Some aspects of the urbanistic development in Limyra in the Hellenistic and Early Roman periods

Abstract

As several cities in Asia Minor the late Classical settlement of Limyra in eastern Lycia was enlarged in the early Hellenistic period. As archaeological excavations and geophysical surveys have demonstrated, the layout of the new areas followed a uniform orientation, roughly NW‑SE, most probably after an orthogonal street grid. This orientation was generally binding in the urban planning of Limyra for a long time period, as most of the major buildings from the Roman Imperial period prove. In spite of that, the city plan shows that some important streets and buildings do not follow this pattern but reveal an irregular scheme instead—obviously as the result of a later modification. This article raises the question about possible reasons for this significant alteration of the urban framework.