Virtuous people

The wealth and fame of Laodicea on the Lycus had their origins in the last days of the Roman Republic. Founded by the Seleucid king Antiochus II in the middle years of the third century bc, it was only after the Mithradatic wars that the city rose to her celebrated state of prosperity. In this respect, the town's development followed a similar course to that of her near neighbour Aphrodisias: in both cases, the conspicuous loyalty of the local propertied class in the face of the mass uprisings of 89–85 bc was rewarded with large incentivising benefits from the Roman senate.

As to the origins of the city's wealth, Strabo was in no doubt. ‘Laodicea, although formerly small, was augmented in our time and in that of our fathers; and it was through the richness of her territory and the good fortune of certain of her citizens that she rose to greatness.’ Strabo often emphasises the influence of particular families and their wealth on the historical development of the cities of Asia. ‘And if there is a city in all of Asia well-populated by men of wealth, then that city is Tralles; and citizens of Tralles are always among the first men in the province, known as asiarchs.’ Implicit in Strabo's comments is the belief that the advance of the local propertied class was not a consequence, but rather a precondition of the augmentation of a city as a whole, and this idea, unpleasant though it is, deserves to be taken seriously.