Osroene

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Roman province of Osroene, 120, higlighted within the Roman Empire

Osroene (also spelled Osrohene, Osrhoene; Syriac: ܡܠܟܘܬܐ ܕܒܝܬ ܥܣܪܐ ܥܝܢܐ Malkuṯā d-Bēt Ōsrā Īnē), also known by the name of its capital city, Edessa (modern Şanlıurfa, Turkey), was an Assyrian kingdom that observed semi-autonomy to complete independence from the years of 132 BC to AD 244.^[1] The kingdom's area being the upper course of the Euphrates, became a traditional battleground for the powers that ruled Asia Minor, Persia, Syria, and Armenia.

1 Etymology
2 History
3 Rulers of Osroene
4 See also
5 Sources and references

[edit] Etymology

(from www.cavemanart.com)^[2]

There are several theories about the origin of the name Osroene:

1. The name of the kingdom is a compound name, and is derived from Esro-Ayne (meaning the Ten-Chiefs). The story goes back about 2600 years, where after the fall of Nineveh in 612 B.C. (the capital of the Assyrian Empire) the Assyrian King Ashur Uballit (II) along with ten of his army chiefs, retreated with part of his population westward towards Harran, heading towards Hdatu the western provincial capital of the Assyrian Empire {modern Arslan Tash near Urhoy (Urfa)}. This is confirmed by the Russian Historian Dr. Matviev who says in his book History of the Assyrians, that the kingdom of Osroene was founded by the ten Assyrian chiefs who called their kingdom Esroyo which later became Esro-Eyneh (the Ten Chiefs).

2. The second theory about the origin of the name of Osroene is that during the time of the Assyrian Empire, the tenth battalion of the Assyrian army was stationed in the region of Hdatu. When the capital Nineveh collapsed, the only battalion that survived was the Tenth Assyrian Battalion of that region. Thus this territory was called Esronoyo (meaning the Tenth) or Beth-Esroyo the (Place of the Tenth).

3. The third theory about the origin of the name of Osroene, goes back to the Ten tribes of Subartu the origin of the Assyrian Nation. The Turkish historian Dr. Shemsettin Gunaltay in his book Sharq Tarihi (History of the East) traces the Kingdom of Osroene to the ancient On-Asurilar the {Ten Assyrian (tribes)}, and he states that the Kadim Suryanilar (Ancient Syriacs) are the descendants of the Subari Asurilar (Subartu Assyrians). (See: Tarihta Suryanilar, by: Rev Gabriel Aydin, 1994, Page 18).

4. The term Ondaligh used by the Suryoyo/Assyrian community of Urhoy for their meeting place (after Sunday mass) is a compound Turkish word consisting of "On" meaning "Ten", and "Daligh" meaning "Branchs" in other words the Ten Branches, (i.e. confirming the above three theories).

[edit] History

Osroene was one of several kingdoms arising from the dissolution of the Seleucid Empire. The kingdom occupied an area on what is now the border between Syria and Turkey.

It was in this region that the "legend of Abgar" originated, for which see Abgarus of Edessa.

Osroene was absorbed into the Roman Empire in 114 as a semi-autonomous vassal state, after a period under Arsacid (Persian) rule, incorporated as a simple Roman province in 214.

Map showing Osroene as a province of the Armenian Empire under Tigranes the Great

Since Emperor Diocletian's Tetrarchy reform circa 300, it was part of the diocese of Oriens, in the pretorian prefecture of the same name. It was governed by a Dux, who ranked as vir spectabilis and commanded (circa 400) the following troops:

Equites Dalmatae Illyriciani, garrisoned at Ganaba.
Equites promoti Illyriciani, Callinico.
Equites Mauri Illyriciani, Dabana.
Equites promoti indigenae, Banasam
Equites promoti indigenae, Sina Iudaeorum.
Equites sagittarii indigenae, Oraba.
Equites sagittarii indigenae, Thillazamana.
Equites sagittarii indigenae Medianenses, Mediana.
Equites primi Osrhoeni, Rasin.
Praefectus legionis quartae Parthicae, Circesio.
(an illegible command, possibly Legio III Parthica), Apatna.

as well as, 'on the minor roll', apparently auxiliaries:

Ala septima Valeria praelectorum, Thillacama.
Ala prima Victoriae, Tovia -contra Bintha.
Ala secunda Paflagonum, Thillafica.
Ala prima Parthorum, Resaia.
Ala prima nova Diocletiana, inter Thannurin et Horobam.
Cohors prima Gaetulorum, Thillaamana.
Cohors prima Eufratensis, Maratha.
Ala prima salutaria, Duodecimo constituta.

His Officium (administrative staff) included the Princeps de scola agentum in rebus, some Numerarii and their adiutores, a Commentariensis, an Adiutor, an A libellis = subscribendarius and various Exceptores 'and other' officiales.

According to Sozomen's Ecclesiastical history, "there were some very learned men who formerly flourished in Osroene, as for instance Bardasanes, who devised a heresy designated by his name, and his son Harmonius. It is related that this latter was deeply versed in Grecian erudition, and was the first to subdue his native tongue to meters and musical laws; these verses he delivered to the choirs" and that Arianism —a more successful heresy— met with opposition there.