Carians Discussion

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Caria was the region of western Anatolia along the coast from mid-Ionia south to Lycia and east to Phrygia including Rhodes. The native people were joined by Ionian and Dorian Greeks settlers creating a new city-state. Carians were described by Herodotus - a Carian native - as being of Minoan descent while the Carians considered themselves Anatolian mainlanders who engaged in seafaring akin to the Mysians and Lydians. They spoke Carian, a native Anatolian language closely related to Luwian an Anatolian Indo-European language. The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus was one of the Seven wonders of the world and built in Caria. One of the most famous Carians was Artemisia, Queen of Halicarnassus. During the Second Persian invasion of Greece in 480-479 BC, Caria was allied with Xerxes I and fought in both the Battle of Salamis where Queen Artemisium commanded a contingent of 70 Carian ships. After the Persians failed, the cities of Caria became members of the Athenian-led Delian League. They were later incorporated into the Macedonian Empire following the conquests of Alexander the Great.