TIATIRA. – A city of Lydia, founded or rather embellished and enlarged by Seleucus I (v.), who settled Macedonian colonists there, where Akhisar now stands.
The locality housed a military garrison, given its strategic position with respect to Mysia and Lydia, but its fame was tied to its industry, particularly the textile industry, widespread throughout the region since the time of Homer (cf. Iliad, IV, 141 ff.). From this city came Lydia, the seller of purple dye (v.), who hosted the apostle Paul in Philippi after enthusiastically embracing the Christian religion (Acts 16:14).
As for the state of Christianity in T., which may have been evangelized by the Apostle’s co-workers during his stay in Ephesus (ibid., 19:8-10), information is provided by the Apocalypse (2:18-29), which, while noting the fervor and goodness of the early converts, alludes metaphorically to the spread of a perverse doctrine accompanied by serious moral laxity. Most likely, this refers to the doctrine of the Nicolaitans (v.), mentioned in the letter to the nearby Pergamum (ibid., 2:15).