Antik Dönemde Edessa
Özet
Summary History of the city of Edessa, whic was founded in 302 B. C. By Seleucids, goes back to circa 5000 B. C. Birecik a small town in the boundary of the kingdom of Edessa, is - under the light of the finds - among the first Paleolithic centers. Plenty of mounds in the region make us beleive that there has been a continuous settlement in the region, starting from the Neolithic, Chalcolithic, and the Bronze ags. The settlements of Akkadians (in the 3rd millenium B. C); Hurrians, Hittites, and Mitannians (2nd millenium B. C); Assyrians, late Hittites, and Aramians (1st millenium B. C.) respectively have followed them. After 301 B. C, Edessa region, which used to be belong to Seleucids, was occupied by Aramians and they established a kingdom there. The kingdom of Edessa had a significant role for the Parthians and the Roman Empire. This was due to her fertile lands and her being on the crossroad of the trade and military roads. During the struggle between the Romans and the Parthians, Edessa either took the Romans or the Parthians side. Edessa has survived as a free-kingdom, beacuse of the wise policy of her kings towards the Romans and the Parthians. After Parthians lost their power in the region, Edessa found herself on the Romans side. As a result, Edessan kings saw themselves as Roman citizens and they were named after the Roman Emperors. Abgar VIII, for example, during his visit to Rome, was welcomed with a fabulous ceremony. The kingdom of Edessa was a frontier-city in the eastern boundary of the 74Romans for such a long time, and prevented the small states, in between the Sasanians and the Roman Empire, from the freedom. Upon the fell of the Roman Empire, Edessa was added to the territory of the Byzantian Empire. 75