Laodiceans

Laodicea was the largest of three cities in a wide valley between mountains in the region of Phrygia. The city stood where the Lycus Valley met the Meander River. The people who lived in Laodicea were called Laodiceans. The western gate of the city was called the Ephesian Gate. From there, travelers could head west toward Ephesus. The eastern gate was called the Syrian Gate. From there, a major road went east to Antioch. Other roads from Antioch led to the Euphrates Valley, Damascus, and the far eastern deserts, reaching as far as the Gobi region.

Laodicea was not built on a strong natural hill or mountain. The small hill where the city stood had some defenses, but it was not very safe. The city’s biggest weakness was its water supply. Water came through an aqueduct (a human-made water channel) from springs about 9.7 kilometers (6 miles) away, near Hierapolis. Parts of this aqueduct still exist today. The water pipes are now partly blocked by thick white calcium deposits. Because the water source was so easy to attack, the city could not survive a long siege. Even though the aqueduct was buried underground, it was not a well-kept secret.