Commagene Κομμαγηνή | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 163 BC – 72 AD | |||||||||
 | |||||||||
| Capital | Samosata | ||||||||
| Common languages | Greek (official)[1] Persian (early ruling dynasty)[2] Aramaic (common)[3] | ||||||||
| Religion | Greco-Iranian religious syncretism[4] | ||||||||
| Government | Monarchy | ||||||||
| King | |||||||||
• 163–130 BC | Ptolemaeus | ||||||||
• 38–72 AD | Antiochus IV | ||||||||
| Historical era | Hellenistic Age | ||||||||
• Established | 163 BC | ||||||||
• Disestablished | 72 AD | ||||||||
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| Today part of | Turkey | ||||||||
Commagene (Ancient Greek:Κομμαγηνή) was an ancient Greco-Iranian kingdom ruled by aHellenized branch of theOrontids, a dynasty ofIranian origin, that had ruled over theSatrapy of Armenia.[5] The kingdom was located in and around the ancient city ofSamosata, which served as its capital. TheIron Age name of Samosata,Kummuh, probably gives its name to Commagene.[6]
Commagene has been characterized as a "buffer state" between Armenia, Parthia, Syria, and Rome;[7] culturally, it was correspondingly mixed.[8][9] The kings of the Kingdom of Commagene claimed descent fromOrontes withDarius I of Persia as their ancestor, by his marriage to Rhodogune, daughter ofArtaxerxes II who had a family descent from king Darius I.[10] The territory of Commagene corresponded roughly to the modern Turkish provinces ofAdıyaman and northernAntep.[11]
Little is known of the region of Commagene before the beginning of the 2nd century BC. However, it seems that, from what little evidence remains, Commagene formed part of a larger state that also included theKingdom of Sophene. This situation lasted untilc. 163 BC, when the local satrap,Ptolemaeus of Commagene, established himself as an independent ruler following the death of the Seleucid king,Antiochus IV Epiphanes.[12]
The Kingdom of Commagene maintained its independence until 17 AD, when it was made aRoman province by EmperorTiberius. It re-emerged as an independent kingdom whenAntiochus IV of Commagene was reinstated to the throne by order ofCaligula, then deprived of it by that same emperor, then restored to it a couple of years later by his successor,Claudius. The re-emergent state lasted until 72 AD, when the EmperorVespasian finally and definitively made it part of theRoman Empire.[13]
One of the kingdom's most lasting visible remains is the archaeological site onMount Nemrut, a sanctuary dedicated by KingAntiochus Theos to a number of syncretistic Graeco-Iranian deities as well as to himself and the deified land of Commagene.[14] It is now aWorld Heritage Site.[15]
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The cultural identity of the Kingdom of Commagene has been variously characterized. Pierre Merlat suggests that the Commagenian city ofDoliche, like others in its vicinity, was "half Iranianized and half Hellenized".[9]David M. Lang describes Commagene as "a formerArmenian satellite kingdom",[8] while Blömer and Winter call it a "Hellenistic kingdom".[16] Millar suggests that a local dialect ofAramaic might have been spoken there,[3]Fergus Millar considers that, "in some parts of the Euphrates region, such as Commagene, nothing approaching an answer to questions about local culture is possible."[17]
While the language used on public monuments was typicallyGreek, Commagene's rulers made no secret of their Persian affinities. The kings of Commagene claimed descent from theOrontid dynasty and would therefore have been related to the family that founded theKingdom of Armenia;[18] while Sartre states the accuracy of these claims is uncertain.[19] AtAntiochus Theos' sanctuary atMount Nemrut, the king erected monumental statues of deities with mixed Greek and Iranian names, such asZeus-Oromasdes, while celebrating his own descent from the royal families of Persia and Armenia in aGreek-language inscription.[8]
The Commagenean rulers had Iranian and Greek names (Antiochus, Samos, Mithridates).[20][21] The various Iranian onomasticons located in Commagene demonstrate the extensive Iranization in the region.[22] Over the course of the first centuries BC and AD, the names given on a tomb at Sofraz Köy show a mix of "typical Hellenistic dynastic names with an early introduction of Latin personal names."[23] Lang notes the vitality of Graeco-Roman culture in Commagene.[7]
While few things about his origins are known with certainty, 2nd-century Attic Greek poetLucian of Samosata claimed to have been born inSamosata in the former kingdom of Commagene, and described himself in one satirical work as "an Assyrian".[3] Despite writing well after the Roman conquest of Commagene, Lucian claimed to be "still barbarous in speech and almost wearing a jacket (kandys) in the Assyrian style". This has been taken as a possible, but not definitive, allusion to the possibility that his native language was anAramaic dialect.[24]
In keeping with Commagene Greek and Iranian cultural elements, Antiochus' cult was a synthesis of Greco-Iranian religion, which had existed in Commagene before his time.[25]
Commagene was originally a smallSyro-Hittite kingdom,[26] located in modern south-centralTurkey, with its capital atSamosata (modernSamsat, near theEuphrates). It was first mentioned inAssyrian texts asKummuhu, which was normally an ally of Assyria, but eventually annexed as a province in 708 BC underSargon II. TheAchaemenid Empire then conquered Commagene in the 6th century BC andAlexander the Great conquered the territory in the 4th century BC. After the breakup of the Empire of Alexander the Great, the region became part of the Hellenistic Seleucids, and Commagene emerged in about 163 BC as a state and province in the Greco-SyrianSeleucid Empire. Perhaps Commagene was part of the kingdom of Armenia in the early Hellenistic period, and was possibly annexed to the Seleucid kingdom soon after Armenia's conquest[27][a]
The Hellenistic kingdom of Commagene, bounded byCilicia on the west andCappadocia on the north, arose in 162 BC when its governor,Ptolemy, asatrap of the disintegrating Seleucid Empire, declared himself independent. Ptolemy's dynasty was related to theParthian kings, but his descendantMithridates I Callinicus (109 BC – 70 BC) embraced Hellenistic culture and married the Syrian Greek PrincessLaodice VII Thea. His dynasty could thus claim ties with bothAlexander the Great and the Persian kings. This marriage may also have been part of a peace treaty between Commagene and the Seleucid Empire. From this point on, the kingdom of Commagene became more Greek than Persian. WithSophene, it was to serve as an important centre for the transmission of Hellenistic and Roman culture in the region.[7] Details are sketchy, but Mithridates Callinicus is thought have accepted Armenian suzerainty during the reign ofTigranes II the Great.[29]
Mithridates and Laodice's son was KingAntiochus I Theos of Commagene (reigned 70 –38 BC). Antiochus was an ally of the Roman generalPompey during the latter's campaigns againstMithridates VI of Pontus in 64 BC. Thanks to his diplomatic skills, Antiochus was able to keep Commagene independent from the Romans. In 17 whenAntiochus III of Commagene died, EmperorTiberius annexed Commagene to the province ofSyria. According to Josephus, this move was supported by the local nobility but opposed by the mass of the common people, who preferred to remain under their kings as before;[17] Tacitus, on the other hand, states that "most preferred Roman, but others royal rule".[30]
In 38 AD,Caligula reinstated Antiochus III's sonAntiochus IV[30] and also gave him the wild areas ofCilicia to govern.[31] Antiochus IV was the onlyclient king of Commagene under theRoman Empire. Deposed by Caligula and restored again uponClaudius' accession in 41 AD, Antiochus reigned until 72, when EmperorVespasian deposed the dynasty and definitively re-annexed the territory to the Roman Empire, acting on allegations "that Antiochus was about to revolt.[32] TheLegio VI Ferrata, which Paetus led into Commagene, was not resisted by the populace; a day-long battle with Antiochus' sons Epiphanes and Callinicus ended in a draw, and Antiochus surrendered.[33] TheLegio III Gallica would occupy the area by 73 AD.[33] A 1st-century letter inSyriac byMara Bar Serapion describes refugees fleeing the Romans across the Euphrates and bemoans the Romans' refusal to let the refugees return;[34] this might describe the Roman takeover of either 18 or 72.[35]The descendants of Antiochus IV lived prosperously and in distinction inAnatolia,Greece,Italy, and theMiddle East. As a testament to the descendants of Antiochus IV, the citizens ofAthens erected a funeral monument in honor of his grandsonPhilopappos, who was a benefactor of the city, upon his death in 116. Another descendant of Antiochus IV was the historianGaius Asinius Quadratus, who lived in the 3rd century.
Commagene extended from the right bank of the Euphrates to the Taurus[36] and Amanus Mountains.Strabo, who counts Commagene as part of Syria,[37] notes the kingdom's fertility.[38] Its capital and chief city wasSamosata (now submerged underAtatürk Reservoir).
The boundaries of Commagene fluctuated over time. UnderAntiochus Theos, the Kingdom of Commagene controlled a particularly large area.[16]Doliche was under Commagenian rule "for about 35 years";[16] after being governed by Antiochus Theos, it might have been incorporated into the Roman province of Syria as early as 31 BC.[23]Germanicea declared itself a Commagenian city in Roman times, although originally it was not.[16] On the other hand,Zeugma, while ruled for a time by Commagene, was popularly and traditionally considered to belong to the region ofCyrrhestica;[16] Strabo says it had been assigned to Commagene by Pompey.[39]
The limestone propaganda-like statues and reliefs built during Antiochus Theos' reign reflect the Parthian influence in their sculpture.[40]
When the Romans conquered Commagene, the great royal sanctuary atMount Nemrut was abandoned. The Romans looted the burialtumuli of their goods and theLegio XVI Flavia Firma built and dedicated a bridge. The surrounding thick forests were cut down and cleared by the Romans for wood, timber and charcoal, causing much erosion to the area.[citation needed]
Another important archaeological site dating to the Kingdom of Commagene is the sanctuary of Zeus Soter at Damlıca, dedicated in the time of Mithridates II.[41]
In Commagene, there is a column topped by an eagle, which has earned the mound the nameKarakuş, or Black Bird. An inscription there indicates the presence of a royal tomb[42] that housed three women. The vault of that tomb, however, has also been looted. The main excavations on the site were carried out byFriedrich Karl Dörner of the University ofMünster. Another royal burial site is atArsameia, which also served as a residence of the kings of Commagene.[43]
Many of the ancient artifacts from the Kingdom of Commagene are on display at theAdıyaman Archaeological Museum.[44]
Another self-designated descendant from a member of one of the seven great house, Hydarnes, was the Orontid Dynasty of Armenia
The above mentioned Orontids..[..]..but also because the two satraps who were contemporaries of Xenophon's are explicitly stated to be Persian.
une de ces nombreuses localités mi-iranisées, mi-hellénisées d'Asie Mineure et de Syrie du Nord
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