Map of the Roman Empire - Thyatira
Thayatira
N-6 on the Map
Ancient Thayatira - A city in the north of Lydia, on the river Lycus. The Bible mentions Thyatira and also that the Church at Thyatira is one of the seven Churches of the Book of Revelation.
Acts 16:14 -
And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of
Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard [us]: whose heart the Lord opened,
that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.
Revelation 1:11
- Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest,
write in a book, and send [it] unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto
Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira,
and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.
Revelation 2:18
- And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things
saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet
[are] like fine brass;
Revelation 2:24
- But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as
have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they
speak; I will put upon you none other burden.
Thyatira, prius Pelopia, Euhippa, a town of Lydia, on Lycus fl., n. of Magnesia ad Sipylum. A Macedonian colony. Akhissar. - Classical Gazetteer
Thyateira (also Thyatira) is the name of the modern Turkish city of Akhisar ("white castle"). The name comes from Koine Greek "Θυάτειρα" (Thuateira). The Turkish equivalent of Thyateira is Tepe Mezarligi. It lies in the far west of Turkey, south of Istanbul and almost due east of Athens. It is about 50 miles (80 km) from the Mediterranean.
Thyateira History. The city was known as "Pelopia" (Greek language: Πελοπία) but it was named Thyateira (Θυάτειρα) by king Seleucus I Nicator in 290 BC because being at war with Lysimachus and hearing that he had a daughter born, called this city "thuateira", from Greek "θυγατήρ", "θυγατέρα" (thugater, thugatera), meaning "daughter"[2][3]. In classical times, Thyatira stood on the border between Lydia and Mysia. It was famous for its dyeing and was a center of the indigo trade.[4] Among the ancient ruins of the city, inscriptions have been found relating to the guild of dyers in the city. Indeed, more guilds are known in Thyatira than any other contemporary city in the Roman province of Asia (inscriptions mention the following: wool-workers, linen-workers, makers of outer garments, dyers, leather-workers, tanners, potters, bakers, slave-dealers and bronze-smiths). In early Christian times Thyateira was home to a significant Christian Church, mentioned as one of the seven Churches of the Book of Revelation in the Book of Revelation. The Apostle Paul and Silas might have visited Thyateira during Paul's second or third journey, although the evidence is entirely circumstantial. They visited several small unnamed towns in the general vicinity during the second journey. While in Philippi, Paul and Silas stayed with a woman named Lydia from Thyateira, who continued to help them even after they were jailed and released. - Wikipedia
Thayatira
THYATEIRA (τὰ Θυάτειρα: Eth. Θυατειρηνός), a considerable city in the north of
Lydia, on the river Lycus, and on the road leading from Sardes in the south to
Germa in the north. It was anciently called Pelopeia, Euhippa, and Semiramis. (Plin.
Nat. 5.31; Steph. B. sub voce Θυάτειρα.) Strabo (xiii. p.625) calls it a
Macedonian colony, which probably means only that during the Macedonian period
it was increased and embellished, for Stephanus B., admitting that it previously
existed under other names, relates that Seleucus Nicator gave it the name of
Thygateira or Thyateira on being informed that a daughter (Θυγάτηρ) was born to
him. But whatever we may think of this etymology, it seems clear that the place
was not originally a Macedonian colony, but had existed long before under other
names, and at one period belonged to Mysia. After the time of Antiochus Nicator,
however, it became an important place, and is often noticed in history. When the
two Scipios arrived in Asia on their expedition against Antiochus the Great, the
latter was encamped near Thyateira, but retreated to Magnesia. (Liv. 37.8, 21,
37.) After the defeat of the Syrian king, the town surrendered to the Romans. (Liv.
37.44; Plb. 16.1, 32.25; comp. Appian, App. Syr. 30; Strab. xiii. p.646; Plut.
Sull. 15; Ptol. 5.2.16; It. Ant. p. 336.) In Christian times Thyateira appears
as one of the seven Churches in the Apocalypse (2.18); in the Acts of the
Apostles (16.14) mention is made of one Lydia, a purple-seller of Thyateira, and
at a still later period we hear of several bishops whose see it was. In the
middle ages the Turks changed the name of the town into Akhissar, which it still
bears. (Mich. Duc. p. 114.) Sir C. Fellows (Asia Min. p. 22), who calls the
modern place Aksa, states that it teems with relics of an ancient splendid city,
although he could not discover a trace of the site of any ruin or early
building. These relics consist chiefly of fragments of pillars, many of which
have been changed into well-tops or troughs. (Comp. Arundell, Seven Churches, p.
188, fell.; Wheeler and Spon, vol. i. p. 253; Lucas, Troisième Voy. p. 192, &c.;
Prokesch, Denkwürdigkeiten, iii. p. 60, foil.)
- Dictionary of Greek and Roman
Geography (1854) William Smith, LLD, Ed.