NYSA
NYSA or
NYSSA (
Νύσα or
Νύσσα), is said to have been the name of the place in which the god Dionysus was born, whence it was transferred to a great many towns in all parts of the world which were distinguished for the cultivation of the vine. In Asia.
1.
A town in Caria, on the southern slope of mount Messogis, on the north of the Maeander, and about midway between Tralles and Antioch.
The mountain torrent Eudon, a tributary of the Maeander, flowed through the middle of the town by a deep ravine spanned by a bridge, connecting the two parts of the town. (
Strab. xiv. p.650; Hom.
hymn. 4.17;
Plin. Nat. 5.29;
Ptol. 5.2.18; Hierocl. p. 659; Steph. Byz. s. v.) Tradition assigned the foundation of the place to three brothers, Athymbrus, Athymbradus, and Hydrelus, who emigrated from Sparta, and founded three towns on the north of the Maeander; but in the course of time Nysa absorbed them all; the Nysaeans, however, recognise more especially Athymbrus as their founder. (
Steph. B. sub voce Ἄθυμβρα; Strab.
l.c.) The town derived its name of Nysa from Nysa, one of the wives of Antiochus, the son of Seleucus (
Steph. B. sub voce Ἀντιόχεια), having previously been called Athymbra (
Steph. B. sub voce Ἄθυμβρα) and Pythopolis (
Steph. B. sub voce Πυθόπολις).
Nysa appears to have been distinguished for its cultivation of literature, for Strabo mentions several eminent philosophers and rhetoricians; and the geographer himself, when a youth, attended the lectures of Aristodemus, a disciple of Panaetius; another Aristodemus of Nysa, a cousin of the former, had been the instructor of Pompey. (Strab.
l.c.; Cic. Fam. 13.6. 4) Hierocles classes Nysa among the sees of Asia, and its bishops are mentioned in the Councils of Ephesus and Constantinople.
The coins of Nysa are very numerous, and exhibit a series of Roman emperors from Augustus to Galllienus.
The site of Nysa has been recognised by Chandler and other travellers at
Sultan-hissar, above the plain of the Maeander, on a spot much resembling that described by Strabo; who also mentions a theatre, a forum, a gymnasium for youths, and another for men. Remains of a theatre, with many rows of seats almost entire, as well as of an amphitheatre, gymnasium, &c., were seen by Chandler. (Leake,
Asia Minor, p. 248; Fellows,
Discover. pp. 22, foil.; Hamilton,
Researches, i. p. 534.)
The country round Nysa is described as bearing evidence of the existence of subterraneous fires, either by exhalations and vapours, or by its hot mineral springs.
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COIN OF NYSA IN CARIA. |
2.
A place in the district of Milyas in Pisidia, situated on the river Xanthus, on the south of Podalaea. (
Ptol. 5.3.7; Hierocl. p. 684, where the name is misspelt
Μίσαι.)
3.
A town in Cappadocia, in the district called Muriane, not far from the river Halys, on the road from Ancyra to Caesareia. (
Ptol. 5.7.8;
It. Ant. pp. 505, 506; Hierocl. p. 699; Nicephor. 11.44.) Its site is now occupied by a village bearing the name of
Nirse or
Nissa (Hamilton,
Researches, ii. p. 265.) [
L.S]