Sophene, Gordyene, and Adiabene

Michał Marciak, Ph.D. (2012), Leiden University, is a Research Fellow at Rzeszów University in Poland. He has published extensively on ancient Palestine and Northern Mesopotamia, including the monograph Izates, Helena, and Monobazos of Adiabene (Harrassowitz, 2014).

• AcknowledgementsAbbreviations and Preliminary RemarksIntroductionPart 1: Sophene1 Historical Geography of Sophene1.1 Strabo1.2 Pliny the Elder1.3 Ptolemy1.4 Plutarch and Tabula Peutingeriana1.5 Tacitus1.6 Sophene in the Context of Byzantine-Sasanian Wars1.7 Notitia Dignitatum1.8 Byzantine Administrative Reforms of Armenian Lands1.9 Descriptio Orbis Romani by George of Cyprus1.10 Sophene in Armenian Sources1.11 Summary and Conclusions2 Cultural Landscape of Sophene2.1 Literary Sources2.2 Papyrological and Epigraphic Evidence2.3 Numismatic Evidence2.4 Onomastic Data2.5 Archaeological Sites2.6 Communication Routes in the Upper Tigris Region2.7 Roman Fortresses and Bridges in the Upper Tigris Region2.8 Summary and Conclusions3 Political History of Sophene3.1 The Beginnings: Sophene and Kommagene Under the Rule of the Orontids?3.2 The Dynasty of Zariadres3.3 Sophene and the Third Mithridatic War3.4 Sohaemus and the Peace of Rhandeia3.5 Sophene in the Context of the Roman-Sasanian Wars3.6 The Transtigritani in the Light of Armenian sources3.7 List of Rulers of Sophene3.8 Summary and ConclusionsPart 2: Gordyene4 Historical Geography of Gordyene4.1 Xenophon’s Karduchoi4.2 Strabo4.3 Pliny the Elder4.4 Ptolemy4.5 Plutarch4.6 Arrian, Cassius Dio and Tabula Peutingeriana4.7 Ammianus Marcellinus, Notitia Dignitatum, and Descriptio Orbis Romani4.8 Armenian Sources4.9 Cudi Dağι in Jewish-Postbiblical, Syriac and Arabic Sources4.10 Summary and Conclusions5 Cultural Landscape of Gordyene5.1 Literary Sources5.2 Ancient Routes in Gordyene5.3 Onomastic Data5.4 Archaeological Sites5.5 Summary and Conclusions6 Political History of Gordyene6.1 Karduchoi in the Persian Empire6.2 King Zarbienos6.3 Gordyene and Adiabene6.4 Trajan and Gordyene6.5 Gordyene and Transtigritanae regiones6.6 Gordyene in the Sasanian Kingdom6.7 Summary and ConclusionsPart 3: Adiabene7 Historical Geography of Adiabene7.1 Ethnographical and Geographical Accounts on Adiabene7.2 Historiographical Passages on Adiabene7.3 Summary and Conclusions8 Cultural Landscape of Adiabene8.1 Literary Sources8.2 Archaeological Sites8.3 Numismatic and Epigraphic Evidence8.4 The Adiabene Onomasticon8.5 Monumental Reliefs in Adiabene8.6 Summary9 Political History of Adiabene9.1 Adiabene in the Hellenistic Period9.2 Adiabene in the Parthian Period (1st Century BCE–1st Century CE)9.3 Adiabene and Trajan’s Parthian War9.4 Lucius Verus9.5 Septimius Severus9.6 Adiabene, Hatra, and Osrhoene9.7 Caracalla9.8 Cognomen Adiabenicus in the Third and Fourth Centuries CE9.9 The Byzantine Campaigns in Adiabene in the 6–7th Centuries CE9.10 Adiabene within the Sasanian Kingdom9.11 Summary and Conclusions10 Summary: A Regional Perspective and General IssuesBibliographyFigures

"The author draws upon a wide range of literary sources in a number of languages, primarily in Greek, Latin, Syriac, and Armenian. He also draws upon a wide range of material sources and the latest archaeological data. The result is an indispensable tool for anyone interested in the geography and history of northern Mesopotamia. (...) The book is extremely well-structured and indexed, and a joy to use for these reasons. The English is excellent, and typographical errors almost entirely absent. (...) Consequently, this book is to be highly recommended to anyone whose research involves the geography or history of northern Mesopotamia." - David Woods, in: Bryn Mawr Classical Review 2018.04.24''A rich collection of data with thorough source citations and an update bibliography, the study is useful as a reference for specialists and graduate students.'' - H. Chang, in: Choice 2018.55.08''Dass Marciak mit „Sophene, Gordyene, and Adiabene“ die erste umfangreiche Studie über die Regionen im Norden Mesopotamiens bietet, verdient Anerkennung. Der Autor hat englische Übersetzungen der ausführlich thematisierten Quellen in sein Werk aufgenommen. Auf welche Übertragungen und Editionen er dabei zurückgegriffen hat, macht er in den Fußnoten deutlich. Er hat seine Untersuchung klar formuliert und bietet am Ende des Buchs noch eine umfangreiche Bibliographie (435–496), eine Vielzahl von Karten und Abbildungen (497–554) und mehrere Register (555–581). Mit seinem Werk hat Marciak einen wichtigen Schritt dafür geleistet, das kulturelle Erbe der Sophene, Gordiene und Adiabene stärker ins Bewusstsein zu rufen.'' - Tino Shahin, in: Plekos 2018.20''Marciak hat eine gelungene und mit großer Sorgfalt verfasste Untersuchung vorgelegt, die für die weitere Forschung zum antiken Nordmesopotamien Maßstäbe setzt und sich insbesondere für die künftige Erarbeitung der Geographie dieser Region als unverzichtbares "Startkapital" erweisen wird.'' - Monika Schuol, in: Sehepunkte 2018.18.05"This study of Sophene, Gordyene and Adiabene will no doubt be the standard work for many years to come." - Søren Lund Sørensen, in: Orbis Terrarum, 17 (2019)