Mesopotamia

  • Mesopotamia was a region in the Classical World which is now located around the area of modern Iraq. Between 116-117 CE it was briefly a Roman Province under Trajan.
  • The name is from the Greek meaning ‘the country between the rivers’, the Tigris and the Euphrates.

1. History

  • Pre-Roman history:
    • Mesopotamia is considered to be one of the six Cradles of Civilisation.
    • It’s territory was part of the Fertile Crescent which covered northern Egypt, the Levant, northern Syria southeastern Turkey, Iraq and a part of southwestern Iran.
    • From c. 3,100 BCE Mesopotamia was the home of The Sumerian and Akkadian civilisations, then the Babylonian and Assyrian Empires.
    • The Achaemenid Empire from 539 BCE, the Greek Seleucid Empire from 332 BCE, and the Parthian Empire from c. 150 BCE.
    • In 331 BCE Alexander the Great invaded Mesopotamia and defeated the Persian King. Darius III, at the Battle of Gaugamela, continuing on and capturing Babylon and Susa.
    • Between 323-83 BCE, Alexander’s General, Seleucus, formed the Seleucid Empire in the East which included Mesopotamia.
    • In 83 BCE, the Seleucid Empire was overrun by Tigranes the Great, King of Armenia.
  • Timeline of this Province:
  • Under The Republic:
    • In 63 BCE, the Roman General Pompey invaded Syria and then proceeded to attack the Persian Empire, although he gained no territory in Mesopotamia.
  • After Augustus reconstituted the Republic into an Empire (27 BCE):
  • Acquisition by Rome:
  • Under Trajan
    • 114 CE Trajan conquered Armenia, and by 115 CE he had taken northern Mesopotamia.
    • 115 CE Trajan conquered the remainder of Mesopotamia.
    • 116-7 CE Trajan briefly established the Province of Mesopotamia and continued his conquest into the Parthian Empire where he conquered Susa (Shush in Iran) in 116 CE, and replaced the Parthian client King with a Roman Client King, Parthamaspates.
    • But in 117 CE when Hadrian came to power, he decided the Eastern Possessions could not be protected, and Mesopotamia reverted to the Parthian Empire.
  • Under Lucius Verus
  • Under Septimius Severus
    • 193 CE After the Civil War with Pescennius Niger, Osrhoene was made into a Roman Province. Septimius Severus then campaigned against the Parthian Empire and sacked the Capital Ctesiphon.
    • 198 CE Mesopotamia was made into a Roman Province with the Capital at Nisibis (Nusaybin, Turkey),
    • It then became a Frontier Province with the Parthian Empire, continually changing sides as it was alternatively occupied either by the Romans or by the Parthians.
    • 239-243 CE It was lost to the Sassanid Empire under Ardashir I, and retaken by Timesitheus in 243 CE.
    • 253-260 CE Mesopotamia was attacked by Shapur I, who eventually captured the Roman Emperor Valerian in 260 CE.
    • 261 CE The Persians were repelled by Odaenathus of Palmyra, which kept Mesopotamia in the Roman orbit until 363 CE.
  • After Diocletian’s Reforms (297 CE):
    • 363 CE The Persians overran Singara and Nisibis, and the capital was moved to Amida (Diyarbakir, Turkey).
  • After Death of Theodosius and the split into Eastern and Western Empire (395 CE):
    • Mesopotamia continued as a Province under the Byzantine Empire until it was overrun by the Arab Invasions between 633-654 CE.
  • Famous Persons from this Province:
  • Chief Archeological Finds:
  • Historic Battle Sites:
  • Main Historical Sources for this Province:

2. Geography

  • Capital City:
    • Nisibis (Nusaybin, Turkey) (up to 363 CE)
    • Amida (Diyarbakir, Turkey) (from 363 CE onwards)
  • Chief Cities:
    • Constantina (Viransehir, Turkey), Martyropolis (Silvan, Turkey), Kephas (Hasankeyf, Turkey), Dara (505-639 CE) (Oguz, Turkey), Edessa (Sanliurfa, Turkey),
  • Location Today:
    • Iraq, Southeastern Turkey, Northern Syria and a part of Southwestern Iran.
  • Neighbouring Roman Provinces:
    • Osrhoene to the south.
    • The Euphrates and Tigris to the North, the River Khabur to the east.
    • Frontier Province with the Parthian Empire.
  • Climate and Temperature Today:
    • Summers:
      • Temperatures can reach 48°C in July and August.
    • Winters:
      • Temperatures can drop below 0°C in January.
    • Rainfall:
      • It only rains for six months, from November to April, the rain falls mostly in the Mountains to the North of Mesopotamia and produces flashfloods.
    • Winds:
      • The ‘Sharqui’
        • a strong, dry, and dusty wind from the south or southeast gusting up to 50 mph (80 kph) that can last from one to several days. It blows between April to June and September to November, and can create considerable duststorms.
      • The ‘Shamal’
        • this blows from the north and northwest, between June to September and can also produce duststorms.
  • Main Geographical features:
    • Mesopotamia is a huge flat Plain running from the Armenian Mountains in the North to the Sea at the Persian Gulf.
    • The Tigris and Euphrates both start in Armenia, and the Armenian Mountains produce several other rivers that all drain into the huge flat arid Desert in the north of Mesopotamia, merging with the Tigris and the Euphrates.
    • There is a fertile Plain between the two rivers which has been traditionally irrigated by a canal network, producing abundant crops.
    • The Mesopotamian Marshes:
      • In the South, the two Rivers run into an enormous alluvial Plain of Lagoons, Marshes, Reed banks and Mud flats. Eventually the two Rivers unite and run into the Persian Gulf.
  • Main Rivers:
  • Mountain Ranges:
    • The Armenian foothills to the north.
  • Islands:
    • Three islands at the mouth of the Tigris and Euphrates opposite Basra:
      • Warban Island, Bubiyan Island, and Failaka Island opposite Kuwait.

3. Political Organisation

  • Province Type:
  • Governor:
  • Tribes and Population:
    • Syrians, Armenians, Persians, Greeks.
  • Language:
    • Syriac, Aramaic, Greek, Persian.

4. Military Organisation

5. Economy

  • Chief Exports:
  • Agriculture and Fishing:
    • Grain:
      • The Land between the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers was famous for being extremely fertile, irrigated by numerous canals, and produced abundant crops of Grain.
    • Sheep, Goats and Camels raised elsewhere.
    • Fishing:
  • Manufacturing:
  • Mines:
    • None.
    • Naptha (Petroleum)
      • was well known and used for burning.
    • ‘Baba Gurgur’ meaning ‘Father of Fire’ in Kurdish
      • It has had flames of the ‘Eternal Fire’ burning since Antiquity.
      • The flames are formed by gas escaping from the oilfield below (which was only discovered in 1927).
      • It is located 16 miles from Kirkuk, which is built over the ancient city of Arrapha.
    • Bitumen
      • Bitumen is a black resinous petroleum based substance that oozes naturally from the ground. that is found in Iraq, Iran, Syria, Bahrain and Kuwait.
  • Mints:

6. Transport

7. Relationship with Rome

  • Mesopotamia was a strategic buffer State.
  • It was constantly changing hands between the Roman Empire and the Parthian Empire.
  • Many wars were fought here in each century, as each tried to gain the upper hand.

8. History of Christianity in this Province

9. Roman Authors describing this Province

 

Mesopotamia Province

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