Nicomedia

Nicomedia nĭkōmēˈdēə [key], ancient city, NW Asia Minor, near the Bosporus, in present-day Turkey. Refounded (264 b.c.) by Nicomedes I of Bithynia to replace Astacus as his capital, it flourished for centuries. The Goths sacked the city in a.d. 258. Diocletian chose it for the eastern imperial capital, but it was soon superseded by Byzantium (Constantinople). The modern city on its site is Izmit.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

See more Encyclopedia articles on: Ancient History, Middle East