CILICIA. – A vast region in the southeastern corner of Asia Minor. The long chain of the Taurus, with the high peak of Bulgar Dağ (3500 m), separates it to the north from Isauria, Lycaonia, and Cappadocia; Mount Amanus (1700 m) separates it to the east from Commagene and Syria; the Mediterranean Sea bounds it to the south and separates it to the west from Pamphylia.
Its boundaries fluctuated over the course of its history, but they were always clearly defined to the north by the Antitaurus
Geologically, it was divided into two districts: flat C. (C. Campestris), which extended between the Taurus range and the sea eastward as far as Mount Amanus and westward as far as the city of Soli (notorious for the grammatical errors of its language, whence “solecisms”); and mountainous C. (C. Aspera), which extended westward from Soli to Pamphylia. Poor in watercourses, only the Calycadnus (= Gôla Su), where Frederick Barbarossa met his death, formed the most important basin, crossing the region from northwest to southeast, which was rich in varied and luxuriant vegetation. The name C. appears in Egyptian documents in the form Hlk and in Assyrian documents as Eliakku.
C. was subject to the Assyrians, the Hittites, and the Persians, who made it the fifth satrapy (Herodotus, I, 74; III, 90). According to the same writer (I, 74), the kings of the Cilician states were called Svennenes (it is not known whether this was a proper or a common name).
The region was renowned for horse breeding, and Solomon imported many horses from Coa (eastern C.) and from Musur (I Reg. 10, 28). The Greeks had colonies on the coast, but Hellenization, which began after the conquest of Alexander the Great, intensified under his successors, whose struggles caused the country to depend now on one side and now on another, but chiefly on the Seleucids of Syria. In 103 B.C. it became a Roman sphere of influence, and Marcus Antonius was assigned the task of suppressing piracy. The generals Metellus, Sulla, and Servilius Vatia, who was granted the epithet Isauricus, succeeded, down to Pompey, in driving the pirates from their refuges. Cicero was one of the first administrators of the new province, with the title of proconsul, in 50–51. Augustus united it with the province of Syria.
Numerous Jewish colonies settled in C. in the time of Antiochus (Josephus, Antiq. Iud., XII, 3, 4). Cilician mercenaries are mentioned in the bodyguard of Alexander Jannaeus (ibid., XIII, 13, 5; Bell. Iud., I, 4, 3); Jews from C. took part in Stephen’s dispute in Jerusalem (Act. 6, 9). During Roman rule, the most notable event was the birth in Tarsus, the principal city (Act. 21, 39), of St. Paul, who practiced the occupation common in that region, namely that of “tentmaker”; from the coarse and thick hair of goats, fabrics known precisely as cilicia were made. The Apostle preached the Gospel there after his first journey to Jerusalem (Gal. 1, 21). The churches of C. consisted not only of Jews but also of Gentile Christians, to whom the decree of the Council of Jerusalem was sent (Act. 15, 23). After separating from Barnabas, Paul, together with Silas, passed through the “Syrian Gates” and went to C. to strengthen the Churches there (Act. 15, 21), and then, by ascending the Taurus to the “Cilician Gates,” proceeded to Lycaonia (Act. 15, 41). He again passed along the sea of C. on his journey from Caesarea to Rome (Act. 27, 5).
The bishops of Adana, Alexandria-parva, Castabala, Aegeae, Epiphany, Flavia, Mopsuestia (toward the end of the 4th century the well-known Theodore [v.] was bishop of this city), Neronia, and Tarsus attended the Council of Nicaea—that is, 9 bishops and one chorepiscopus—thus demonstrating the flourishing state of the Church in C. in the Constantinian period. The two ecclesiastical provinces of C. were centered respectively at Anazarbus and Tarsus (its bishop Diadorus [v.] was famous), and belonged to the patriarchate of Antioch. The Arab conquests of the second half of the 7th century divided C., gradually destroying the Christian communities there, already so greatly troubled by doctrinal dissensions (Melkites and Jacobites).
The most venerated martyrs of C. are: at Anazarbus, the holy Tarachus, Probus, and Andronicus, venerated on 11 October (BHG, nos. 1574-75). A Passio of not very great authority assigns to the same city the martyr Marinus (BHG, no. 1171).
At Aegeae, a legend called Arab (BHG, nos. 378-379) mentions a basilica in honor of the holy Cosmas and Damian.
St. John Chrysostom names as a martyr of C. St. Julian (BHG, no. 967), whom the Hieronymian Martyrology records on 14 February: in Cilicio Aegeas natale Iuliani.
At Aegeae pilgrims went to venerate the tomb of St. Thalleleus (BHG, nos. 1707-1708), a martyr also venerated in Jerusalem and Bithynia. The holy Zenobius and Zenobia were also venerated there (BHG, nos. 1884-85). But the best-known martyrs of Aegeae are Claudius, Asterius, Neon, and Domnina (in some documents also Theonilla), whom the Hieronymian Martyrology records on the 23rd and following days, and the synaxaries on 30 October. Aussennin, bishop of Mopsuestia, erected a basilica outside the walls in honor of the martyrs Tarachus, Probus, and Andronicus, placing there for veneration their relics, obtained from Anazarbus. Mopsuestia boasted of possessing the relics of St. Nicetas the Goth.
At Tarsus, the most venerated martyrs were Tarachus, Probus, and Andronicus (BHG, no. 1574), whom the Hieronymian Martyrology indicates on three dates, the traditional one being 11 October. In the same city, the Greek synaxaries also enumerate the martyrs Quiricus and Julitta.
Remains of Christian basilicas were found at Corycos, Sebaste, Anazarbus, Flaviopolis, Hierapolis, and Castabala.