The Hellenistic Settlements in the East from Armenia and Mesopotamia to Bactria and India. Getzel M. Cohen

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ dans la localisation de Nicephorion nous paraît être le point le plus regrettable. . . . Alors que les sources indiquent clairement que cette fondation se trouve à la confluence du Balikh et de l’Euphrate, aucune prospection, aucune fouille dans cette région n’a permis de détecter l’existence de cette fondation.”⁶

      * * * *

      In general see Mannert, Geographie 5.2:286–88; Ritter, Erdkunde 10:1125–49; Droysen, Hist. 2:742–43; Kiepert, FOA Karte V, p. 5 (7); Chapot, Frontière 288f.; Herzfeld in Sarre and Herzfeld, Archäologische Reise 1:156–61; Tcherikover, HS 86; Weidner, RE s.v. “Nikephorion 2”; Musil, Middle Euphrates 227–29, 325–31; Berve, Alexanderreich 1:292; Tarn, Alexander 2:248; Toueir in DAI 1829–1979 210–14; Brodersen, Komment. 162; Ulbert in Archéologie 291–92; M. al-Khalaf and K. Kohlmeyer, DaM 2 (1985) 133–62; Biffi, Strabone 165.

      1. For other literary references to Nikephorion see, for example, Pliny NH 5.86; Ptolemy 5.18.6; Florus 1.46 (3.11.4); and Fronto Ep. ad Verum 2.24 (p. 131, ed. Van den Hout²). For the Nikephorion mentioned by Strabo 16.1.23 see NIKEPHORION Constantina/Constantia.

      2. Founder. Berve, Alexanderreich 1:292, preferred Alexander; see also Droysen, Hist. 2:668, 742f.; and Herzfeld in Sarre and Herzfeld, Archäologische Reise 1:145. Tarn, Alexander 2:248, objected to Alexander as founder because (a) there is no attestation for the term νικηφóρος being applied to or used by Alexander (Tarn, however, does note the term is found in the Alexander Romance [2.21.3, 3.17.33, 3.26.3, ed. Kroll]), and (b) the form of the toponym belongs to a group of names—like DOKIMEION—of settlements named for an official, and no officer of Alexander with that name is known. Both of these objections are reasonable, though it should be noted they are both ex silentio. In any event, Tarn referred to Appian and suggested the town was a Seleucid settlement. See also Tcherikover (HS 86), who noted (a) that before Gaugamela Alexander would not have settled soldiers needed for the forthcoming battle, (b) in the short time it took to get from Tyre to Thapsakos the king would not have had the time or opportunity to found a colony, and (c) toponyms with νίκη were normally given to settlements near the battlefields where the victory took place. Tcherikover could not bring such objections against Seleukos; hence he suggested the Seleucid king founded it and named it for some military victory; see also Honigmann, RE s.v. “Thapsakos,” 1274. Tcherikover’s objections are quite subjective and based on probability rather than fact. In fact there is no compelling historical context that allows the definite ascription of Nikephorion to either king (Brodersen, Komment. 162). Furthermore, it is worth recalling that some of the ascriptions in Appian’s list are questionable (see further Cohen, Settlements in Syria 3). Nevertheless, it would appear that Seleukos is the more probable candidate; see also Grainger, Seleukos 99–100.

      3. Acording to Florus 1.46, Crassus was at Nikephorion when an embassy from Orodes came to him; see further A. Garzetti, Athenaeum (1944) 4 of.; Marshall, Crassus 153.

      4. For the coinage see, for example, Mionnet, Supplément 8:414f., nos. 72–73; and Hill, BMC Arabia, etc. p. cix on Nikephorion: “Vaillant has attributed to this place, the modern Raqqa, coins of Gordian (rev. Zeus seated holding Nike and scepter) and Gallienus (rev. female figure holding phiale and cornucopiae) on which he reads the inscription ΝΙΚΗΦΟΡΙΩΝ. His attributions have not been confirmed.” Regarding this coinage, Kevin Butcher has supplied the following information: “Certainly I have never come across any coins purporting to come from Nikephorion, and I very much doubt that any exist. The reference to Mionnet suggested that the coins in question are likely to have been either in the Paris collection or quoted from very much older catalogues (or both). I had a look in J-F Vaillant’s Numismata imperatorum, Augustarum et Caesarum, a populis, Romanae ditionis, Graece loquentibus, 3rd edition, Paris, 1700, and sure enough, the coins of Gordian and Gallienus are listed there. The Gordian is on p. 154, the reference being a certain V. Valchner (not listed in his index of collectors); the Gallienus is on p. 182, in the collection of Jos. Felice (secretary to a cardinal in Rome). The coins must be misidentified coins of other cities, but the types (a seated Jupiter for Gordian and a standing female figure for Gallienus) do not permit me to guess which ones. In his alphabetical summary of mints Vaillant ascribes only coins of Gordian to Nikephorion (p. 202), evidently having forgotten the Gallienus.”

      5. See KALLINIKON, n. 2.

      6. Location. Pliny (NH 5.86, 6.119) places Nikephorion in Mesopotamia, “in vicinia Euphratis”; Isidore of Charax (1) locates it downstream from Zeugma on the Euphrates. On Raqqah see Musil, Middle Euphrates 91, 228–20, 325–27, and map at end. For a map and plan of the site see al-Khalaf and Kohlmeyer, DaM 2 (1985) opposite 134 and 136; see also Chapot, Frontière 289; Kiepert, FOA Karte V and p. 7; and Gaborit, Géographie historique 507. For Islamic Rakkah see M. Meinecke, MDOG 128 (1996) 157–72.

      POLYTELEIA

      Pliny (NH 6.118–19), who is our only source, says that southeast of the Sitrae was the town of Azochis and nearby (“mox in campestribus oppida”) were the towns of DIOSPAGE, Polyteleia, STRATONIKEIA, and ANTHEMOUS. Polyteleia was apparently located in Mesopotamia; precisely where we do not know.¹ The name, at least, suggests a Greek or Macedonian settlement.

      * * * *

      In general see Tcherikover, HS 85; Treidler, RE s.v. “Polyteleia”; and Dillemann, Mésopotamie 100f.

      1. See further STRATONIKEIA in Mesopotamia and ANTHEMOUSIAS. Markwart’s suggestion (Südarmenien 428) that Polyteleia was the Greek reinterpretation of the native toponym, Tella (later Viranshehir), is not convincing. On the multinamed Viranshehir (Nikephorion, Constantina, Antoninopolis, Maximianopolis, Tella) see NIKEPHORION Constantina; Mango in Bell, Tur ‘Abdin 154; Mango, ODB s.v. “Constantina.”

      SELOK

      E. Honigmann called attention to a spring called Selok southeast of KARRHAI.¹ The name is evocative. It recalls, for example, KARKA de BETH SELOK. Nevertheless, we would obviously need more information before suggesting there had been a Hellenistic settlement (a Seleukeia?) at or near the site of the spring.

      * * * *

      1. Honigmann, RE s.v. “Seleukeia 14.” For the location see PGM 57 (1911) II, map 18.

      STRATONIKEIA

      According to Pliny (NH 6.118–19), southeast of the Sitrae was the town of Azochis and nearby (“mox in campestribus oppida”) were the towns of DIOSPAGE, POLYTELEIA, Stratonikeia, and ANTHEMOUS[IAS]. Pliny, then says that in the vicinity of the Euphrates was NIKEPHORION. In his description Pliny was apparently swinging around from beyond the Tigris westward toward the Euphrates (Anthemousias was probably located at or quite near the Euphrates; Nikephorion was on it). It would appear, therefore, that Diospage, Polyteleia, and Stratonikeia were located in Mesopotamia. We do not know the exact location.¹ The founder is, likewise, not definitely known; most probably it was Seleukos I Nikator or his son, Antiochos.²

      * * * *

      In general see Tcherikover, HS 85.

      1. In his enumeration of the settlements founded by Seleukos I Nikator, Appian (Syr. 57) mentions one Stratonikeia (see Brodersen, Komment. 149f.). Four settlements of that name are known in Asia Minor and Asia from the extant evidence. Two—STRATONIKEIA in Caria and Lydia—were probably founded by Antiochos I. Both Strabo (14.2.25) and Stephanos (s.v. “Stratonikeia”) refer to a STRATONIKEIA near the Tauros and describe it as a small town (πολίχνιον). This particular city has not yet been firmly located. The Tauros Mountains, it is true, extended eastward to the region north of ARSAMEIA and AMIDA. In fact, Stephanos specified that ANTIOCH СКАЧАТЬ