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 Habesos
or Habesa
in the ancient tongue of
Lycia Antiphellos was the name of Kas and one of the oldest
settlements in the region of Lycia. The rock-cut tombs to the north-east of the
town date to the 4th century B.C. the acropolis of the ancient city, lies a rock
tomb formed like a Doric structure with Doric triglyphs on the facade. Inside
the tomb is to be found a frieze of dancing female figures. The acropolis was
surrounded by a fortified wall, of which traces are to be seen on the facade
facing the island of Meis (Hellenic island Kastellorizon). In the Hellenic Period,
when the Pergamum King Attalos II turned over his territory to the Romans in 133
B.C., Rome gained control over Anatolia. In addition to the immense territory
around the Mediterranean that they governed, the Romans had also established
rich city states in regions such as Egypt, the Palestine, Syria and Anatolia.
Together with the Roman state concept came social, economic and political
conditions, which all gained large dimensions for art. As for the fact that
Eastern Mediterranean cities becoming Roman states, they blended in with
previously existing local sculptural and architectural traditions for balanced
richness. Amongst the large statues that decorated the monumental buildings were
figures of gods, loved, powerful leaders and the aristocracy.
 The
Roman Empire was made up of free cities. For this reason, as many
Anatolian cities informed Rome of their loyalty and friendship, the Roman
Emperors would pay visits to these cities. It was for this reason that
Roman Emperors were perhaps better known in Anatolia than back in Rome.
During this period, large buildings were being built in Anatolian cities,
not on hills as they used to be, but in places supported with rows of
arches. In the Roman period, many of the theaters were also built in the
same fashion. The two-storied walls forming the theater stage were a
characteristic of Roman architecture. In the Hellenic Period, the
orchestra pit was shaped like a horseshoe, whereas it was transformed
into
a
semi-circle in the Roman period.
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