
Hannibal Barca came to Nicomedia during his final years as a military commander. He committed suicide nearby in Libyssa which is now called Diliskelesi. Arrian, a Greek historian and philosopher, was born in this ancient city. Saint George died there in 303 AD as a Christian martyr. Barbara of Nicomedia suffered persecution in the third century for her faith. Pantaleon of Nicomedia met his end in 305 following similar religious trials. Adrian of Nicomedia became a martyr in 306 while Anthimus served as bishop until his death around 303 or 311-12. Michael Psellos lived from 1017 or 1078 until approximately 1096 as a writer and politician.
The ruins of Nicomedia lie buried beneath the densely populated modern city of İzmit. Urbanization in the twentieth century obstructed comprehensive archaeological work before recent decades. Sections of Roman defensive walls remained visible before extensive construction began. Multiple aqueducts once supplied water to the ancient settlement but now stand partially hidden. The 1999 İzmit earthquake seriously damaged most of the city and led to major discoveries during debris clearing. Archaeologists uncovered statues of Hercules, Athena, Diocletian, and Constantine among the rubble. In April 2016 excavations of Diocletian's Palace began under Kocaeli Museum supervision. The site covers an estimated 60,000 square meters today.
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Common questions
When was Nicomedia founded by settlers from Megara?
Settlers from Megara established the colony in 712 BC. They originally named the settlement Astacus before it was renamed.
Why did Diocletian choose Nicomedia as an eastern capital of the Roman Empire?
Diocletian selected Nicomedia as the eastern capital of the Roman Empire in 286 AD to serve as the most senior capital within his Tetrarchy system. The city became a major administrative center with an enormous palace and new shipyards constructed under imperial direction.
What happened during the Great Persecution at Nicomedia on the 23rd of February 303 AD?
Diocletian ordered the destruction of the newly built church at Nicomedia on the 23rd of February 303 AD while pagans celebrated the festival of Terminalia. He issued his First Edict Against the Christians across the empire the next day after scriptures were burned and precious stones seized.
Who died in Nicomedia during the early fourth century Christian persecutions?
Saint George died in Nicomedia in 303 AD as a Christian martyr during the persecution. Other martyrs such as Pantaleon of Nicomedia met their end in 305 following similar religious trials.
Where are the ruins of ancient Nicomedia located today?
The ruins of Nicomedia lie buried beneath the densely populated modern city of İzmit. Urbanization in the twentieth century obstructed comprehensive archaeological work before recent decades uncovered statues among the rubble.