Localizing and Reconstructing the Gymnasion of Patara An Interdisciplinary Approach

Abstract

Although a universal feature of the Greek polis and, despite ample epigraphic evidence, the gymnasia of the Hellenistic and Roman East, especially in Lycia, are understudied. In this paper we present our initial findings relating to the gymnasion of Patara. Through an interdisciplinary approach we can identify the site of the gymnasion and reconstruct how it was integrated into the city center in terms of urban planning. By analysing the relationship of the gymnasion to other buildings in the vicinity, we can even trace developments in the building history of the gymnasion. This paper presents numerous archaeological findings from the city center of Patara. It also presents three hitherto unpublished inscriptions, one of which was set up in honor of the Patarean benefactor Ti. Claudius Flavianus Eudemos.