Wiki Categories: Map Features

Gallipoli Peninsular

  • The Gallipoli Peninsular, also known as the Thracian Chersonese, is located in the East Thrace Region of the European part of Turkey. The Peninsular controlled access to the Sea of Marmara and the Black Sea.
  • It is famed for the failed Gallipoli Campaign (1915-1916) by the Allies against the Ottoman Turks, during the First World War (1914-1918).

Thracian Chersonese

  • At Agora it had a 4 mile (6.5km) defending wall across it from sea to sea. From here the Peninsular was 48 miles (77.5km) long and had 12 cities.
  • The important cities were Callipolis and Sestos, which was the main crossing point to Turkey.
  • The other main cities were Agora, Cardia, Pactya Alopeconnesus, Madytos and Elaeus.
  • Opposite, on the southern shore, and near the mouth of the Hellespont, was the ancient city of Troy.
  • The Gallipoli Peninsular was also famous for its production and export of wheat.

The Dardanelles

  • Under Augustus and the Roman Empire, Thracian Chersonese was split off from Thracia and administered separately under direct Imperial control as an ‘Ager Publicus’ or ‘Property of the State’.
  • It controlled the Straits known as either the Dardanelles or the Hellespont.
  • This was the shipping Route into the Sea of Marmara, which in turn connected via another Strait, the Bosphorus, to the Black Sea.

 

Gallipoli Peninsular

Coptos to Berenice Roman Road

  • The Coptos to Berenice Roman road was a road in Egypt that connected Coptos on the Nile with Berenice on the Red Sea.
  • Camel Caravans carried cargoes at night through the desert and rested in fortified areas with cisterns during the day.

The Road

  • Pliny the Elder described this road in Egypt in detail.
  • Originally the road was developed by the Ptolemies between Edfu and Berenice.
  • Then Vespasian ordered a series of Wells, Fortlets and Cisterns to be built which connected the Coptos to Myos Hormos Roman Road with the Ptolemaic Edfu to Berenice road.
  • Berenice itself was surrounded by 10 Fortlets on various access routes, which were built by the Prefect of the Desert Region.

The Cisterns

  • Hydreumata
    • a Well, sometimes fortified.
  • Praesidia
    • A square fortlet with round towers at each corner and two defensive towers either side of the entry gate. They were of varying sizes.
  • Lacus
    • a cistern

The Roman Army

  • A Vexillatio of the Legio III Cyrenaica was based at Berenice between 30 BCE-c.35 CE.
  • They may have had units defending all the Forts and Inns along the Road from Coptos.
  • The remains of intervisible watchtowers on the mountains above indicate the probability that a signalling system also connected the two ports.

 

Berenice

Hypogeum of Hal Saflieni

Getting There

  • It is located at Paola, Malta. There is a Bus from Valletta.
  • Tickets must be bought in advance and only 60 visitors a day are permitted to visit the Hypogeum.

Description

  • The Hypogeum was used as a Necropolis that contained 7,000 skeletons, and was built on three levels:
    • The Upper Level: 3500-3300 BCE
    • The Middle Level: 3300-3000 BCE
    • The Lower Level: 3000-2500 BCE

Links

 

Coptos to Myos Hormos Roman Road

Description

  • Myos Hormos is in Quseir al-Quadim (Old Quseir). Quseir is 5 miles north of the modern port of Al-Qusayr which was known to the Ancient Greeks as Leucus Limen (White Port).
  • The Road was not paved, but consisted of a cleared path through the mountains of the Eastern Desert.

Hydreumata

  • Camel Caravans moved Goods between Coptos and Myos Hormos.
  • There were Eight Fortified watering stations called Hydreumata along the Route. They were walled enclosures which had deep wells, and acted as hotels for the travellers.
  • The caravan could safely enter and spend the night or day inside the walls. Detachments of Auxilia may have protected these Forts.
  • There were also 65 Towers along the Route, built of stones, that were intervisible with each other, and probably used for signalling.
  • Some were hill top forts possibly manned by the Auxilia, who could have signalled along the whole route between the Nile and the Red Sea.
  • This was designed to protect the valuable cargoes from the Nomads.
  • Some of the more valuable caravans were probably escorted by the Roman Camel Corps. In 215 CE an Auxilia unit of Mounted Palmyrene Archers from Syria was based at Coptos, and possibly helped to provide escorts for the camel caravans.

Wadi Hammamat

  • The road ran via the Wadi Hammamat, a dry river bed halfway along the route.
  • This was a major mining region, with Emerald Mines, Gold Mines and Stone Quarries all nearby.
  • It still holds 3,000 years of Graffiti written by passing travellers.

Coptos Tariff

  • This is a list of the Tolls to be paid by travellers and their goods on this road.

Muziris Papyrus

  • The Papyrus describes the transfer of cargo from the Red Sea Ports to Coptos by Camel Caravans.
  • The Muziris Papyrus also shows that Goods from the Red Sea were recorded when they arrived in the warehouses at Coptos, but the 25% Government Tax was paid in Alexandria.

Alexandrian Tariff

  • This is a list of 54 items from the East that were subject to Duty issued under Marcus Aurelius (176-180 CE).

 

Wadi Hammamat

Wadi Hammamat

  • The Wadi Hammamat, is a dry river bed in eastern Egypt, located halfway along the Roman Road from the Myos Hormos on the Nile to Coptos on the Red Sea.
  • It was a major quarry and mining region. Passing travellers to the Red Sea have left 3,000 years of Graffiti.

Quarry

  • Various types of Stone have been quarried from Wadi Hammamet, including a green sandstone used for making bowls, statues and sarcophagi.
  • Gold was mined there for centuries by both the Romans and the Pharaohs.

Coptos to Myos Hormos Roman Road

  • The Red Sea port of Myos Hormos was connected by the 124 mile (200km) Coptos to Myos Hormos Roman Road.
  • The road started at Coptos on the Nile, and using watering stations called Hydreumata at set intervals, passed through the Wadi Hammamat, to reach Myos Hormos on the Red Sea.

 

Wadi Hammamat, Egypt

Bethlehem

  • Bethlehem is the capital city of the Bethlehem Governate in the West Bank, Palestine, which is located 6 miles (10km) south of Jerusalem. It has a population of c. 25,000 inhabitants.
  • It holds the Church of the Nativity, a Unesco World Heritage Site, where Jesus was born according to the Gospels, and is a major site of Pilgrimage for Christians. It also holds Rachel’s Tomb, a site of Pilgrimage for Jews, Muslims and Christians.

History

  • Bethlehem is mentioned in the Amarna Letters (1350-1330 BCE).
  • The Bible refers to Bethlehem as a city of Rehoboam and where King David was anointed.
  • In the New Testament, the Gospels of Matthew and Luke state that Jesus was born in Bethlehem.

Roman Sites

  • Church of the Nativity (339 CE)
    • This Basilica was commissioned by Constantine I in 327 CE, after his mother, Helena, had visited the Site.
    • It was the first Church to be built in the Holy Land, and was dedicated on 31st May 339 CE.
    • The Grotto of the Nativity located in the crypt is considered to be the birthplace of Jesus.
    • The Church is a Unesco World Heritage Site.
    • The Catholic Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve is broadcast globally from this Church and is attended by the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem. The Orhodox Church conducts the same ceremony 13 days later.
    • The Basilica is maintained by the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

Other Sites

  • Rachel’s Tomb
    • Also known as the Bilal bin Rabah Mosque.
    • It is a site of Pilgrimage for Jews, Muslims and Christians and the current building dates from the Ottoman Period.
    • It is considered to be the burial site of Rachel, one of Jacob’s two wives, who died giving birth to Benjamin, as described in Genesis in The Bible.

 

Bethlehem

Aegean

  • The Aegean is the Sea located between Greece and Turkey.
  • It contains seven Groups of Islands, the North Aegean Islands, the Sporades, the Cyclades, the Saronic Islands, the Dodecanese and the Island of Crete.

History

  • Between 166-46 BCE, the region gradually came under the influence of Rome.
  • Since Antiquity, the Dodecanese had been under the control of Rhodes, and the Rhodian Navy, which the Romans abolished in 46 BCE.
  • Also since Antiquity, the Cyclades had been controlled by Crete. In 69 BCE Crete was invaded by the Roman Legions.

The Island of Rhodes

  • Rhodes was a powerful Sea Power, based on the Rhodian Navy,  between 323-46 BCE.
  • However, in 167 BCE the Island of Delos in the Cyclades, was given the status of a Free Port with no Harbour or Customs dues, according to Strabo.
    Deprived of the trade in Slaves and general Goods, Rhodes was left with the Grain and Wine trade, resulting in its harbour receipts collapsing from 1,000,000 drachmas to 150,000 in one year.
  • In 164 BCE Rhodes signed a Trade Agreement with Rome regarding the Dodecanese Islands and the Cyclades Islands, that brought the Aegean Sea under Roman Influence.
  • In 46 BCE the Rhodian Navy was abolished.
  • In c.79-81 CE Titus created the Provincia Insularum (Province of Islands) meaning the Dodecanese Islands, with Rhodes as the Capital.

The Dodecanese

  • The Dodecanese Island chain consists of 12 large islands and 150 smaller islands, controlled since antiquity by Rhodes.
  • In 164 BCE Rhodes signed a Trade Agreement with Rome, bringing the Islands under Roman Influence.
  • c.79-81 CE Titus created the Provincia Insularum (Province of Islands) meaning the Dodecanese Islands, with Rhodes as the Capital.
  • One known Governor of the Provincia Insularum was Plutarchos, who ruled under Julian (361-363 CE)
  • After 395 CE, the Provincia Insularum was placed under the Eastern Roman Emperor in Constantinople.
  • The Dodecanese Islands were eventually joined with Crete.
  • Karpathos was the Capital of the Island of Karpathos, Greece, which is halfway between Crete and Rhodes.
    • The Classis Carpathia was created in 390 CE, but there are no surviving records.

The Cyclades

  • This is a Group of 220 Islands surrounding the Island of Delos controlled since Antiquity by Crete.
  • The most prosperous island was the sacred island of Delos, birth place of Apollo, which was set up by Rome in 166 BCE as a Free Port. Within two years this bankrupted the Rhodian Navy.
  • In 164 BCE, Rhodes was obliged to sign a Trade Alliance with Rome, bringing the Islands into the Roman Sphere of Influence.
  • The Cyclades were either assigned to the Province of Asia or Achaea, and later to the Province of Crete.

Cyclades as a Place of Exile

  • Rome used the Cyclades as a place of Exile, mainly the Islands of Gyaros, Amorgos, Serifos and Patmos.
  • Gyaros:
    • An Island of the Cyclades, in the Aegean Sea, Greece. Considered to be a barren and arid island.
  • Patmos:
    • An Island in the Sporades, in the Aegean Sea, Greece. Exiles were put to Forced Labour in the Mines and Quarries. According to Eusebius, in 95 CE Domitian banished the Apostle John to Patmos where he was inspired to write the Book of Revelation.
  • Amorgos and Serifos

The Island of Crete

  • The Pirates of Crete controlled Crete during the first and second century BCE.
  • Rome finally invaded the island in 69 BCE with 3 Legions under Quintus Caecilius Metellus. He took 3 years to subdue Crete. He was awarded the title of ‘Creticus’.

 

The Aegean Sea

Rimini

  • Rimini is an extended coastal city located on the Adriatic in the Emilia Romagna Region of northeastern Italy.
  • It was founded by the Romans as Ariminum in 268 BCE and was located in Italia.

Roman Sites

  • Rimini Amphitheatre
  • Tiberius Bridge
  • Domus del Chirurgo
  • Augustus Arch

Museums

  • Arimini caput viarum
    • This offers a multimedia interactive tour of the Roman city of Arimini.

Roman Roads

 

Tiberius Bridge, Rimini