Elaea

Elaea

A titular see of Asia Minor. Elaea, said to have been founded by Menestheus, was situated at a distance of twelve stadia from the mouth of the Caicus, one hundred and twenty stadia from Pergamus. It appears in history about 450 B.C., at the time of the Athenian naval league. It belonged to Alexander, then to the kings of Pergamus, and was the port of the latter. In 190 B.C. it was besieged by Antiochus of Syria, in 156 by Prusias, who ravaged all the country. It was partly destroyed in A.D. 90 by an earthquake. In its Roman period it struck coins. As a suffragan of Ephesus Elaea is mentioned by most "Notitiae episcopatuum" as late as the twelfth or the thirteenth century. We know only three of its bishops: Isaias in 451, Olbianus in 787, Theodulus in the twelfth century (Lequien, Or. Christ., I, 699). In the tenth century St. Paul the Younger, a monk of Mount Latros, was born there (Analecta Bollandiana, XI, 1-74, 136-182). The city must have been destroyed either by the Mongols or by the Turks. The ruins stand about three kilometres south of Kilisee Keui in the vilayet of Smyrna. The Greek Church also gives the title of Elaea to auxiliary bishops.

S. PÉTRIDÈS