Bolu

History

Bolu was part of one of the Hittite kingdoms around 2000 BC and later 500 BC became one of the leading cities of the Greek Kingdom of Bithynia (279 BC - 79 BC). Bebryces, Mariandynes, Koukones, Thyns and Paphlagons are native people of the area in antique era. Strabo (XII, 4, 7) mentions a Hellenistic town, Bithynium (), celebrated for its pastures and cheese, which according to Pausanias (VIII, 9) was founded by Arcadians from Mantinea. In the Ancient Roman era, as is shown by its coins, the town was commonly called Claudiopolis (Greek: Κλαυδιούπολις) after Emperor Claudius. It was the birthplace of Antinous, the posthumously deified lover of the Roman Emperor Hadrian, who was very generous to the city, and his name was later added to that of Claudius on the coins of the city. Emperor Theodosius II (408-50) made it the capital of a new province, formed out of Bithynia and Paphlagonia, and called by him Honorias in honour of his younger son and successor Honorius. The town was also known as Hadriana during the late Roman period. During the Byzantine period, the city continued to be referred to as Claudiopolis. After the Battle of Manzikert in 1071, in which the Byzantine Empire suffered a defeat against the Seljuks, Turkomans migrating west occupied the city. It was recaptured by the Byzantines in 1097, and became a frontier town during the Komnenian period. Torwards the end of 1179, the Turks laid siege to Claudiopolis, attempting to starve its inhabitants, but emperor Manuel I Komnenos rapidly moved to the area, causing the Turks to abandon the siege and flee. According to Niketas Choniates: Manuel, unwilling to wait for news of disaster, rose up the next day and set out for Claudiopolis as fast as possible via Nikomedia. He took with him none of the royal…