Dios Hieron (Lydia)

It is located 9 km. northeast of Ödemiş/İzmir.(ref: Tmolos’ta saklı kutsal bir kent Dioshieron, Hüseyin Üreten, Journal of International Social Research , Vol 9, Issue 44: 562-578) Dios Hieron (Ancient Greek: Διὸς Ἱερόν, meaning 'Sanctuary of Zeus') was a town of ancient Lydia, in the upper valley of the Cayster River.^[1] The city became part of the Roman Republic and the Roman province of Asia with the annexation of the Attalid kingdom.^[2] It also bore the name Diospolis (Διόσπολις),^[3] and was cited by the sixth century Byzantine geographer Stephanus of Byzantium under that name.^[4] It was renamed to Christopolis or Christoupolis (Χριστούπολις, meaning 'city of Christ') in the 7th century and was known as Pyrgium or Pyrgion (Πυργίον) from the 12th century on.^[2] Pyrgion fell to the Turks in 1307, and became the capital of the beylik of Aydin.^[2] The town minted coins in antiquity, often with the inscription "Διοσιερειτων".^[5]

Its site is located near Birgi, Asiatic Turkey.^[6][7]

Bishopric

The Roman Era city had an ancient Christian bishop and is attested as an episcopal see from at least 451. It was a suffragan of Ephesus, which it remained under until the late 12th century when it became a separate metropolis.^[2]

There are four known bishops from antiquity.

• Stephen took part in the Council of Ephesus of 431
• Eustorgios was not present at the Council of Chalcedon (451) and his metropolitan, Stephen of Ephesus, signed on his behalf
• Zoetus was among the fathers of the Council of Constantinople of 680 and the Council in Trullo of 692
• Stephen of Pyrgion participated at the two Councils of Constantinople in 869–870 and 879–880 who dealt with the issue of Patriarch Photios I of Constantinople

Today Dioshieron survives as titular see in the Roman Catholic Church,^[8] so far the see has never been assigned.^[9][10]