Osroene

The Osroene as a province of the Roman Empire.

The Osroene is a region of south-eastern Asia Minor (north-western Mesopotamia ), bounded on the north by the Taurus Mountains , south and east by the Chaboras , west by the Euphrates , which had its capital Edessa. She was in 132 BC. BC to 216 AD. AD a small independent kingdom, whose rulers were most often the name of Abgar.

He served as a buffer between the Roman Empire and that of the Parthians. It was an important state from the ^second millennium BC. AD is called Hourri (" caves ") by the Babylonians , because of numerous caves in the chain of Nemrut Dag. The region was conquered by the Roman emperor Trajan ( 98 - 117 ). Later, in the ^fourth century , it was included in the Diocese of the East.

Hellenistic period

When the victory of Alexander the Great ( -336 / -323 ) on the Persian Achaemenid and its release, the main town called Urhai is occupied by a population Aramaic. In -303 , the Macedonians are rebuilding the city and renamed it Edessa , in memory of a city of their country (according to the Greek geographer and historian Appian and Stephen of Byzantium ). The city becomes the capital of the province and is populated Osroene and several other cities, army veterans.

To -132 (or -136 ), a tribal chief, Aryu (or ARIOUA, -132 / -127 or -136 / -127 ), overcomes the Seleucids who ruled the city and founded a kingdom (or principality) independent with its capital Edessa. With some original sovereign Armenian and Parthian , most were Nabatean. This kingdom, which is sometimes called the Principality of Abgar (eleven sovereigns bear that name), managed to maintain their independence for nearly four centuries, despite the various conquerors through its history.

Roman-Parthian Period

Map showing the Osroene, the Adiabene the Gordyene (or Corduene), the Sophene the Commagene and Atropatene at the time of the apogee of Armenia under Tigranes II.

According to Pliny the Elder , in Roman times, the inhabitants were Arabs and their rulers have borne the title of phylarque (Head of phyla) or toparch (magistrate). The kingdom extended north to the Taurus Mountains , west to the Euphrates , which separated the Commagene , and east to the Tigris. It included, apart from Edessa, major cities like Carrhae , Nisibis (Mesopotamia), Rhesaena, Sarug, Singara (Sinjar, Iraq), Zeugma on the Euphrates, which was the meeting of the cities of Apamea (left bank) and of Seleucia, the Euphrates (right bank) and a stop for caravans.

At the time of the first triumvirate , Edessa was an ally of the Romans. The Proconsul Crassus , the head of an army of 42,000 men, crossed the Euphrates ^, (probably a member of the dynasty Abgar of Osroene) and attacked Mesopotamia in order to Seleucia on the Tigris. But he was betrayed by that Abgar who changed sides and sided with the Parthians during the same battle Carrhae after leading the Roman army into a trap. Crassus was defeated at the Battle of Carrhae his son was killed in battle and himself was killed during the retreat ^{, ,} . This severe defeat of the Romans take the Osroene refit under the vassalage of the Parthians.

In the first century, under ^I. Monobazus of Adiabene (v. 20 - v. 30), several territories that belonged to Osroene at the time of the Battle of Carrhae (-53) were passed under the control of the neighboring kingdom of Adiabene. This was the case Singara , but also the region of the river Khabour Osroene which depended on the time of Tigranes II of Armenia , as the area of the city of Carrhae . This movement is further reinforced when, 36, Artabanus III gives the territory of Nisibis to the King of Adiabene Izat II to thank him for his decisive help which enabled him to ascend the throne Parthian . At that time, the Kingdom of Osroene seems to be limited to the territory around Edessa. This is also the time that the name 'King of Edessa "begins to be preferred to the appellation" King of Osroene' for Abgar. However, Zeugma is still under their control and with it the passage of the Euphrates , at both strategic military and commercial.

This significant transfer of territory to the Osroene the Adiabene has apparently done it without war and without protest noble Osroene. We can deduce that the two dynasties and Monobazus Abgar had largely been practicing marriage and that they were probably Monobazus considered Abgar.

The Agbar and "Christianity"

This would be under Abgar V or Ukomo Ukkama Bar Ma'Nu, that Christianity (in fact this term is anachronistic) was first preached in Edessa by Juda Thaddeus . This tradition is challenged, however, sometimes preferring the Western Churches located Thaddeus later under King Abgar IX. Thaddeus would then not "one of twelve", but a member of the Group of 70. This version is strongly opposed by the Eastern Christian churches. In fact, it could be two different characters. Anyway, Abgar V appears to have contributed to the spread of "the way" advocated by the followers of Jesus among his subjects. He seems to be mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles in the name of Agabus as mobilizing members of the community of Antioch to lend their assistance to the Jews of Palestine during the famine of 44-46.

"In those days, prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. One of them named Agabus (probably Abgar ), got up and, under the action of the Spirit, began to announce that there would be a great famine throughout the world. ) and Saul ( Paul ). "

- Acts of the Apostles XI :27-30.

But one of the successors of Agabus (Abgar), his great-grand-son, returned to paganism.

Later, Abgar VII bar Ezad was dethroned by the Roman emperor Trajan , who kept the city under his tutelage two years before leaving to two foreign princes, Yalur and Parthamaspates. In 123 , Ma'Nu VII Ezad Bar, brother of Abgar VII, managed to regain the throne. From that time, like many areas under trusteeship Roman coins were struck with the effigy of the reigning monarch on one side and that of the Roman emperor of his time back. In 163 , Wa'il Bar Sahru took the Parthians as allies in its fight against the Romans.

Rulers of Osroene

• Aryu (132-127);
• Abdu Maz'Ur Bar (127-120);
• Fardhasht Gebar'u Bar (120-115);
• Bakru I (115-112);
• Bakru II (112-94);
• Bakru II , co-king (94-92);
• I Ma'Nu , co-king (94-92);
• Abgar I Figo, co-king (94-92);
• Abgar I Figo (92-68);
• Abgar II bar Abgar (68-53);
• Ma'Nu II Aloha (53-34);
• Faquri or Paqor (34-29);
• Abgar III (29-26);
• Abgar IV Sumoqo (26-23);
• Ma'Nu III Saphul (23-4);
• Abgar V Ukomo Ma'Nu Bar (4 - (+) 7);
• Ma'Nu IV Ma'Nu Bar (7-13);
• Abgar V Bar Ukomo Ma'Nu (13-50);
• Ma'Nu V bar Abgar (50-57);
• Ma'Nu VI bar Abgar (57-71);
• Abgar VI bar Ma'Nu (71-91);
• Sanatruk (91-109), King of Adiabene ;
• Abgar VII bar Ezad (109-116);
• Inter-Roman rule (116-118);
• Parthamaspates (118-123), a vassal of Rome ;
• Yalur , co-king (118-122), a vassal of the Parthians ;
• Ma'Nu VII Ezad Bar (123-139);
• Ma'Nu VIII Bar Ma'Nu (139-163);
• Wa'il Sahru Bar (163-165);
• Ma'Nu VIII Bar Ma'Nu (165-167);
• Abgar VIII Philoromaios (167-177);
• Abgar IX (179-212);
• Bar Ma'Nu Severus (212-214);
• X Abgar Abgar IX Severus Bar (214-216);
• Ma'Nu IX X Bar Abgar Severus (216-242);
• Abgar XI Farhat Ma'Nu Bar (242-244).

References

• Ancient Rome portal

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