LAODICEA (Greek Λαoδικ∈ια) is the name of at least eight cities, founded or renovated in the later Hellenic period. Most of them were founded by the Seleucid kings of Syria. Seleucus, founder of the dynasty, is said by Appian to have named five cities after his mother Laodice. Many other women of the family bore the same name, which also passed by marriage into the family of the Pontic kings. The victories of Alexander introduced Greek civilization over Asia; the organizing and city-building energy of his successors established and consolidated it. They either founded new cities in favourable situations or reorganized native cities after the Greek model: thus over the immense realm of the Seleucidae from the Aegean Sea to the borders of India we find numberless cities called Seleucia, Laodicea, &c. So long as Greek civilization held its ground, these were the great commercial and social centres of the country. We find a Laodicea ad Lyσum in the Maeander valley, on the borders of Phrygia, Caria, and Lydia; another surnamed Combusta on the borders of Phrygia, Lycaonia, and Pisidia; a third in Pontus; a fourth, αd mare, on the coast of Syria; a fifth, ad Libanum, beside the Lebanon mountains; and three others in the far east—Media, Persia, and the lower Tigris valley. In the latter countries Greek civilization was overwhelmed in Orientalism after a century or two, and the last three cities disappeared; the other five continued great throughout the Greek and Roman period, and the second, third, and fourth retain to the present day the ancient name under the pronunciation Ladik, Ladikiyeh, or Latakia (see Latakia)....

There were several cities of this name, but the Scripture speaks only of that in Phrygia, upon the river Lycus, near Colosse. Its ancient name was Diospolis: it was afterward called Rhoas. Lastly, Antiochus, the son of Stratonice, rebuilt it, and called it Laodicea, from the name of his wife Laodice. It became the mother church of sixteen bishoprics. Its three theatres, and the immense circus, which was capable of containing upward of thirty thousand spectators, the spacious remains of which (with other ruins buried under ruins) are yet to be seen, give proof of the greatness of its ancient wealth and population; and indicate too strongly that in that city where Christians were rebuked, without exception, for their lukewarmness, there were multitudes who were lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God. The amphitheatre was built after the Apocalypse was written, and the warning of the Spirit had been given to the church of the Laodiceans to be zealous and repent. There are no sights of grandeur, nor scenes of temptation around it now. Its own tragedy may be briefly told. It was lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot; and therefore it was loathsome in the sight of God. And it has been blotted from the world. It is now as desolate as its inhabitants were destitute of the fear and love of God. It is, as described in his Travels by Dr. Smith, utterly desolated, and without any inhabitant except wolves, and jackals, and foxes.” It can boast of no human inhabitants, except occasionally when wandering Turcomans pitch their tents in its spacious amphitheatre. The finest sculptured fragments are to be seen at a considerable depth, in excavations which have been made among the ruins. And Colonel Lake observes, There are few ancient cities more likely than Laodicea to preserve many ...