Chalcedon

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For the Ecumenical Council of 451, see Council of Chalcedon; For the religious/political organization, see Chalcedon Foundation.

Chalcedon (Χαλκηδών, sometimes transliterated as Chalkedon) was an ancient maritime town of Bithynia, in Asia Minor, almost directly opposite Byzantium, south of Scutari (modern Üsküdar). Today, in modern Turkish, Chalcedon is called Kadıköy, a district of Istanbul, Turkey.

It was a Megarian colony founded on a site that was viewed at the time as so obviously inferior to that which was within view on the opposite shore, that it received from the oracle the name of "the City of the Blind".

In its early history it shared the fortunes of Byzantium, was taken by the satrap Otanes, vacillated long between the Lacedaemonian and the Athenian interests, and was at last bequeathed to the Roman Republic by Attalus III of Pergamum (133 BC).

It was partly destroyed by Mithradates, but recovered during the Empire, and in 361 AD it was the location of the Chalcedon tribunal, where Julian the apostate brought his enemies to trial. In 451 AD was the location of the Council of Chalcedon.

It fell under the repeated attacks of the barbarian hordes who crossed over after having ravaged Byzantium, and furnished an encampment to the Persians under Chosroes, c. 616–626. The Turks used it as a quarry for building materials for Constantinople.

To the south are the ruins of Panteichion (mod. Pendik), where Belisarius is said to have lived in retirement.

The name of the mineral chalcedony is derived from that of this town.

It is a titular see of the Roman Catholic Church.

Notable people

• Boethus (2nd century BC) Greek sculptor

See also

• List of traditional Greek place names

References

Chalcedon is also spelled as 'Calchedon' (in Xenophon's Hellenica and Arrian's Anabasis).

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Last updated on Sunday February 24, 2008 at 12:29:30 PST (GMT -0800)
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