The foundation of the Sasanian Empire in Persia in AD 224 established a formidable new power on the Roman Empire's eastern frontier, and relations over the next four centuries proved turbulent. This ...book provides a chronological narrative of their relationship, supported by a substantial collection of translated sources illustrating structural patterns. The political goals of the two sides, their military confrontations and their diplomatic solutions are discussed, as well as the common interests between the two powers. Special attention is given to the situation of Arabia and Armenia, to economic aspects, the protection of the frontiers, the religious life in both empires and the channels of communication between East and West. Considerable attention is also paid to exploring the role played by the Sasanians in the history of the ancient Near East. The book will prove invaluable for students and non-specialists interested in late antiquity and early Byzantium.
The history and archaeology of Hellenistic Commagene is a rich field of study, not in the least because of the remarkable monuments and inscriptions of king Antiochos I (c. 70–36 BC). Over the last ...decades important new work has been done on Commagene proper, providing novel interpretations of the epigraphical and historical record or the archaeological data and individual sites, like Nemrud Dağ, Samosata or Arsameia. Simultaneously scholars have tried to better understand Hellenistic Commagene by situating the region and its history in a wider Mediterranean and Near Eastern context. This long-awaited e-book provides a critical evaluation of all these new data and ideas on the basis of a theoretically embedded, state-of-the-art overview for the history and archaeology of Hellenistic Commagene. From this volume a new picture emerges in which Hellenistic Commagene is no longer understood as peripheral and out-of-the-ordinary, but as an important node in a global Hellenistic network, from Ai-Khanoum to Pompeii and from Alexandria to Armawir.
Ein neues Grabungsprojekt erforscht die Stadt Doliche in der Südosttürkei. Bekannt ist sie vor allem als Heimat des Iuppiter Dolichenus, dessen Kult in weiten Teilen des Römischen Reiches Anhänger ...hatte. Doliche war aber auch ein wichtiges urbanes Zentrum der römischen Provinz Syria und ist heute einer der wenigen Orte, an denen Fragen von Stadtentwicklung im hellenistisch-römischen Syrien untersucht werden können.
Dramatic deterioration of Hellenistic-Roman limestone remains recently excavated at Dülük Baba Tepesi (Southern Turkey) has been observed following the cold, wet winter of 2011/2012. A conceptual ...model is presented to explain the dramatic deterioration in which case hardening develops and initially strengthens the stone against deterioration, but then makes it more prone to exfoliation and blistering. Data collected using non-destructive techniques (Equotip surface hardness tester and Karsten tube for water uptake) on Fırat and Gaziantep formation limestone time series excavated in 2005, 2007, and 2013 demonstrates the progress of case hardening and deterioration after excavation. In combination with meteorological data from Gaziantep weather station the results are used to test and revise the model taking into account non-linear and threshold effects. Future excavation and conservation efforts should take into account the often-complex interactions between post-excavation case hardening and extreme winter conditions which can cause catastrophic deterioration.
Schütte-Maischatz A., Winter Engelbert. Die Mithräen von Doliche. Überlegungen zu den ersten Kultstätten der Mithras-Mysterien in der Kommagene. In: Topoi, volume 11/1, 2001. pp. 149-173.
THE THIRD CENTURY: THE ORIGINS OF SASANIAN INTERESTS IN THE WESTThe rise of the Sasanian dynasty, the revolt of Ardašīr I (224–40) against the Arsacids, the fall of Parthian rule and the foundation ...of the Neo-Persian Sasanian Empire (map 2) – together, these were not only a turning point within the history of Iran but also a benchmark regarding Iran's relations with Rome. Although Ardašīr's hostile attitude against Rome was at first a mere continuation of Parthian sentiments, within a few years of his reign the king established, consolidated and centralised his rule to the extent that his ambitions threatened wide areas of the eastern half of the Roman Empire. The West knew that Ardašīr's claims would go beyond the borders of the Parthian kingdom and that he would ask for more than declarations of loyalty from the many client kings within his empire; it was clear that he would claim all the territories that had once belonged to his Achaemenid ancestors. Rome therefore considered the Sasanian dynasty as a serious opponent right from the beginning of their relations (I).As soon as Ardašīr had established his rule he turned towards the West. According to the contemporary historian Herodian, Ardašīr I responded to a letter from the Roman emperor Severus Alexander (222–35), in which the emperor warned him to respect peace and reminded him of the great victories of Augustus, Trajan and Septimius Severus, by asking Rome to withdraw altogether from Syria and Asia Minor.
