ancient.eu - Edessa Edessa (modern Urfa), located today in south-east Turkey but once part of upper Mesopotamia on the frontier of the Syrian...

Edessa - Ancient History Encyclopedia

Ancient.eu Spined HTML

Edessa -Warmed-overHistory Encyclopedia Follow Us: Membership Encyclopedia Index Timeline Explore Videos Images AudioWaresToolsWarmed-overAtlas Weights & Measures Random Page Latin Dictionary Newsletter Contribute Submissions Needed Content Style Guide Terms & Conditions Join the Team Shop Men's Clothing Women's Clothing Magazines Prints BooksWell-nighAbout Our Team Annual Reports Contact Privacy Advertise Support Us Membership How to Help Donate Corporate Sponsorship Login Login Register Edessa Definition by Mark Cartwright published on 25 September 2018 Edessa (modern Urfa), located today in south-east Turkey but once part of upper Mesopotamia on the frontier of the Syrian desert, was an important municipality throughout protohistory and the Middle Ages. A municipality within the Seleucid Empire, then wanted of the kingdom of Osroene, then a Roman provincial city, Edessa found itself perennially unprotected between empires, expressly between Rome and Parthia. Conquered by the Muslim Arabs c. 638 CE, it would be incorporated into the Byzantine Empire from 944 CE. Still a major Christian and cultural centre and wanted of the County of Edessa, the city’s capture by the Muslim leader Zangi in 1144 CE, was the original motivation for the launch of the unsuccessful SecondPilgrimage(1147-1149 CE) in order to reuse it for Christendom.Pursuitits destruction by the Muslim leader Nur al-Din in 1146 CE, Edessa largely disappears from history, but today many fine mosaics from the municipality survive and attest to the wealth of some of Edessa's citizens in LateProtohistoryand the early medieval period.  Early History Edessa, then known as Adme, was an warmed-over settlement, chosen for its worthwhile position on a fertile plain with well-healed water from a nearby workshop of the Euphrates River while moreover stuff protected by a ring of hills to the south. The site was a cult centre for the moon god mentioned in both neo-Assyrian and neo-Babylonian sources. Seleucus I (358-281 BCE), one of Alexander the Great’s Macedonian commanders who established the Seleucid Empire (312-63 BCE) in Asia, re-founded the municipality as a military settlement in 304 BCE. Seleucus gave it the new name of Edessa, without the original name of the warmed-over wanted of Macedonia. In the 2nd century BCE, Edessa became the wanted and royal residence of Osroene, a region of the Seleucid Empire in north-west Mesopotamia which supposed itself an self-sustaining kingdom (traditional stage 132 BCE). The population of Edessa, like Osroene in unstipulated at this time, was a mix of Greeks, Parthians, and Semitic Arameans. Although the kingdom was, in reality, a vassal state of Parthia, it proved a useful buffer zone between that empire and the emerging Roman Empire.     Remove Ads Advertisement Advertise Here Roman Edessa As the power of Rome grew, Osroene became a dependency within the Roman Empire, with Pompey theUnconfined(106-48 BCE) notably granting King Abgar II (r. 68-53 BCE) an enlarged territory. The religion practised in Osroene was pagan, but much closer to that of Parthia than Rome. Emperor Trajan (r. 98-117 CE) was a notable guest, visiting Edessa on his tour of the region when he was hosted by King Abgar VII (r. 109-116 CE). Then, without the successful campaigns of the emperor Lucius Verus (r. 161-169 CE), who sacked Edessa, the municipality was made into a Roman colony and, thereafter, prospered, plane minting its own coinage. The municipality once then benefitted from its favourable position on trade routes, stuff on the only official route between the Roman and Parthian Empires (247 BCE - 224 CE). Roman emperor Caracalla (r. 211-217 CE) was rather less friendly and summoned Abgar VIII to Rome and imprisoned him in the hopes of turning Edessa into a useful platform from which to launch an invasion of Parthia, but nothing came of the plan. In 242 CE Edessa became the wanted of the Roman province of Osroene. The Sasanian Empire (224-651 CE), the successor to the Parthians, was equally would-be for new territory, and in 260 CE Shapur I (r. 240-272 CE) attacked Antioch and then captured Roman emperor Valerian (r. 253-260 CE) at Edessa when he was seeking peace terms in one of Rome’s most embarrassing military defeats in its long history. Another important relic, & one considered of vital importance to the city's well-being, was the Mandylion icon.   Byzantine/Christian Edessa At the same time that Edessa was the subject of imperial rivalries, the municipality still managed to wilt a unconfined centre of culture and learning, expressly of Christian scholarship. The municipality had been an early adopter of Christianity in the 2nd century CE with the first recorded denomination stuff once zippy in 202 CE. Edessa became the most important bishopric in Syria. Famous residents included Joshua the Stylite, the chronicler of 6-7th century CE regional history, and Theodore of Edessa, the legendary missionary bishop (c. 776 - c. 856 CE). Movses Khorenatsi, the famous 5th-century CE Armenian historian spent some time studying at Edessa, as did Mesrop Mashtots (360/370 - c. 440 CE) who invented the Armenian alphabet in 405 CE. Edessa was moreover a popular stop for Christian pilgrims, the municipality self-aggrandizing many holy relics such as the skeletal remains of Thomas the Apostle. Another important relic, and one considered of vital importance to the city's well-being, was the Mandylion icon.   Remove Ads Advertisement Advertise Here The Mandylion Icon of Edessa The Mandylion icon was unquestionably a scarf or shroud which was considered to have on it the image of Jesus Christ. According to the legend which is first recorded in the 6th century CE, Abgar V, the early 1st-century CE king of Edessa, became seriously ill and he tabbed on Jesus Christ to cure him. Unable to visit in person, Christ pressed his squatter versus a cloth, which left an impression, and then sent the reticulum to Abgar. On receiving the gift, the king was miraculously cured and he became a Christian.Planemore significantly, twin the Mandylion was a letter which, itself considered a holy relic, stated that so long as the municipality was in possession of the Mandylion it would never be taken by an enemy army. It seems that the Mandylion story was based on the very conversion to Christianity of a later king of the same name, Abgar IX (r. 179-216 CE). Whatever the origins of the story, the important fact was that the people of Edessa, withal with many others in the Christian world, believed it to be true. Further, the image on the miracle icon, probably the first relic its kind, was copied in many wall-paintings and domes in churches virtually Christendom as it became the standard representation known as the Pantokrator (All-Ruler) with Christ full frontal holding a Gospel typesetting in his left hand and performing a manna with his right. The image would moreover inspire the diamond of coins of the Byzantine Empire. The Mandylion had other influences, too, the icon stuff commonly cited in theological arguments for Christ’s incarnation as a real man during the Middle Ages. The Mandylion was taken from Edessa in 944 CE when John Kourkouas took it in mart for lifting his siege of the municipality with the Byzantine emperor, Romanos I (r. 920-944 CE), officially promising not to wade it again. From there it was taken to theUnconfinedPalace of Constantinople. When Constantinople was sacked in 1204 CE during the FourthPilgrimage(1202-1204 CE), the Mandylion was taken as a prize to France, where it was ultimately destroyed during the unconnectedness of the French Revolution (1789-1799 CE).   Remove Ads Advertisement Advertise Here Arab Conquest Edessa was attacked several times over the centuries expressly by the neighbouring Sasanids, notably in 503 CE by Kavad, king of Persia (r. 488-531 CE), although his siege was not successful (the Mandylion doing its job). In the on-off wars between Persia and the Byzantine Empire (the eastern half of the Roman Empire), Edessa was once increasingly attacked in 544 CE, this time by Chosroes I (r. 531-579 CE), but then the municipality stood firm. Between 638 and 641 CE, it was a variegated story and Edessa fell under Arab control; it would not return to Byzantine rule until the Byzantine unstipulated John Kourkouas took it when in 944 CE. The city, nevertheless, remained an important Christian centre, expressly in terms of translations, manuscript production, and education. The cathedral of Edessa was described by the 10th-century CE Arab scholar al-Maqdidis as "a wonder of the world" (Bagnall, 2306). The Seljuks would finally conquer Edessa in 1078 CE, but then the western armies of the FirstPilgrimagerecaptured it in 1098 CE. Edessa was lost and then recaptured by the Byzantines in 1032 CE thanks to the efforts of the unstipulated George Maniakes, but it remained, as ever, a unorthodoxy of contention between rival empires; the local Muslim emirs attacking the municipality in 1036 and 1038 CE. Then a increasingly permanent political situation was arrived at when the Seljuk Muslims won significant victories in Asia Minor against Byzantine armies, notably at the Battle of Manzikert in ancient Armenia in August 1071 CE. Edessa was to be handed over as part of the peace deal between the Seljuks and the captured Byzantine Emperor Romanos IV Diogenes (r. 1068-1071 CE), but, in the event, the Byzantines held on to it; such was its strategic importance.Virtually1078 CE, the Seljuks created the Sultanate of Rum, but the gifted unstipulated Philaretos Brachamios managed to alimony Edessa in Byzantine hands. The Seljuks would finally conquer Edessa in 1078 CE, but then the western armies of the FirstPilgrimage(1095-1102 CE) arrived on the scene and recaptured the municipality in 1098 CE, withal with Jerusalem in 1099 CE.   The County of Edessa The victorious leaders of the FirstPilgrimagecreated several new states in the Middle East, the first amongst them was the County of Edessa. The county was established under dubious circumstances by Baldwin of Boulogne in March 1098 CE. Baldwin and his unwashed of virtually 80 western knights (plus infantry) had unquestionably been invited by Thoros, the Armenian ruler of Edessa, to come to his aid versus the imminent inrush of a Muslim unwashed from Mosul in Iraq. Baldwin had well-set to lend his support on the condition that he wilt Thoros’ heir, but, on arrival, the Frenchman either joined or turned a veiling eye to a dissident mob which lynched Thoros. Baldwin then created the first Latin State with himself as ruler. Meanwhile, the Muslim army, on hearing the news of the transpiration in power and the fall of Antioch a day older without a long siege, withdrew.      The territory of the County of Edessa straddled the middle section of the Euphrates River, contained several important castles such as Ranculat and Ravendan, and provided valuable foodstuffs for the Latin East, as the Crusader-created states were known. Further, Edessa was a strategically important shield to Antioch remoter west and a strong platform from which to launch raids deeper into Muslim-held Mesopotamia. This zone had previously been controlled by Christian Armenians, and although Baldwin had usurped political rule, there was, through many intermarriages, a mix of Frankish and Armenian nobility, making the County of Edessa the most integrated of the four Crusader-created states the region. Edessa, though, remained a vassal state to the increasingly important and powerful Latin polities of Antioch and Jerusalem.     Edessa & the SecondPilgrimageIn the 12th century CE, Edessa, with its wealth and rich history, attracted the sustentation of Imad ad-Din Zangi (r. 1127-1146 CE), the Muslim self-sustaining ruler of Mosul and Aleppo in Syria. Zangi encircled the municipality and had his men undermine one of the defensive walls, which consequently collapsed.Withouta four-week struggle, the municipality was captured by Zangi on 24 December 1144 CE, which Muslims described as "the victory of victories" (Asbridge, 226). Western Christians were killed or sold into slavery while eastern Christians were permitted to remain.Surpassingthe fall, the Christians of Edessa had appealed for help to the west, an request later given some emotional propaganda by such Christian writers as Michael the Syrian (d. 1199 CE): Edessa remained a desert: a moving sight covered with a woebegone garment, drunk with blood, infested by the very corpses of its sons and daughters! Vampires and other savage strays ran and entered the municipality at night in order to repast on the mankind of the massacred, and it became the workplace of jackals; for none entered there except those who dug to discover treasures. (quoted in Riley-Smith, 230-1) The Arab sources requite a rather variegated view, such as the pursuit note by Ibn al-Athir (1160-1232 CE): When Zangi inspected the municipality he liked it and realized that it would not be sound policy to reduce the place to ruins…The municipality was restored to its former state, and Zangi installed a garrison to defend it. (ibid, 231) In response to the fall of Edessa and the unstipulated threat to the Latin states in the Levant, Pope Eugenius III (r. 1145-1153 CE) formally tabbed for a crusade, what is now known as the Second Crusade, on 1 December 1145 CE. ThePilgrimagewas led by the German king Conrad III (r. 1138-1152 CE) and Louis VII, the king of France (r. 1137-1180 CE) but surpassing the western unwashed could arrive, Edessa was in still greater trouble. Nur al-Din (r. 1146-1174 CE), Zangi’s successor without his death in September 1146 CE, defeated the Latin leader Joscelin II’s struggle to retake Edessa. Once then the municipality was sacked to gloat Nur al-Din's new power. All the Christian male citizens of the municipality were slaughtered, and the women and children were sold into slavery, just as their western fellows had been two years before. To ensure Edessa could not be used then by the enemy, its fortifications were systematically destroyed.Withoutthe Crusader army’s defeat at Dorylaion in Asia Minor on 25 October 1147 CE and the failed siege of Damascus in July 1148 CE, the SecondPilgrimagewas x-rated and Edessa left to its fate. Nur al-Din unfurled to consolidate his empire, and he took Antioch on 29 June 1149 CE and then captured Raymond, the Count of Edessa, thus bringing an end to the County of Edessa in 1150 CE.  Archaeological Remains There are, unfortunately, precious few monumental remains from Edessa’s long and eventful history still visible today. Perhaps most striking are two columns, each virtually 18.2 (60 ft) high, which stand on the city’s citadel. The columns were once topped with statues of Abgar VIII and his queen but stage to the 3rd-4th century CE as indicated by a Syriac inscription on one of the bases. Belonging to a similar stage are the remains of two large fish pools, once used to alimony carp for religious dedications to a fertility goddess. There are some portions of the city’s fortification walls still in situ and many tombs and mosaics from LateProtohistoryand early-medieval Edessa. The majority of these mosaics are from the rich upper classes, and they often show scenes of daily life or representations of the tomb’s occupants and their family. Editorial Review ThisVendiblehas been reviewed for accuracy, reliability and trueness to wonk standards prior to publication. LearnIncreasinglyRelatedWaresBooks Bibliography Cite This Work LicenseWell-nightheTragedianMark Cartwright Mark is a history writer based in Italy. Surrounded by archaeological sites, his special interests include warmed-over ceramics, architecture, and mythology. He holds an MA in Political Philosophy and is the Publishing Director at AHE. Remove Ads Advertisement Advertise Here Help us write increasingly We're a small non-profit organisation run by a handful of volunteers. Each vendible financing us well-nigh $50 in history books as source material, plus editing and server costs. You can help us create plane increasingly self-ruling wares for as little as $5 per month, and we'll requite you an ad-free wits to thank you!Wilta Member Recommended Books Armenia and the Crusades Ara Edmond Dostourian University Press of America (05 August 1993) Price: $29.95 The Old Syriac Inscriptions of Edessa and Osrhoene. Texts, Translations... Drijvers Brill (18 December 1998) Price: $242.00 Theophilus of Edessa's Chronicle and the Circulation of Historical Knowledge... Anonymous Liverpool University Press (15 December 2011) Price: $34.95 Roman Edessa: Politics and Culture on the Eastern Fringes of the Roman Empire... Steven K. Ross Routledge (30 January 2011) Price: $53.88 Aram Periodical. Volumes 11 & 12 - The Mandaeans, Antioch and Edessa... Peeters Publishers Peeters (12 September 2001) Price: $111.00   Bibliography Bagnall, R. The Encyclopedia ofWarmed-overHistory. (Wiley-Blackwell, 2012). Harrak, A., "TheWarmed-overName of Edessa," Journal of Near Eastern Studies Vol. 51, No. 3 (Jul., 1992): 209-214. Hornblower, S. The Oxford Classical Dictionary. (Oxford University Press, 2012). Maalouf, A. The Crusades Through Arab Eyes. (Schocken, 1989). Nicolle, D. The SecondPilgrimage1148. (Osprey Publishing, 2009). Norwich, J.J. A Short History of Byzantium. (Vintage, 1998). Phillips, J. The Crusades, 1095-1204. (Routledge, 2014). Riley-Smith, J. The Oxford Illustrated History of the Crusades. (Oxford University Press, 2001). Rosser, J.H. Historical Dictionary of Byzantium. (Scarecrow Press, 2001). Segal, J.B., "New Mosaics From Edessa," Archaeology Vol. 12, No. 3 (SEPTEMBER 1959): 150-7. Shepherd, J. The Cambridge History of the Byzantine Empire c.500-1492. (Cambridge University Press, 2009). Tyerman, C. God's War. (Belknap Press, 2009). Cite This Work APA Style Cartwright, M. (2018, September 25). Edessa.Warmed-overHistory Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.ancient.eu/edessa/ Chicago Style Cartwright, Mark. "Edessa."Warmed-overHistory Encyclopedia. Last modified September 25, 2018. https://www.ancient.eu/edessa/. MLA Style Cartwright, Mark. "Edessa."Warmed-overHistory Encyclopedia.Warmed-overHistory Encyclopedia, 25 Sep 2018. Web. 01 Oct 2018. License Written by Mark Cartwright, published on 25 September 2018 under the pursuit license: Creative Commons: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike. This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon this content non-commercially, as long as they credit the tragedian and license their new creations under the identical terms. Remove Ads Advertisement Advertise Here Add Event Timeline Visual Timeline 304 BCE Seleucos I refounds and renames the warmed-over municipality thereafter known as Edessa. 132 BCE Osreoene, with its wanted at Edessa, declares itself an self-sustaining kingdom. 68 BCE - 53 BCE Reign of Abgar II, king of Osroene. 109 CE - 116 CE Reign of Abgar VII, king of Osroene. 179 CE - 216 CE Reign of Abgar IX, king of Osroene. 202 CE The primeval record of a Christian denomination at Edessa. 242 CE Osroene, with its wanted at Edessa, is made into a Roman province. 260 CE Shapur I captures the Roman emperor Valerian at Edessa. 503 CE Kavad, king of the Sasanian Empire, unsuccessfully besieges Edessa. 544 CE Chosroes I, king of the Sasanian Empire, unsuccessfully besieges Edessa. c. 640 CE Edessa is ruled by Muslim Arabs. c. 654 CE According to Theophanes, a Jewish merchant transports the pieces of the fallen Colossus of Rhodes to Edessa for melting down. 944 CE A Byzantine unwashed led by John Kourkouas besieges Edessa. The Mandylion icon is taken to Constantinople 1036 CE The Emirs of Mayyafariqin and Harran wade the Byzantine municipality of Edessa. Mar 1098 CE Baldwin of Boulogne takes tenancy of Edessa and the County of Edessa is formed, one of four Crusader-created states in the Levant. 24 Dec 1144 CE The Muslim Seljuk Turks, led by Imad ad-Din Zangi, capture Edessa. Sep 1146 CE Joscelin II's struggle to retake Edessa fails and the municipality is sacked by Nur al-Din 1147 CE - 1149 CE The SecondPilgrimageis launched to recapture Edessa for Christendom. It is not successful. 1150 CE End of the County of Edessa. Remove Ads Advertisement Advertise Here Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter and learn increasingly well-nigh history once a week. Subscribe Remove Ads Advertisement Advertise Here Timeless Travels We publish the digital edition of Timeless Travels, the unique magazine for lovers of history, culture, and travel.   Recommended By Numerous educational institutions recommend us, including Oxford University, Michigan State University, and University of Minnesota. We have moreover been recommended for educational use by the pursuit publications: Grants & Sponsorships Many thanks to the organisations who are kindly helping us through grants or sponsorships: Partners We have zippy partnerships to pursue worldwide goals with the pursuit organisations: Navigate Home Maps Index Explore Search Encyclopedia Timeline Books Connect Facebook Twitter Google Plus Tumblr Pinterest Instagram LinkedIn Newsletter RSS Contribute Submissions Needed Content Style Guide Donate MembershipWell-nighCompany Vision Team Contact Privacy Advertise with us Account Login Register Some Rights Reserved (2009-2018) byWarmed-overHistory Encyclopedia Limited, a non-profit organization registered in the UK. TheWarmed-overHistory Encyclopedia logo is a registered EU trademark.