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Tigranocerta

Coordinates: 38°08′32″N 41°00′05″E / 38.1422°N 41.0014°E / 38.1422; 41.0014
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Tigranocerta
Kingdom of Armenia
LocationArzanene Province, Kingdom of Armenia
(near Diyarbakır, Turkey)
History
BuilderTigranes the Great
Founded83–78 BC[1]
PeriodsHellenistic period[1]

Tigranocerta (Greek: Τιγρανόκερτα, Tigranόkerta; Tigranakert; Armenian: Տիգրանակերտ), also called Cholimma or Chlomaron in antiquity, was a city and the capital of the Armenian Kingdom between 77 and 69 BCE. It bore the name of Tigranes the Great, who founded the city in the first century BC. There is so far no common agreement on the precise location of Tigranakert; it was either near present-day Silvan, Arzan (Arzn, in the Armenian province of Arzanene or Aghdznik),[2] east of Diyarbakır, Turkey, or in the valley of the Garzan river mentioned by T. A. Sinclair.[3][4] It was one of four cities in historic Armenia named Tigranakert. The others were in Nakhichevan, Artsakh and Utik, the 4 cities being in the old Armenian provinces Aldznik, Goghtn, Utik, Artsakh.[5]

The population of Tigranocerta, the capital founded by Tigranes the Great (r. 95-55–BC), has been estimated at up to 100,000,[6] "over a quarter of a million",[7] possibly 300,000,[8] or even 500,000.[9] These are partly or entirely based on Appian, who in Mithridatic War §67 attests that Tigranes carried 300,000 people from Cappadocia to Tigranocerta. Many scholars cite the number without critical examination,[10][11][12] while Thomas Sinclair found it exaggerated.[13]

History

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To create this city, Tigranes forced many people out of their homes to make up the population.[14] Armenia at this time had expanded east to the Caspian Sea, west to central Cappadocia, and south towards Judea, advancing as far as the regions surrounding what is now the Krak des Chevaliers.

The city's markets were filled with traders and merchants doing business from all over the ancient world. Tigranocerta quickly became a very important commercial, as well as cultural center of the Near East. The magnificent theater that was established by the Great King, of which he was an avid devotee, conducted dramas and comedies mostly played by Greek as well as Armenian actors. Plutarch wrote that Tigranocerta was "a rich and beautiful city where every common man and every man of rank studied to adorn it".[15] The Hellenistic culture during the Artaxiad dynasty had a strong influence and the Greek language was in fact the official language of the court. Tigranes had divided Greater Armenia – the nucleus of the Empire – into four major strategic regions or viceroyalties.

A Roman force under Lucius Licinius Lucullus defeated Tigranes at the Battle of Tigranocerta nearby in 69 BC, and afterwards sacked the city, sending many of the people back to their original homes.[16]

After the plunder, which included the destruction of statues and temples, the city was set ablaze. An abundant quantity of gold and silver was carried off to Rome as war booty. Lucullus took most of the gold and silver from the melted-down statues, pots, cups and other valuable metals and precious stones. During the pillage most of the city's inhabitants fled to the countryside. The newly established theater building was also destroyed in the fire. The great city would never recover from this devastating destruction.[17]

During Pompey the Great's 'conquests of the east', Tigranocerta was retaken briefly by Rome, but was lost when Tigranes the Great was given parts of his kingdom back after his initial surrender to Pompey for the cost of 6,000 talents (an indemnity paid to Rome over an uncertain period). It was again taken by the Romans under Corbulo, during the Roman–Parthian War of 58–63.[18]

During late antiquity Tigranokert was commonly referred to as Chlomaron, which was either another name or the name of a more significant settlement near the ancient one. In 587 during the reign of emperor Maurice, Chlomaron and much of Armenia came under Roman administration after the Romans defeated the Sassanid Persian Empire at the Battle of the Blarathon.

During the Ottoman period, Armenians referred to the city of Diyarbekir as Dikranagerd (Western Armenian pronunciation of Tigranakert).[19]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Hovhannisian, P. (1985). "Տիգրանակերտ [Tigranakert]". Soviet Armenian Encyclopedia Vol. 11 (in Armenian). Yerevan: Armenian Encyclopedia. p. 697.
  2. ^ See Thomas A. Sinclair, "The Site of Tigranocerta. I," Revue des Études Arméniennes 25 (1994-95): pp. 183-254; idem, "The Site of Tigranocerta. II," Revue des Études Arméniennes 26 (1996-97): 51-117.
  3. ^ Sinclair, T. A. (1989-12-31). Eastern Turkey: An Architectural & Archaeological Survey, Volume III. Pindar Press. p. 297. ISBN 978-0-907132-34-9.
  4. ^ Atkinson, Kenneth (2016-09-22). A History of the Hasmonean State: Josephus and Beyond. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 297. ISBN 978-0-567-66903-2.
  5. ^ Karapetian, Samvel (2001). Armenian Cultural Monuments in the Region of Karabakh. Yerevan: "Gitutiun" Publishing House of National Academy of Sciences of Armenia. p. 213. ISBN 9785808004689. The data of records referring to these four towns, all of which were called Tigranakert and differed only by provinces, were often confused, if the name of the province; Aldznik, Goghtn, Utik or Artsakh...
  6. ^ Nahapetyan, R. A. (2017). "Ապպիանոսի «Հռոմեական պատմություն» երկը՝ հայոց պատմության և մշակույթի կարևոր սկզբնաղբյուր [Appian's Work Roman History as an Important Source for the Armenian History and Culture]". Lraber Hasarakakan Gitutyunneri (in Armenian). 2 (2): 73. ISSN 0320-8117. Ըստ երևույթին, Տիգրանակերտի բնակչությունը 100 հազարից չէր անցնի
  7. ^ Lang, David Marshall (1970). Armenia: Cradle of Civilization. London: Allen & Unwin. p. 136. ...the mighty city of Tigranokerta ... This metropolis of over a quarter of a million souls rapidly declined to the status of a second-rate provincial town.
  8. ^ Sinclair, T.A. (1989). Eastern Turkey: An Architectural & Archaeological Survey, Volume III. Pindar Press. p. 364. ISBN 9780907132349. The few items of information that ancient historical sources give us concerning the size of Tigranocerta imply a population of over 300,000.
  9. ^ Baumer, Christoph (2021). History of the Caucasus. Volume 1: At the Crossroads of Empires. I.B. Tauris. p. 134. When Tigranes learned of the death of the dreaded commander Sulla in 78 bce, he invaded Cappadocia and deported about 300,000 people to Tigranakert. The forced resettlement of Syrians and Jews increased the population of Tigranakert to half a million.
  10. ^ Manandyan, Hakob; translation and introduction by George A. Bournoutian (2007). Tigranes II and Rome. Costa Mesa, California: Mazda Publishers. p. 40. ISBN 978-1-56859-166-7.
  11. ^ Broughton, T. R. S. (1959). "Roman Asia Minor". In Frank, Tenney (ed.). An Economic Survey of Ancient Rome. Vol. IV: Africa, Syria, Greece, Asia Minor. Paterson, New Jersey: Pageant Books. p. 526. Having gained possession of Syria and Cilicia by 83 B. C. , Tigranes now occupied Cappadocia and transported, according to Appian (Mith., 67), 300,000 people from Cappadocia to his new capital Tigranocerta. This number may, however, include what he had taken from Cilicia where he left cities wholly or partly.
  12. ^ Duggan, Alfred (1959). King of Pontus: The Life of Mithradates Eupator. Coward-McCann. p. 143. But nearly all of its 300,000 inhabitants were captives dragged from their homes in Persia or Cappadocia, unwilling settlers who could not be trusted to defend their prison.
  13. ^ Sinclair, Thomas (1996–1997). "The Site of Tigranocerta (II)". Revue des Études Arméniennes. 26: 95. doi:10.2143/REA.26.0.2003745. On Appian's evidence (Mithridatic War 67), the number of people from Cappadocia carried off in 78 B.C. to populate the city was 300,000. The number is exaggerated, but there were forced migrants from Cilicia and other places too.
  14. ^ Cassius Dio, Roman History, 36.2.3.
  15. ^ Plutarch, Life of Lucullus, 26.2.
  16. ^ Holmes, T. Rice, "Tigranocerta." Journal of Roman Studies 7 (1917): pp. 120-38.
  17. ^ Plutarch, Life of Lucullus, 29.3.
  18. ^ Goldsworthy, Adrian. In the Name of Rome: The Men Who Won The Roman Empire, 2nd Ed.. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2003.
  19. ^ Hovannisian, Richard G. (2006). Armenian Tigranakert/Diarbekir and Edessa/Urfa. Costa Mesa, California: Mazda Publishers. p. 2. ISBN 9781568591537. The city that later generations of Armenians would call Dikranagerd was actually ancient Amid or Amida (now Diarbekir or Diyarbakir), a great walled city with seventy-two towers...

Bibliography

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38°08′32″N 41°00′05″E / 38.1422°N 41.0014°E / 38.1422; 41.0014

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