BIKE CLASSICAL: Libyssa: Hannibal Mausoleum Mystery

Friday, February 28, 2025

Libyssa: Hannibal Mausoleum Mystery

Photos by Jack A. Waldron

There are three location names that are brought up when searching for Hannibal's final resting place, and we'll cover them all in this post. First, it has been recorded that between 183-181 BCE, Hannibal committed suicide in or near the ancient city of Libyssa (40°46'10.4"N 29°32'23.3"E) in Bithynia, which is about ten kilometers southeast of ancient Dakibyza (40°47'59.3"N 29°25'54.8"E), or modern-day Gebze, Kocaeli, Turkey. Gebze (ancient Dakibyza) is another location that is often mentioned when discussing Hannibal's final resting place. Also, Hannibal Hill is obviously mentioned as a final resting place for Hannibal. So, the first location mentioned is ancient Libyssa, the second is Gebze (ancient Dakibyza), and the third is Hannibal Hill (pictured below), which is just three kilometers south of ancient Dakibyze. At Hannibal Hill, a monument and park have been built on the supposed location of Hannibal's mausoleum. However, there are no remains of the mausoleum within the area of Hannibal Hill (40°46'56.1"N 29°26'30.4"E), so this location cannot be verified, or at least, I have not seen any evidence.

I don't know how it was determined that Hannibal Hill was the final resting place of the infamous general, but at the request of President Mustafa Kemal Ataturk in 1934, that "Hannibal's burial site be found and turned into a park", a monument was erected at Hannibal Hill on the 100th anniversary of the late president's birth, 24 July 1981. Curiously, if you search the location of ancient Libyssa using these coordinates (40°46'10.4"N 29°32'23.3"E), you'll find a forested area with a circular clearing on the rise above the ancient city of Libyssa, at these coordinates (40°46'22.9"N 29°32'16.1"E). The area of ancient Libyssa is part of a massive complex of petrol chemical companies, depots, and port terminals, but it is designated as the site of ancient Libyssa. This land is completely controlled and/or private, and the ancient city is not visible above the surface.

Another fascinating aspect of this search, is that at Hannibal Hill, the monument stone (pictured above and below) with the relief of Hannibal weighs around 25 tons, and was brought to the park from Hereke, a quarry and ancient site about fifteen kilometers east of ancient Libyssa. The portrait relief of Hannibal was done by Nejat Ozatay, a sculptor at the Istanbul Archeological Museum.

Leading up to Hannibal's demise was a key naval battle led by Seleucid General Polyxenides under the orders of Antiochus III the Great (who was Hannibal's protector), against a Roman fleet led by Admiral Lucius Aemilius Regillus along with an ally fleet from Rhodes led by Eudamus. What makes these events so interesting is, this battle took place in September 190 BCE, which is a mere 9-10 years prior to the completion of a famous relief sculpture at Lindos known as the 'Rhodian Trireme', in 180 BC. The deciding factor in the Roman victory was the faster Rhodian Trireme ship, and the relief sculpture/exedra at Lindos, Rhodes is of this same Rhodian Trireme. The relief sculpture can be seen on the side of the cliff along the steps that lead to the acropolis of Lindos. Below, is my photo from my 2013 cycle tour around the island. The famous sculptor Pythocrates completed the project, and there was once a statue of a General named Hagesander on the deck of the ship.

Though Hannibal had been able to avoid Roman revenge thus far, his next conundrum would bring the Hannibal and myself into close historical proximity (amongst many, actually). In August 2024, LABRYS (my sailboat) arrived at Kastellorizo, Greece, just 3 kilometers off the coast of Turkey (pictured below). You may wonder what my connection with Hannibal is? After the defeat of Seleucid General Polyxenides, a portion of the Rhodian fleet was sent to the large harbor at ancient Megiste in order to blockade ships under Hannibal's command. The modern name of this town and its harbor are, Kastellorizo, pictured below.

Following the naval defeat of Antiochus III the Great (and his advisor Hannibal) at the Battle of Myonessos, and a loss at the Battle of Magnesia on land, as part of the reparations, Antiochus agreed to hand Hannibal over to Rome. However, Prusias I of Bithynia granted Hannibal refuge in Bithynia in 190-189 BC. At that time, Prusias I was engaged in a war with King Eugene's II of Pergamon, an ally of Rome. Hannibal went on to have numerous naval victories against Rome under the Bithynian King, but then Rome threatened Prusias I with total defeat if he did not handover Hannibal. The marble plaque pictured below is a brief history of Hannibal, and is provided in five different languages at the site of Hannibal Hill.

Considering that Hannibal and his army occupied southern Italy for ten years, and his long string of victories over Rome during the following years, it's not surprising that Rome had difficulty forgetting him. In the end, rather than letting himself be handed over to the Romans by Prusias I, Hannibal committed suicide. Allegedly, Hannibal left behind a suicide note that confirmed the hatred Rome held toward the general. It read, "Let us relieve the Romans from the anxiety they have so long experienced, since they think it tries their patience too much to wait for an old man's death."