Lycaonia
Summary
A province in central Asia Minor where Paul and Barnabas preached during their first missionary journey, containing the cities of Lystra, Derbe, and Iconium.
☩Geography and Character
Lycaonia was a vast elevated plain in central Asia Minor, often called 'The Treeless' due to its barren landscape. It was bounded on the north by Galatia, on the east by Cappadocia, on the south by Cilicia Tracheia, and on the west by Pisidia and Phrygia. The region consisted of an undulating plain surrounded by mountains, with soil strongly impregnated with salt that rendered few brooks drinkable. Despite the scarcity of water, the country was remarkably suited for sheep pasture, and King Amyntas of Galatia maintained over three hundred flocks there. The inhabitants were a hardy race, not subject to the Persians, who lived primarily by plundering and raiding.
☩Paul's Ministry
Paul and Barnabas fled to Lycaonia when persecution arose in Iconium (Acts 14:6). At Lystra, Paul healed a man who had been crippled from birth, which caused the native Lycaonians to cry out in their local speech that 'the gods are come down to us in the likeness of men' (Acts 14:11). They called Barnabas Jupiter and Paul Mercury because he was the chief speaker. This reaction reflects the local legend, recorded by Ovid, of Zeus and Hermes visiting this very region in human form. Paul's address on this occasion was admirably adapted to his simple and imperfectly civilized audience, directing them from idolatry to the living God who gives rain and fruitful seasons (Acts 14:15-17).
☩The Lycaonian Language
The distinctive 'speech of Lycaonia' mentioned in Acts 14:11 indicates that the inhabitants spoke something different from ordinary Greek. Some scholars believe this was an ancient Assyrian-related language also spoken by the Cappadocians, while others conceive it to have been a corrupt Greek intermixed with many Syriac words. The fact that Lycaonians were familiar with Greek mythology, naming Paul and Barnabas after Greek gods, is consistent with either theory. The existence of this native language demonstrates that the educated Greek spoken in the colonial cities had not displaced the vernacular of the common people.
☩Political Status
Lycaonia's boundaries varied at different periods. In Paul's time, it was divided into two parts: western Lycaonia, which was a subdivision of the Roman province of Galatia, and eastern Lycaonia called Lycaonia Antiochiana. The region's political affiliation shifted frequently—at various times belonging to Galatia, Cappadocia, and the province of Cilicia. After the death of King Amyntas in 25 BC, his kingdom including most of Lycaonia was converted into the Roman province of Galatia. Paul's missionary work was confined to that portion within the province of Galatia.
References
- 1.James Hastings (ed.), "Lycaonia," in Dictionary of the Apostolic Church, vol. I (T. & T. Clark, 1915–1918).
- 2.John McClintock and James Strong, "Lycaonia," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. V (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 3.James Orr (ed.), "Lycaonia," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. III (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).