CORACESIUM (Alaya), in Ancient Geography, a natural fortress of great strength in Cilicia Trachita, on the confines of Pamphylia, overhanging the sea. Its position has often been compared with that of Gibraltar, and in ancient times the town had a reputation for impregnability analogous to that enjoyed by the modern stronghold. It successfully resisted all the attempts of Alexander the Great to take it, and maintained itself to the last against all
Coracle the efforts of the Seleucidae. In later times it became the headquarters of the notorious pirates of Cilicia, who were here utterly routed by Cn. Pompey. (See CILICIA.)