Cilicia

Cilicia, em ancient province of Asia Minor, now forming part of the Turkish province of Adana, comprised a large part of the southern coast from Pamphylia on the W. to the Syrian frontier on the E., and extending from the Mediterranean on the S. to Mount Taurus on the N., forming a narrow strip of 270 miles by 68. The western or mountainous part abounded in timber, and the eastern part was fertile, giving much corn and wine. Cilicia was taken by the Persians, then by Alexander, then became Syrian. Part of it was long the centre of a great piratical state, which was put down by Pompey; by whom it was made a Roman province in 67 B.C.