Pamphylian

ancient people

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

July 23, 2026

Quick Summary

The Pamphylians were an ancient people inhabiting the region of Pamphylia, a coastal district in southern Anatolia situated between Cilicia and Lycia. This area, originally a narrow strip along the Mediterranean, expanded under Roman rule to include parts of Pisidia to the north.1

The Pamphylian population was a blend of original inhabitants, immigrant Cilicians, and Greeks. They never achieved significant political power and were conquered by various empires, including the Phrygians, Lydians, Persians, Alexander the Great, and the Romans. In the 1st century BCE, they collaborated with Pisidians and Cilicians in pirate activities. During the Roman era, the Pamphylians became largely Hellenized, leaving behind architectural evidence of their civilization in cities like Perga, Aspendus, and Side.1

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

3 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

Anatolia
Greek colonies on the Anatolian coasts, c. 1180–547 bce
…to Croesus, Herodotus mentions the Pamphylians, whose country lay in the south, between Lycia and Cilicia. A Neo-Babylonian text of the mid-6th century confirms this, indicating that the Lydian borderline was situated at Sallune (classical Selinus, the most westerly coastal city of Cilicia). There is a remote possibility that post-Mycenaean…
Read More
…to Croesus, Herodotus mentions the Pamphylians, whose country lay in the south, between Lycia and Cilicia. A Neo-Babylonian text of the mid-6th century confirms this, indicating that the Lydian borderline was situated at Sallune (classical Selinus, the most westerly coastal city of Cilicia). There is a remote possibility that post-Mycenaean…
Read More