Trajanopolis

Trajanopolis

Titular metropolitan see of Rhodope. The city owes its foundation or restoration to Trajan. Le Quien (Oriens Christ., I, 1193-96) mentions a great many of its bishops: Theodulus, persecuted by the Arians in the fourth century; Syncletius, the friend of St. John Chrysostom; Peter, present at the Council of Ephesus in 431; Basilius at that of Chalcedon in 451; Abundantius in 521; Eleusius in 553; Cudumenes about 1270; Germanus in 1352. In 1564 Gabriel is called Metropolitan of Trajanopolis, that is of Maronia, which proves that Trajanopolis was then destroyed and that the title of metropolitan had passed to the neighbouring city of Maronia. About 640 Trajanopolis had two suffragan sees (Gelzer, "Ungedruckte. . .Texte der Notitiae episcopatuum", 542); at the beginning of the tenth century, seven (Gelzer, op. cit., 558). St. Glyceria, a martyr of the second century, venerated on 13 May, was born there. The town is mentioned by Villchardouin (ed. Wailly, 382, 568); it was captured and pillaged in 1206 by Joannitza, King of the Bulgarians (George Acropolita, "Hist.", XIII). It is still mentioned in Nicephoras (Ancedota of Boissonade, V, 279), in John Cantacuzenus (Hist., I, 38; II, 13; III, 67), in George Pachymeres (ad ann. 1276, V, 6), etc. The site of Trajanopolis was discovered by Viquesnel and Dumont on the right bank near the mouth of the Maritza, not far from Ouroundjik.

VIQUESNEL, Voyage dans le Turquie d'Europe: description phys. et geolog. de la Thrace, II, 297; DUMONT, Arch. des missions scientif., III (Paris, 1876), 174; MULLER, Ptolemaei geographia, I, 487; SMITH, Dict. of Greek and Roman Geog., s.v.

S. VAILHÉ

Trajanopolis

Trajanopolis

A titular see of Phrygia Pacatiana, suffragan of Laodicea. The only geographer who speaks of Trajanopolis is Ptolemy (v, 2, 14, 15), who wrongly places this city in Greater Mysia. It was founded about 109 by the Grimenothyritae, who obtained permission from Hadrian to give the place the name of his predecessor. It had its own coins. Hierocles (Synecedemus, 668, 150) calls it Tranopolis, and this abridged form is found, with one exception, in the "Notitae episcopatuum", which speak of the see up to the thirteenth century among the suffragans of Laodicea. Le Quien (Oriens Christianus, I, 803) names seven bishops of Trajanopolis: John, present at the Council of Constantinople under the Patriarch Gennadius, 459; John, at the Council of Constantinople under Menas, 536; Asignius, at the Council of Constantinople, 553; Tiberius, at the Council in Trullo, 692; Philip, at Nice, 787; Eustathius, at Constantinople, 879. Another, doubtless more ancient than the preceding, Demetrius, is known from one inscription (C. I. G., 9265). Trajanopolis has been variously identified; the latest identification is Radet ("En Phrygie", Paris, 1895), who locates it at Tcharik Keui, about three miles from Ghiaour Euren towards the south-east, on the road from Oushak to Sousouz Keui, vilayet of Brusa, a village abounding in sculptures, marbles, and fountains, and where the name of the city may be read on the inscriptions. However, Ramsay (Asia Minor, 149; Cities and Bishopries of Phrygia, 595) continues to identify Trajanopolis with Ghiasour Euren.

S. PÉTRIDÈS