Gargara

Gargara

A titular see in the province of Asia, suffragan of Ephesus. The city appears to have been situated on Mt. Gargaron, the highest peak (1690 feet) of Mt. Ida, celebrated in Grecian mythology and the Homeric epic. It was at first inhabited by a colony from Assos, who were followed by people from Miletopolis. The grammarian Diotimes conducted a school here which was poorly attended by the uncultured inhabitants of Gargara. Three of the ancient bishops of Gargara were John, 518; Theodore, 553; and Ephrem, 878. Mt. Gargara is now known as Dikeli-Dagh, forming part of Kaz-Dagh, the ancient Ida. It has been thought that the city itself was discovered in the ruins of Akrili in the caza of Aivadjik and the sanjak of Bigha. Gargara must not be confused with the Jacobite bishopric of Gargar or Birta of Gargar, today Gerger, situated in the mountains west of the Euphrates and south of Malatia.

SMITH, Dict. of Greek and Roman Geogr. (London, 1878), I, 976-77; LEQUIEN, Oriens Christ. (1740), I, 703-04; II, 1891-92; GAMS, Series Epis. Eccl. Cath., 444.

S. VAILHE