10. Arkeometri Sonuçları Toplantısı - Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı

It was Callisthenes, as the chief military historian, who left a considerableamount of infomıation which helps us to identify along which riverthe battle was fought.The most valuable information, related to the length of the battlefieldis given by Polybius, based on a statemeııt of Callisthenes "the distancefrom the sea to me foothills of tlıe Amanus range at the point where theriver crosses the coastal plain is not more than 14 stades"!' (2.6 km)(P.12.17.4). Callisthenes' measıırement suggests that the Payas river wasthe ancient Pinarııs, although the present length of the river plain hasreached about 4.1 km due to progradation of its delta since 333 BC (Figs.2,5). When we compare the distarıce given by Callisthenes witlı thepresent length of the rivers of the plain of Issus, it becomes evident matthe Payas river is the most probable candidate for Pinarus. The presentdistances of the rivers from north to south are: Deliçay; 8.5 km , Ozerliçay: 6.5 km, Kuru çay: 4 km and the Payas çay 4 km (Fig. 2). Althoughthe length of the present plain of Kuru çay is the same as the presentplain of Payas, two additional descriptions, one given by Callisthenes,. the other given by Arrian, compel us to disıniss Kuru çay. Callisthenesirıdicates that the Pinarus river was flowing obliqııely to the coast duringthe battle. In figııres 2 and 3, it can be seen that the first 2.6 km of thePayas river from the foothills of the Amanus run obliquely to the coast ina SE-NW direction. Kuru çay does not show sııch a pecııliarity (Fig.2).Arrian states "He (Darius) also stationed aboııt 20.000 men on the ridgeon his left over against Alexander's right: some of these actually got tothe rear of Alexander's force, since the moııntain ridge where they wereposted was deeply indented in one paıt and foımed something like a bayas in the sea: Then bending outwards, again it broııght those posted onthe foothills to the rear of Alexander's right wirıg" (A. 2.8.7). Indeed, thefoothills of me Amanus Moııntains, which are mainly seen in the foım ofsteep colluvial fans, spread out in a sickle shape towards the sea on mesoutherrı bank of the Payas river (Figs. 2,3,5). The situation is the reversein me case of Kuru çay: The hills of the Amanus chain bend towards thewest on the northern bank of the river (Fig. 2). On the grounds of meabove-mentioned explanation we may dismiss the identification of Kuruçay as Pinarus.(11) We must trust Callisthenes' information bccausc. as wc know, Alexander paid professionalGreek survcyors. the Bematisıs, lo measure distances İn tlie land accurately by paciııg. Cal­Iisthenes gives an approximatc mcasurement of the Pinarus plain, omitting windings of theriver bed. becausc the dangerous conditions on the battlcficld precluded a detailed survey.159