Bible Dictionary
Side
Side was an ancient city and port of Pamphylia on the southern coast of Asia Minor. It is mentioned in 1 Maccabees among the cities addressed by the Roman consul.
Definition
Side was an ancient city and port of Pamphylia on the southern coast of Asia Minor. It occupied a triangular promontory and was one of the cities addressed by the Roman consul in favor of friendly relations with the Jews.
Biblical Usage
Side is mentioned in 1 Maccabees in the list of cities and countries to which Lucius the Roman consul sent a letter concerning friendship with the Jews.
Historical Background
Side lay east of the Eurymedon and was for a time the metropolis of Pamphylia. Its ruins include harbors, walls, theaters, streets, sarcophagi, and an aqueduct; the harbors are now filled with sand.
Scripture References
1Macc 15:23
Historical Bible Dictionaries
Smith's Bible Dictionary
a city on the coast of Pamphylia, 10 or 12 miles to the east of the river Eurymedon. It is mentioned in 1 Macc. 15:23, and was a colony of Cumaeans.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>si'-de (Side): An ancient town of Pamphylia, occupying a triangular promontory on the coast. It was one of the towns to which a letter favorable to the Jews was sent by the Roman consul Lucius (1 Macc 15:23). The town seems to have been of considerable antiquity, for it had existed long before it fell into the possession of Alexander the Great, and for a time it was the metropolis of Pamphylia. Off the coast the fleet of Antiochus was defeated by the Rhodians. During the 1st century, Side was noted as one of the chief ports of pirates who disposed of much of their booty there. The ruins of the city, which are now very extensive, bear the name Eski Adalia, but among them there are no occupied houses. The two harbors protected by a sea wall may still be traced, but they are now filled with sand. The wall on the land side of the city was provided with a gate which was protected with round towers; the walls themselves are of Greek-Roman type. Within the walls the more important of the remains are three theaters near the harbors, and streets with covered porticoes leading from the city gate to the harbors. Without the walls, the street leading to the city gate is lined with sarcophagi, and among the shrubbery of the neighboring fields are traces of many buildings and of an aqueduct.</p><p>E. J. Banks</p>