Caria (c.1050-133 BC)
The region of Caria extended from mid-Ionia (Mycale) south to Lydia and east to Phrygia. It was virtually unoccupied during prehistoric times. The classical authors, Herodotus (c.484-c.425 BC), Thucydides (c.458-c.398 BC), Strabo (c.64-00-c.24) and others, say that the Carians originally lived in the Aegean islands but were displaced by the Minoans to the Asiatic coast. Apparently the Carians themselves in historic times claimed that they had always lived in Caria.
In the eleventh century BC Ionian Greeks colonized western Caria, and several Carian settlements, Miletus among them, becoming major Ionian cities. Southern Caria was, in turn, occupied by Dorian Greeks, who formed a hexapolis of six cities including Cnidus and Halicarnassus (=Bodrum) on the mainland, with three on the island of Rhodes, together with Cos. The Greeks gradually colonized the whole of the coastal region, which was hence sometimes called Doris, but the Carians retained their distinction in the interior of the country.
In 545 BC the Carians passed with little resistance into the Persian Empire, but afterwards joined in the Ionian revolt (499-493 BC), and fought hard against the Persian generals before it again submitted. From this time until its conquest by Alexander, it continued to be subject to Persia, but under rulers of its own, the Hecatomnid Dynasty (391-326 BC).
Hecatomnus (r.c.391-c.377 BC) was appointed by the Persian king Artaxerxes II (c.76; r.404-358 BC) to take part in the war against Evagoras-I of Salamis in Cyprus (c.61; r.411-374 BC). When the time came, Hecatomnus took no part in the war, but secretly supplied Evagoras with money to raise mercenary troops. The disorganised state of Persian monarchy at the time explains why no action was taken against this treachery and Hecatomnus was able to hold possession of Caria in virtual independence until his death. He left three sons, Mausolus, Idrieus and Pixodarus; and two daughters, Artemisia and Ada, who married their brothers Mausolus and Idrieus.
Mausolus (r.c.377-c.353 BC) took part in the revolt against Artaxerxes II, conquered a great part of Lycia, Ionia and several Greek islands, and cooperated with the Rhodians in the Social War (357-355 BC) against Athens. He moved his capital from Mylasa – the ancient seat of the Carian kings – to Halicarnassus. He is best known for the monumental shrine, the Mausoleum of Mausolus, erected for him by order of Artemisia (r.353-351 BC).
Shortly after his succession Idrieus (r.351-344 BC) complied with a request by Persian king Artaxerxes III (c.87; r.358-338 BC) to supply arms and troops for the capture of Cyprus. On the death of her husband, Ada (r.344-340, 334-326 BC) became satrap of Caria, but was expelled by Pixodarus (r.340-335 BC). Pixodarus died and was replaced by the Persian satrap Orontobates (r.335-334 BC).
When Alexander entered Caria in 344 BC, Ada surrendered the fortress of Alinda to him. Alexander committed the government of Caria to her and she, in return, adopted Alexander as her son, ensuring that the rule of Caria went to him at her death. Caria passed to the empires of Antigonus-I (313 BC), Lysimachus (301 BC), Ptolemy-I (309 BC), the Seleucids (195 BC), and the Romans (190 BC), who gave it Rhodes. In 133 BC Caria was made part of the Roman province of Asia.
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