PATARA - A great seaport on the coast of Lycia, a Few miles (60 stadia) SE. of the mouth of the Xanthus. The valley of this river is the best part of Lycia, and doubtless from early times Patara had a local trade, but its importance depended on its convenient position for the trade between the West and the Levant. The prevailing winds in this part of the Mediterranean are from the west (especially in the autumn), and ships sailing from the Aegean or from Italy to Phoenicia or Egypt would often risk the voyage straight across the sea from Patara. Thus we find St. Paul on his last journey to Jerusalem (Ac.21.2), after coasting in a slow vessel along the Aegean, taking a vessel that was sailing straight from Patara to Tyre. Cf MYRA.
Lycia was never definitely colonized by Greeks, and the Lycians spoke a non-Aryan language, which they abandoned for Greek in the 3rd cent. BC when they were ruled by the Ptolemies. Patara had an early culture?its coins date from 400 BC - and the chief Lycian god was identified with Apollo, whose celebrated oracle at Patara gave him the title Patareus (Hor. Od. iii. iv. 64). [Article: Dictionary of the Bible, J.Hastings, 2nd Ed., T&T.Clark, 1963 - A.E.H. - F.C.G.]