Verinopolis orBerinopolis (Greek:Βηρινούπολις or Βερινούπολις) was a city and bishopric inancient Galatia, centralAnatolia (modernTurkey).
The city is known only from its bishopric and as an administrative unit, from the 7th to the late 13th centuries. Its location is unknown, and its traditional identification (e.g. byWilliam Mitchell Ramsay[1] orRaymond Janin[2]) with thelate antique waystation of Aegonne orEuagina, localized near the modern settlement of Büyük Köhne (todaySorgun), is most probably incorrect.[3]
The city is not known before the 7th century, but obviously existed earlier, since it was named or renamed from a previous, unknown name, in honour of Verina, wife of theEmperor Zeno.[3][4] The city belonged to theRoman province ofGalatia Prima, and later to theBucellarian Theme, until EmperorLeo VI the Wise (r. 886–912– ) detached it (along with the neighbouringbanda ofStavros or Stavropolis andMyriokephalon) to form the newtourma ofSaniana in thetheme ofCharsianon.[3]
In theNotitiae Episcopatuum of thePatriarchate of Constantinople, the bishopric of Verinopolis appears as asuffragan see of theMetropolis of Ancyra; in later lists, beginning with theNotitia 7, under Leo VI, it appears to have become a double bishopric together with Stavros/Stavropolis.[3] UnderMichael VIII Palaiologos (r. 1259–1282– ) it may have become anautocephalous archbishopric, or even a metropolis, but it vanished soon after.[5]