Page 22 - Edessa, 'The Blessed City'-01, by J. B. Segal (Oxford, 1970). Chapters 1-3

II

EDESSA UNDER THE KINGS

HE EARLY SELEUCIDS founded military colonies and cities on a
scale never before seen in Mesopotamia—no fewer than ten were
established in the area of Edessa. But with the death of Antiochus
T Epiphanes in 163 B.C., this policy had become ineffective as an
instrument of direct government. Continuous warfare and internal dissension
had weakened the central administration in Syria, and the vast distances over
which the comparatively small numbers of Greek colonists were extended
made difficult the day-to-day control of even individual strongholds. The
structure of Hellenistic law and civic organization remained, and in some
areas the Seleucid era continued in use until it was superseded by the Moslem
system of dating;' but active political power in Mesopotamia passed out of the
hands of the Seleucids and their representatives. The final turning-point
came in the winter of 130-129 B.C., when a large part of the army of Antiochus
Sidetes—after gaining some initial success in Babylonia and Media—was
destroyed by the Parthians. Thereafter Syrian kings did not attempt to
assert their rule beyond the Euphrates.
The vacuum left by the Seleucids was occupied by the Parthians—apart
from some twelve years of domination by Tigranes of Armenia from 89 B.C.
Parthian suzerainty did not involve rigid or centralized control; and several
regions of Mesopotamia acquired some degree of autonomy. Some were
ruled by families of Arab or Nabataean stock, notably the regions of Hatra and
Singara to the east, Mesene to the south, and Anthemusia and Edessa in the
west. Edessa became the seat of an independent kingdom, according to a
tradition which seems trustworthy, only shortly before the defeat of An-
tiochus Sidetes. The reason is evident. Edessa was the most prominent city
in the region which was now called the province of Osrhoene—a name that
may be derived from Orhay, the native name of Edessa.2 The province was
1 In a document from Edessa dated A.D. 243, of the Edessans". Eastern Christians continue
the Seleucid era is referred to as 'the former to employ the Seleucid era in certain contexts
reckoning', presumably in contrast to the at the present time.
Roman system of chronology. At Edessa, the 2 If we accept as original the form Orrhoene.
Seleucid era began from October 312 B.C., as Pliny calls the people of the region Orroei or
among the Macedonians; the names of the Orrhoei; a Latin inscription at Rome (to be
months are, however, Semitic. Jacob of Edessa, dated after 242; see p. 3on. 3 below) has the form
in the first century of the Moslem period, Orrheni, and Dio Cassius has 'Opporjvot. (The
refers to 'this era of the Greeks, that is, the era name Movvouoppa AtlupT|9 in Isidore of Charax is

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