  Circesium Shown within Syria Show map of Syria Circesium Circesium (Near East) Show map of Near East | |
| Location | Syria |
|---|---|
| Region | Deir ez-Zor Governorate |
| Coordinates | 35°09′21″N40°25′48″E / 35.15583°N 40.43000°E /35.15583; 40.43000 |
| Length | 540 m |
| Width | 190 m |
Circesium (Classical Syriac:ܩܪܩܣܝܢQerqesīn,Ancient Greek:Κιρκήσιον),[1] known inArabic asal-Qarqisiya, was aRoman fortress city near the junction of theEuphrates andKhabur rivers, located at the empire's eastern frontier with theSasanian Empire.Procopius calls it the "farthest fortress" (φρούριον ἔσχατον) of the Romans.[2]It was later conquered by the Muslim Arabs in the 7th century and was often a point of contention between various Muslim states due to its strategic location between Syria and Iraq. The modern town ofal-Busayra corresponds with the site of Circesium.
The name Circesium orcastrum Circense is of Graeco-Roman origin and translates as "the castle with thecircus".[3]Qerqusion (also spelledQarqūsyōn) andal-Qarqīsiyā (also spelled 'Qarqīsīā) are theSyriac andArabic versions of the Latin name, respectively.[3][4] TheParthian transliteration, attested inShapur I's inscription at the Ka'ba-ye Zartosht, isKrksyʾ.[4] The etymology of the name was known to the medieval Muslim geographer,Hamza al-Isfahani, who wroteal-Qarqīsiyā stemmed fromqirqīs, the Arabicized form of "circus".[3] The ancient site was situated at the eastern bank of theEuphrates River, adjacent to the confluence of theKhabur River.[3]
ARoman military station likely existed in this location as early as 256 AD as the place is listed in KingShapur I's (r. 240–270)inscription at the Ka'ba-ye Zartosht, among towns taken from the Romans in 256 during thesecond Roman campaign.[4] Later, having reverted to Roman hands, EmperorDiocletian (r. 284–286) further enforced Circesium into a strongly fortified outpost on the far eastern frontier of the empire, in order to improve the defensive capabilities against theSasanians.[3][4] Circesium was ceded to the Sasanids by EmperorJovian (r. 363–364) in a treaty signed in 363.[5]
In early 363, duringhis ill-fated Sasanian campaign, EmperorJulian (r. 361–363) moved through Circesium and crossed theKhabur River by using apontoon bridge.[4] According to contemporary sources, thecenotaph of EmperorGordian III (who had been killed duringhis own Sasanian campaign of 244), was still visible at Zaitha (which was located nearby Circesium) when Julian and his army moved through the area.[4]
It was again restored to the Romans and according to theNotitia Dignitatum, Circesium was the headquarter of Legio IV Parthica until the 5th century.[4] The fortress of Circenium was restored and extended by EmperorJustinian I (r. 527–565) during his efforts "to reorganize the system of border protection at the beginning of his reign".[4]Joseph Wiesehöfer /Encyclopædia Iranica notes that this might have been one of the reasons why Sasanian KingKhosrow I (r. 531–579), during his offensive in 540, decided to invade the Roman Empire further to the north, "along the western bank of the Euphrates".[4] Circesium, due to these reorganization efforts by Justinian I, eventually became the garrison site of adux.[4]
In 573, during Khosrow I's offensive during theByzantine–Sasanian War of 572–591, the Sasanian King ordered GeneralAdarmahan to cross the Euphrates near Circesium in order to attack the eastern Byzantine provinces from there.[4] In 580, Circesium was turned into the garrison base for EmperorMaurice'soffensive during the Byzantine–Sasanian War of 572–591.[4] During the flight ofKhosrow II (r. 590–628) in 590 from Sasanian territory during the rebellion ofBahram Chobin, he was briefly sheltered by the Byzantine garrison commander of Circesium, Probus, before moving toHierapolis.[4]
During theMuslim conquests, Circesium was captured from the Byzantines without resistance by a Muslim army commanded byHabib ibn Maslama al-Fihri, himself dispatched by the Muslim governor ofJazira (Upper Mesopotamia),Iyad ibn Ghanm.[3] Though many Muslim sources state this occurred in 637, it more likely occurred in 640.[3] According to Joseph Wiesehöfer /Encyclopædia Iranica, in all likelihood, Circesium was recaptured shortly after by the Byzantines.[4] However, in 690-691, during the reign of CaliphAbd al-Malik ibn Marwan (r. 685–705), Circesium became a definitive part of theUmayyad Caliphate.[4] The city afterward became the capital of the Khabur district of the Jazira province.[3] During theSecond Muslim Civil War, Circesium became the headquarters of theQaysi tribal leaderZufar ibn al-Harith al-Kilabi who recognized the caliphate ofAbd Allah ibn al-Zubayr in rebellion against the Umayyads.[6] Abd al-Malik was forced to contend with Zufar before he could embark on his conquest of Iraq from the Zubayrids.[7] To that end, he besieged Circesium around 690 and after several months, Zufar ultimately surrendered and defected to the Umayyads.[6]
In the late 9th century, the autonomous governor of Egypt,Ahmad ibn Tulun, extended his domains as far as Circesium, but theAbbasids underal-Muwaffaq recaptured it in 881.[6] The city, alongside nearbyal-Rahba, played an important role in the struggles involving theHamdanids who ruled the Jazira autonomously during the 10th century.[6] According toIstakhri andIbn Hawqal,al-Qarqīsiyā/al-Qarqīsīā (Circesium) was a flourishing city as late as the 10th century.[4] In 1265, theMamluk sultanBaybars captured Circesium from theMongols, massacring its Mongol and Georgian garrison.[8] However, the fortified city was back in Mongol hands by 1281.[8] Due to its strategic location, Muslim geographers throughout the Islamic era mentioned Circesium but gave no detailed account of the city in their descriptions of the region.[6] This may indicate that Circesium did not become a large town under the various Muslim dynasties that ruled it.[6]
The site of Circesium is today occupied by the town ofal-Busayra.[6] Writing in the early 20th century, historian M. Streck wrote that al-Busayra was a village of thirty to forty clay houses adjacent to a large site of ruins.[6]
Thebishopric of Circesium was asuffragan ofEdessa, the capital of theRoman province ofOsrhoene.
ANestorian writer says that a Bishop Jonas of this see was one of the participants at theFirst Council of Nicaea (325) who had suffered mutilation during the preceding persecution. However, his name does not appear in the authentic list. Abrahamius, took part in theCouncil of Chalcedon in 451 and was a signatory of the joint letter that the bishops of the province of Osrhoene sent toByzantine EmperorLeo I the Thracian in 458 regarding the murder of PatriarchProterius of Alexandria. Nonnus was a supporter ofSeverus of Antioch and was expelled by EmperorJustin I in 518. He also acted as a representative of the Monophysites at a conference held in Constantinople in 532. Davithas (David) was a member ofthe council called byPatriarch Menas of Constantinople in 536, and Thomas was at theSecond Council of Constantinople in 553.Michael the Syrian lists fourteenJacobite bishops of the see, apart from Nonnus, the last being of the 11th century.[9][10][11]
No longer a residential bishopric, Circesium is today listed by theCatholic Church as atitular see.[12]