Pisidian

Pisidian is an adjective relating to Pisidia, an ancient region in southern Anatolia. The term also designates the Pisidians, the indigenous population of the area during the Classical, Hellenistic, and Roman periods. The Pisidians produced a distinctive local culture shaped by both their own traditions and neighboring Greek and Near Eastern influences.

Geography and history

Pisidia lay inland in the central-southern part of Asia Minor, roughly north of Pamphylia and east of Lycia, with the Taurus Mountains forming part of its northern boundary. It contained several notable urban centers, including Termessos, Sagalassos, Selge, Cremna, and Antiochia in Pisidia. Throughout antiquity the region experienced Persian, Hellenistic, and Roman rule, developing a landscape of fortified towns, temples, and polis-like communities. During the Roman era, Pisidia remained a culturally diverse region where Greek language and customs coexisted with local traditions.

Language

The Pisidian language is an extinct Indo-European language of the Anatolian branch, known from a small corpus of inscriptions found in Pisidia. It is generally considered part of the Anatolian group, though its precise classification within that family remains debated. The inscriptions date roughly from the late 1st century BCE to the 3rd century CE, after which Greek and Latin became increasingly dominant in the region.

Modern usage

Today, Pisidia roughly corresponds to inland areas of present-day Turkey’s Mediterranean interior. In scholarship, the term Pisidian is used to describe people, sites, and material remains associated with the ancient region, including its language and archaeological monuments.