CILICIA, an ancient division of Asia Minor, bounded W. by Pamphylia, N. by the range of Mount Taurus, which separates it from Pisidia, Lycania, and Cappadocia, E. by Mount Amanus, which separates it from Syria, S. by the Mediterranean. The western portion of Cilicia, from its broken and hilly character, was called Trachæa or rough, while the eastern portion, which consists for the most part of continuous plains, was called Campestris or level. The former division was famed for its breed of horses, and for the noble cedars which grew in great abundance on its mountain slopes; the latter was well watered and highly cultivated, producing largely the various kinds of cereals, besides dates and other fruits.reckoning from Coracessium to Rhossus, Cilicia has a sea-board of about 420 miles. The direct distance, however, between these two places is only about half that measurement.
Cilicia was the fourth satrapy in the arrangement of Darius, and its annual tribute consisted of 500 talents of silver and 360 of its famous horses.
In Cilicia Trachæa the only river of any importance is the Calycadnus (Gök-Su), which rises in Taurus, and flowing from W. to E., falls into the sea near Cape Zephyrium. Three rivers of considerable magnitude drain the levels of Cilicia Campestris, the Cydnus, the Sarus, and the Pyramus. The waters of the first of these have long been noted for their coldness, which in ancient times nearly proved fatal to Alexander the Great, and more recently caused the death of Frederick Barbarossa. The Sarus (the modern Sihun), rising in Cappadocia, falls into the sea after a very irregular course of about 200 miles chiefly in a S.W. direction. The Pyramus, or Jyhoon, the largest of the Cilician rivers, consists of two main streams, which rising in Cataonia, unite at Marash and flow into the sea in a direction almost parallel with the course of the Sarus. Between the mouths of these rivers is the famous Aleian plain, renowned in Grecian mythology as the scene of Bellerophon's wanderings. The mouth of the Pyramus became in course of time so silted up that the river shifted the lower part of its course, and now falls into the sea by an outlet 22 miles E. of the ancient mouth. The most important towns of Cilicia Trachæa were Coracessium, now Alaya, a strong natural fortress; Selinus, afterwards called Trajanopolis, from the name of Emperor Trajan, who died there; and Seleucia, of which the ruins only now remain. In Cilicia Campestris the most noteworthy cities were Tarsi or Tarsus, now Tersoos, the birthplace of the Apostle Paul, and a famous school of philosophy; Issus, where Alexander defeated Darius, B.C. 333; and Soli, afterwards called Pompeiopolis from Pompey the Great, the birthplace of Chrysippus the Stoic philosopher and the poets Philemon and Aratus.
According to the old Greek myths, the Cilicians (who were originally called Hypachæi) took their name from Cilix, the son of the Phœnician Agenor. They were originally governed by native kings, who successfully resisted the attempts of Croesus and others to subdue them, and remained independent till the rise of the Persian empire. Even after their incorporation with that power they continued to be governed by their own princes. When Xerxes was organizing a fleet for the invasion of Greece, Cilicia contributed 100 galleys, which were placed under
Cilicium the command of Syennesis, whose bravery is eulogized by Eschylus (Pers. 320).
Cimarosa. If tradition may be believed, the Greeks began at a very remote period to settle in Cilicia. Historical evidence of their presence in the country, however, is wanting till the days of Alexander the Great. The natives gradually retired before them, and took refuge in the mountainous regions of the Trachææ, where they maintained themselves till the time of Cicero. After the downfall of Persia, Cilicia passed into the family of the Seleucidae, by whom it was retained till Pompey reduced the Campestre to a Roman province. The mountaineers were not finally subdued till B.C. 52, in which year the proconsul Cicero took their stronghold Pindenessus—an exploit for which he was rewarded with a triumph on his return to Rome. After this the Trachææ continued to be governed by native princes till the reign of Vespasian, when it was reduced to a Roman province. The character of the Cilicians never stood very high among the ancients. By the Greeks and Romans, the Cilicians, Carians, and Cappadocians were classed together as the three bad Ks.