lycaonia Summary and Overview

an inland province of Asia Minor, on the west of Cappadocia and the south of Galatia. It was a Roman province, and its chief towns were Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe. The "speech of Lycaonia" (Acts 14:11) was probably the ancient Assyrian language, or perhaps, as others think, a corrupt Greek intermingled with Syriac words. Paul preached in this region, and revisited it (Acts 16:1-6; 18:23; 19:1).

(land of Lycanon, or wolf land), a district of Asia Minor. From what is said in #Ac 14:11| of "the speech of Lycaonia," it is evident that the inhabitants of the district, in St. Paul's day, spoke something very different from ordinary Greek. Whether the language was some Syrian dialect or a corrupt form of Greek has been much debated. The fact that the Lycaonians were similar with the Greek mythology is consistent with either supposition. Lycaonia is for the most part a dreary plain, bare of trees, destitute of fresh water, and with several salt lakes. (It was about 20 miles long from east to west, and 13 miles wide. "Cappadocia is on the east, Galatia on the north, Phrygia on the west and Cilicia on the south "Among its chief cities are Derbe, Lystra and Iconium. --ED.) After the provincial system of Rome had embraced the whole of Asia Minor, the boundaries of the provinces were variable; and Lycaonia was, politically, sometimes in Cappadocia, sometimes in Galatia. Paul visited it three times in his missionary tours.

LYCAO'NIA , a province of Asia Minor which the apostle Paul twice visited. Acts 14:1-23; Acts 16:1-6; Acts 18:23; Gen 19:1. It was separated from Phrygia, and bounded north by Galatia, east by Cappadocia, south by Cilicia, and west by Pisidia and Phrygia. It consisted of a plateau with a hilly surface, not very fertile, but affording excellent sheep-walks. Its principal industry was wool-growing. Its chief towns were Iconium, Derbe, and Lystra. The speech of this province, Acts 14:11, is supposed to have been either a Syrian or a corrupted Greek dialect, and the standard of civilization seems not to have been so very high.

A province in the S. of Asia Minor, having Galatia on the N., Cappadocia E., Pisidia and Phrygia W., Cilicia S. A bare tableland without trees or lakes of fresh water (but many salt lakes), only fit for sheep pasture. "The speech of Lycaonia" was probably a corrupt mixture of Greek and Syriac; the people's objects of worship were those of the Greeks and Romans, Mercury and Jupiter, whose visit to this quarter is one of Ovid's fables (Metam. 8:626). At Lystra in the center of the region Paul delivered his address, admirably suited to his audience (Acts 14:15-17). Iconium was far on the W. toward Antioch in Pisidia; Derbe was on the E. of Lystra, toward the pass from Cilicia up through Taurus to the central tableland (Acts 14:1; Acts 14:6). Paul on his first journey passed through Lycaonia from W. to E., then back the reverse way E. to W. (Acts 14:21; 2 Timothy 3:11.) At his second journey he passed from E. to W. through Lycaonia to Troas (Acts 16:1-8); on the third, in the same direction, to Ephesus (Acts 18:23; Acts 19:1).