LAODICEA (Λαοδίκεια). - A city of Phrygia on the left bank of the Lycus (hence the distinguishing addition ἐπὶ or πρὸς τῷ Λύκῳ), a tributary of the Meander. Antiochus II Theos built it on the site of the ancient Diospolis or Rhoas; he called it L. after the name of his own wife Laodice. A very active commerce conferred on it in a short time such importance and prosperity as to overshadow the neighboring Colossae (v.). Already in the time of Hyrcanus (135-106 B.C.) a Jewish community had established itself at L. (Flavius

Josephus, Antiq. Iud., XIV, 10, 20). St. Paul did not personally evangelize L. Christianity must have been brought there by Epaphras (Col. 4, 12 ff. 16) during the Apostle's stay at Ephesus (v.). On the supposed letter to the Laodiceans (cf. Col. 4, 16), v. EFESINI, EPISTOLA agli; LAODICESI, EPISTOLA ai.

The Christian community of L. was the object of a very harsh reproach on the part of St. John (Apoc. 3, 14-20), who seems to allude to the Phrygian powder v. used by the oculists of L. as a remedy for the eyes, as well as to the opulence of the city which, struck by an earthquake in 60 A.D., was able to recover by its own resources, refusing foreign aid (Tacitus, Ann., XIV, 27).

The Church of L. never had great splendor. It was represented at the Council of Nicaea by the bishop Nounechios. A council was held at L. around 344-63. Of the city there remain only a few very confused ruins in the locality called Eski-Hissar, near Denizli.

Bibliography6 works

BIBL.: W. M. Ramsay, The cities and bishoprics of Phrygia, I, Oxford 1895, pp. 1-83, 342 ff.; II, ibid. 1895, pp. 512 f., 542 ff., 785 ff.; id., s. v. in Dict. of the Bible, III, p. 44 f.; E. Le Camus, Voyage aux sept Eglises de l'Apocalypsie, Paris 1896, pp. 196-203; E. Beurlier, Laodicée, in DB, IV, coll. 82-86; Ruge, Laodicheia, in Pauly-Wissowa, XII, col. 722 ff.

Teodorico da Castel San Pietro

@incollection{ec7_laodicea_laodikeia, author = {Teodorico da Castel S. Pietro}, title = {Laodicea (ΛΑΟΔΊΚΕΙΑ)}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {VII}, pages = {901}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1951}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/laodicea-laodikeia} }

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Laodicea (Λαοδίκεια)

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