THE HELLENISTIC ERA: SELEUCIA PIERIA
Al-Mina, which had great importance for history for 500 years, lost
its importance with the foundation of Seleucia City at the feet of Musa
Mountain in 300 BC. which is now called as Çevlik. After this period, Seleucia
Harbour became very important for about 800 years. But now, let’s deal with the
political events of 500 years in Middle east and Anatolia when Al-Mina had a
great importance before the foundation of Seleucia.
The
Akkads, who were the successors of Assyrians, were one of the eldest
civilisations of Mesopotamia. The success of the Assyrians who captured Syria,
Palestine and Egypt in the 7th Century BC, could not last for a long
time. Because of the attacks of the Medes who came from Persia and the inner riots,
the Assyria Empire collapsed.(605 BC) The Babylon Empire, who founded a great
civilisation in the old ages and who were then under control of various clans
again became a huge political power. The Babylons captured Syria, Palestine,
and Phoneicia. They ruled this region for about 90 years and then they were
collapsed by Acamenyd State.(538 BC.)
In
these years, there were two rival political groups in Persia. The Persians, who
first became a political power in 588 BC. collapsed the Median Empire in 550
BC. The Persians, who quickly spread, captured whole Anatolia, Thrace and some
parts of Greece in a short time. Then they captured some parts of Middle Asia,
Syria, Palestine and Egypt.
Anatolia
was under the rule of the Persians for about 200 years. During these years, the
Persians ruled whole Anatolia in political sense. Anatolia was divided into satraps
(satraplar????), but the districts governed by beys and the city-states
were living independently.
At
the end of the Persian era, the Macedonians, who first founded a political
community in history, developed rapidly and they condemned in Hellenistic Era
(333-30 BC) so that they spread out from Greece to India and from Black Sea to
Egypt.
Meanwhile,
the Greeks, who were very good at science and philosophy, first dealt with free
thought and opened many schools. The Greeks, who founded Democracy (508BC),
also constituted History, Philosophy, Astronomy, Physics, Geometry and
Mathematics, which was very important for the world civilisation. Tales predicted
the lunar eclipse which would happen on the 28th of May, 585BC.
Atom, which meant the nucleus of the matter, was first used in these eras.
Hypocrites searched for the real reasons for the illness with the same free
thought and became the founder of the modern medicine. Socrates, who said, “I
know only one thing that I don’t know anything.” Herodotus, who was the father
of the history and many other well-known philosophers lived in this era.
During
Philip II Era, who was the father of Alexander, the Macedonians developed
rapidly. They used a Greek Dialect that the Helens couldn’t understand. Philip
II, who was well educated, founded a well-discilipined army, captured most of
Greece. While Philip II was preparing to attack the Persians who ruled whole Anatolia
and some parts of Greece in those days, he was killed in his daughter’s
wedding.(336 BC). Alexander ascended the throne after him when he was 20 years
old.
Alexander
had a good education in Greece. Especially Arisrotales, who was his teachers
for three years, influenced him too much. Not only did Aristotales educate him,
but he also inspired him the love of Greek Civilisation.
In
such a situation, Alexander went to Anatolia with a small army (40 000
soldiers) and he easily captured most parts of Greece in Anatolia except for
two cities. One year later he continued his attacks to Anatolia and he had a
war with a big Persian Army commanded by Daraios III (Dara) in İSOS in 333 BC.
The Persian army was defeated. Dara left everything there, escaped and then he
wanted to sign a piece treaty on the condition that they would surrender
without any demands. When Parmenion, who was his father’s friend and a talented
commander, learned the piece terms, he said “If I were Alexander, I would
accept.” But Alexander was ambitious and his youth and successes had given him
some courage, so he answered like that: “If I were Parmenion, I would too.”
The
Macedonian Army rapidly captured Syria, Palestine and Egypt. With his
continuous captures, Alexander reached India. When his commanders and the
soldiers refused to go further, they returned to Babylon. (325 BC). He was
killed by malaria two years later when he was preparing for a new attack. He
was 33 when he died.
Alexander
aimed to combine the traditions of the east and the west at the places he
captured. He used inter-raced marriages to mix Greeks and the Persians. He even
made 10.000 Greek Soldier marry the Persian girls in a day. He himself married
two Persian princesses.
After
Alexander’s death in 323 BC, there were some confusions about the direction of
the lands. Because Alexander had no inheritors. His wife, Roxana, was pregnant
and Alexander had died before he saw his child.
The
commanders met at Babylon and decided to declare both his son, who was born
three months before, and Philippos, who was his step brother as the kings. In
order to prevent the corruption of the country, it was divided into many satraps???.
Each commander of Alexander started to rule one satrap. Nothing was given
to Seleucos at first, but then he became the ruler of the Babylon satrap.
The Egyptian Satrap was given to Ptolemaios. Many other regions were
divided into satraps, too.
But
after some time, the commanders of each satrap started to behave on
their own and each believed that he had to be the inheritor of the throne. The
commander of Egypt, Ptolemaois (Ptoleme), took the dead body of Alexander which
was in a golden coffin, to Egypt. He buried it in a marble tomb in İskenderiye.
By doing so, he tried to show that Alexander was the real Pharaoh of Egypt and
he, himself was the inheritor of him. After some time, Egypt would get wider
and The Mediterranean would be the ruler of Greek and East Mediterranean
Commerce.
Meanwhile, there were many intrigues and bloody struggles
between the family members of Alexander. The family members were giving great
harm to each other in order to be the inheritor of Alexander. This situation
became so dangerous that no one remained alive in his family after 14 years.
His wife and his son were also killed during these struggles.
Seleucos ascended the throne in 312 BC in Seleucia that he
founded near Dicle. He first tried to consolidate his rule in eastern cities
and became very successful. When he went to India in about 305 BC, he saw there
that there was a strong army commanded by Çandragupta. Seleucos wisely decided
to sign a piece treaty. Seleucos wanted to return as soon as possible because
of the developing events in the west, so he took 500 war elephants from
Çandragupta after a piece treaty. After this voyage, he was called as “Nicator”
(Victorious)
Antigonos, who caused a great confusion in Anatolia, was killed
in a struggle in İpsos (at the southern feet of Sultan Mountains near Çay
Country) in 301 BC. In this fight, the war elephants, that Seleucos brought
from India, had important role. After this important fight, Seleucos became the
inheritor of Alexander in the region between Anatolia and India.
During Ipsos War, the capital city of Seleucos was Seleucia
near Tigris (Dicle) and the capital city of Antigonos was Antigonia at 8km.
north of Antakya.
After war Seleucos, who became the ruler of a very wide area,
realised that Seleucia, which was founded near Dicle was not a suitable place
to be a capital city.
The Seleucoslar , who was an important state in history,
had to reach the coasts to widen their land, to rule their neighbours and to
have the Mediterranean Commerce in their hands. So they had to carry the
capital city of Seleucos’s kingdom to west and found a new capital city there.
Since Seleucia Pieria, which was one of the most beautiful harbours of
Mediterranean, was found suitable to be the new capital because of its
topography, its open location to sea and its acropolis which was very hard to
capture, so Seleucia Pieria (today it is Samandağ, a country of Antakya, its
previous name was Süveydiye) was founded as the capital city on April of 300
BC. The rule of the country was carried from Seleucia near Tigris (Dicle) to
Seleucia near the sea.
There was an interesting mythological story about the
foundation of the city. According to Malalas, Seleucos NicatorI went to Casius
Mountain (Kel Dağı) and he sacrificed for Zeus to send him a sign to determine
the location of the new capital city. An eagle seized the sacrificed meat, it
flew for a long time and released the meat. So it was believed that the
location of Seleucia Pieria was determined by Zeus. They suddenly built a tomb
and its domination was given to Zeus.
The information about the
foundation of Seleucia differ from each other in a few points. When Diodor
dealt with the harbour cities which was founded in 305 BC, he didn’t mention
Seleucia. Although Seleucia was founded at the feet of Amonos Mountains, it
wasn’t mentioned when he dealt with the marketing place chain near the sea.
This shows that the harbour was founded later. The foundation date of Seleucia
was determined as 301 by Wolley and 301-300 by Malalas.
During Seleucos Era, the centre of
the kingdom was carried here and Seleucia Pieria became the capital city. The
inhabitants of Al-Mina and Sabuni moved here. But they soon realised that this
place was not safe. Because Seleucia Pieria was founded near the sea and it was
open to possible sea attacks. Also Seleucos didn’t have any navy. Seleucos
Nicator soon founded Antiochia (Antakya) which had the same name as his father.
The capital was carried to the new city. Antiochia was a day further to
Seleucia and its location was away from the coast which made it safe against
the possible attacks. Seleucoslar built many new cities in order to
consolidate the state order. Seleucoslar themselves founded 16
Antiochia, 9 Seleucia, 5 Laodicia and 3 Apemeia. Seleucia was his own name,
Antiochia was his father’s name, Apemia (Hums) was his wife’s name and Laodicia
(Laskiye) was his mother’s name. To separate Seleucia near Al-Mina from the
others, it was named as Pieria.
THE CITY
STRUCTURE OF SELEUCIA PIERIA
Because of its city structure location, Seleucia Pieria was divided
into two. These parts were called as Upper City and Lower City. They show the
commercial, production and settlement position of the city. The characteristics
of the land where the city was founded made this classification necessary. The
upper city was at the higher part of the slope of the mountain. (Today,
Kapısuyu Village is founded in this area.) Many factories, temples and official
buildings were founded 30-40m above the sea. The steep rocks at the south-west
of the mountain divided the upper and lower city. The connection with the lower
city was made with marvellous stairs which were engraved on the steep hills and
where 6-7 people can walk together. (The stairs are still sturdy and they can
be seen today.) On the left part before the stairs, there is a cave carved on
the rocks which is supposed to be a guard room once upon a time. This place was
then used as a house for the priests.
The lower city was founded around the harbour. There were
bazaar, market-hall, some stores and craftsmen besides the harbour
establishments. There was also a huge Turkish bath and a small theatre there.
This place was the most active and colourful part of the city. Since it was an
import and export centre, some big stores and a small dockyard for the repair
of the ships were built there.
There were luxurious pavilions whose surfaces were covered with
mosaics at the terraces. The harbour at the city walls was tied to sea with a
channel.
The door between the upper city and the lower city was composed
of two towers and a narrow passage. It is possible to predict this from the
remainders of the towers. The width of the city wall was four meters. The city
was surrounded by a city wall. The length of the city wall was 12.5m. Today
only a small part of the wall can still be seen. Although there are still some
remainders at some parts, most of the big stones of the wall had been used in
the old houses, so only the traces of the wall can be seen today. The traces of
the wall can be seen even from the further places. The area of the harbour in
the city walls is 16 hectares. (640 acres)
The
city has three big doors. The one at the south was called as the bazaar door of
the city and it was used as a door of the deeper walls. The door, where the
stream of the city was poured from the walls, was called as Bab el-Mina. (The
door of the harbour) This door also had two towers like the bazaar door which
is damaged today. At the northern part, the third tower was built and a huge
building was constructed at the inner parts of the city for defence. Only one
door (Bab el-hava) was built at the long wall of the upper city. The road to El
Kabusiye (Kapısuyu) Village started from here.
The
crosswise-shaped wall departing from the north-east walls of the city became
rounded towards the inner parts of the city and ended there. The city wall
reached the stream at the west, it continued from the other slope, came to the
harbour and ended there. This harbour today opens to the external harbour from
Minat el-Atiga (old harbour) and Minat el-Cedide (new harbour). The canal was
protected by the walls of the castle at the north and the walls of the harbour
at the south. Two guard houses were built at the point where the channel was
opened out to sea. The guard house at the south was at the castle and it had
the shape of a room of 3x122. The old harbour at the east of the
harbour was determined by the traces of the walls. The row towers around the
canal showed that there was a canal going from the harbour to sea. The width of
the external building was determined to be 130-140m. The length of the western
harbour was 100m and its width was 9m. It could protect its shape.
WAS THE
FIRST DAM OF THE WORLD IN SELEUCIA?
The spring flowing through the middle of the mountain where
Seleucia was founded opened three wide and deep holes. Two of them were out of
the city walls. The third hole that the spring opened was in the middle of the
city. The water source coming out of this hole went through the hole, passed
through the tunnels and poured into the sea. Today this source is used for
watering the gardens at the feet of the mountain. It was necessary to build a
tunnel 1330m west of the point where there was a water source in order to
prevent the damage made during the periods when the amount of water became
more. The building at the upper part of the tunnel was a dam. It was built for
preventing water flow during the times when the harbour was dirty. So the
continuous flow of the water towards the canal was determined. The water
suddenly reached Çevlik Village at the winding point at the west.
A
huge canal of 130m long and 1380m width during was built during the Roman Age
in order to prevent the filling of the harbour by the sands and pebbles. Its
130m part was flowing under the mountain. The stability of the harbour was
important not only for Antiochia but also for the other harbour cities. It is
thought that the mouth of Orontes was made suitable for the small tonnaged
ships before the construction of the tunnel. Chapot thinks that this situation
was put into use during the Empire Tiberius. (14-37 AC)
It
was possible to pass to West Nekrapoline (the graveyard) from a bridge over the
canal and from a point near the mouth of the tunnel. A long underwater tunnel
curled at the mountain near this place. There were stone graves (today it is
called as Beşikli Graveyard) 200m south of the mouth of the tunnel where the
people belonging to the dynasty were buried. These graves were also called as
“king graves”.
The
square shaped area at 500 feet south of The Bazaar Door was like an agora. This
could be a part of the harbour, too.
TWO EMPERORS
WHO GAVE THEIR NAMES TO THE TUNNEL
The people who come to Samandağ to visit the Vespasianus-Titus
Tunnel in Çevlik today are deeply effected by the magnificence of this
building.
The
oldest document in the tunnel, which was built for protecting the harbour,
belonged to Vaspasianus and Titus era. (69-79,79-81 AC.) It is supposed that
the construction of the tunnel started in their era. In another document, this
time was supposed to belong to Empire Antonius Pius (138-161 AC.). But the time
when the construction of the canal ended was not accurate. One-arched-bridge
built on the canal can still be seen today and it can still be used today.
It
is useful to talk about the two empires who gave their names to the mechanical
magnificence.
Vesposianus
was born in Sabins Country (Middle Italy) in a small village called Falacrina
near Reate on 17th of November in 9 AC. When he became an emperor on
1st of July in 69, he was 60 years old. His grandmother, Tertulla
took him under her protection when he was a child. He could never forget her
and always visited her old house. He belonged to the Flavious family. Although
this family was not well-known, they had a good name and they were respected by
the others. Vespasianus had a good education. He could speak and write in
Greek. He married Flavia Domitilla and had three children called Titus,
Domitianus and Domitilla. His wife and daughter were dead before he became an
emperor. During his emperorship, he was very successful. He tried too much to
repulate the Roman Hierarchic System.
He
became ill in the summer of 79 AC. even when his illness became worse, he
continued working on the works of the state while he was in bed. He fainted
because of diarhea one day. He said that “an emperor had to die standing” and
he tried to stand to still, but he fell down to the arms of the people around
him. When Vespasianus died on 24 of June, 79, he was 70 years old. Many people
tried commit a crime, but no one succeeded to kill him. He stated in the
Parliament that his sons would be his inheritors, otherwise there would not be
any inheritors. Everything was in accordance to his words, Titus took the place
of his father and Vespasianus was recognized as a god.
In
reality, Vespasianus and Titus had ruled the country from 71 until his death on
24th of June and after his period Titus ascended the throne alone.
Domitianus did not have any right over the throne.
Titus
was born in Rome on 30th of December in 41 AC. He was spiritually
and bodily healthy, he was talented in all kinds of arts and he had a good
memory. He fought wars in Germany and Britain as a military TRIBUN when he was
very young. He was talented in this work as well. First he married a woman
called Arrecina Tertulla, but after her death, he married Marcia Formilla. He
had a daughter from Marcia, and then divorced her. When he ascended the throne
alone, his daughter, Julia was 13 years old. Since he did not have a son, he
accepted his brother, Domitianus, as the inheritor of the throne only after his
death. He was admired by all of the soldiers and the people in the country.
There were two disasters during his short sultanate. The first one was the
explosion of Mount Vesuvius. Its lava damaged Pompeii and Herculaneum cities.
The second disaster was a big fire in Rome in 80. It continued for three days.
At the same time, a plague infection threatened Rome and Italy. Titus did
everything he could to rebuild the buildings and to prevent the illness. He
even sold many goods of his palace to pay for the expenses. Although he was
admired by the people, he also faced many assassination attempts. But he
forgave all the assassins. Titus saw himself as the father of the people of the
country. One day, he did not do anything for the others and said “My friends, I
wasted my time today.” Although Titus behaved well to his people, he was not so
tolerant to the Jews and the Christians. When he was in military service, he
came to Jerusalem and damaged the city in 70. After this event, the missionary
works of Jews and suppressed Christian people in this region were propped up
temporarily for some time and as a result Antiochia became the centre of the
Christianity.
Since
the sultanate of Titus ended in 13th of September in 81, it was very
short. When he was in the country of Sabins, his temperature rose suddenly and
he died at the farm house of his father. Some people found his death
suspicious. People became very sad because of the death of Titus and he was suddenly
recognised as a god. His brother Dominianus then ascended the throne.
SELEUCEIA
AND AFTERWARDS
Seleucos was a clever, energetic and unique soldier. He took the
name of “Nicator” (Victorious”) after Eastern Cruise. He founded Seleucia near
Orantes (Asi River) and the centre of country in Seleucia near Dicle to
Seleucia near Orantes. He then founded Antiochia after a short time and always
accepted Seleucia Pieria as the capital city.
The
dynasty members after Seleucos Nicator were very weak and were too much
interested in enjoyment. It was very difficult to put the warrior tribes of ÖN
and Middle Asia who had different races, cultures and religions under one flag.
Because of this, the dynasty founded by Seleucos I. Nicator started to break
into pieces and seperate soon after his death.
SISTER
CITIES
According to Strabo, four big cities, founded by Seleucos,
were then accepted as “fratricidal cities” (Polis Adelfe) in time. These
cities were Antiochia (Antakya), Seleucia Pieria (Samandağ), Apemeia (Hums) and
Laodicial (Laskiye). The economical role of four fratricidal cities made these
cities trade centres for a long time. In those days, Antakya was a rich city.
It was the third biggest city in the world. This magnificence and richness
affected the other three fratricidal cities. They used the same currency
between 149-128 BC. Antiochia ad Seleucia even coined their own money.
Seleucos
were good at setting people in the new captured places. They were building
villages at military places, they were dealing with agriculture and farming.
They were regulating the cities.
The domination of the
Mediterranean became the reason of any continuous struggle between Ptolemiasos
and Seleucos in Egypt even after the death of Alexander. The reason of
carrying the state centre of Seleucos to Antiochia was to take
the country under their rule. Because of their geographical locations, Seleucia
and Antiochia had advantages. Seleucia had a good location in
terms of East Mediterranean commerce. Antiochia was at the intersection
point of the commerce caravans coming overland route on Silk Road.
Ptolemias
in Egypt took East Mediterranean region under their rule before Seleucos.
There was only Egypt Dynasty against Seleucos in 280 BC and it was very
easy to capture it. But there was a assassination against Seleucos in this
period and this was the reason of corruption of the empire.
After
Seleucos was murdered, the other emperors who ascended the throne were
very weak and too much interested in enjoyment. But they took names like
“Victorious, Thunder, God” which they did not deserve. The treacheries within
the dynasty and the intrigues gave too much damage to the empire. The Seleucos,
who were very busy fighting with each other and trying to suppress the
rebellions, were the inheritors of not only Alexander’s Empire but also the
wars. They could not develop too much science and civilisation although they
ruled the modern centres of of Elamians, Sumerians, Akkads, Babylonians,
Asyrians, Hattis, Urartians and Persians and had relations with Middle
Asia and Indian Civilisations. The Seleucos dominance which lasted 250
years was full of events that could be taken as examples. They not only had to
prevents the rebellions and disorders at the places they ruled, but also had to
face with the fights, treacheries and intrigues within the dynasty. The
situation of Seleucos too much weakened the structure of the state. They
could hardly stand still.
Let
us talk about some events occurred in Seleuca Pieria related to
our topic before dealing with some bad examples given below.
There
was not an important event in Seleucia till the Third Syria War (246-241
BC). During this war, Seleucian People supported Egypt. The Egyptians
ruled Seleucia for 27 years.
During
the period of Antiochos III (223-189), Seleucia was recaptured.
When Antiochos ascended the throne of Antiochia, he was 12 years
old. During this age, the empire became narrow and several princedoms tried to
rebel. The administrators around the empire were struggling for power. Antiochos
III, who ascended the throne in a very unfortunate period, became very
successful and he was named “Big” after these successes. He first had to
capture Seleucia Pieria Harbour no matter how difficult it was. Because Seleucia
Pieria Harbour was one of the important points of the empire.
Polybios
stated that the harbour was under the rule of the Egyptians until 219. Antiochos
III took the advice of the Apolphanes, who was a doctor and who was born
in Seleucia. He disconnected the harbour with the sea and the land. With
the help of the men he had sent to Seleucia, he easily captured the
city. Since the season was winter, he left some of his soldiers in Antiochia
and spent winter in Seleucia. He signed a peace treaty with Egyptian
Ambassador. During an exploration trip to Cyprus, Antiochos III was caught by a
storm and lost most many of his naval forces. Then he returned to Seleucia and
rebuilt his naval forces in the dockyard. Antiochos III had many successes in a
short time and he reached Aegean Coast. He met Romans there. He demanded
Macedonia and Greece from the Romans. He then fought with Romans and faced a
big defeat. He signed a peace treaty and accepted to give many regions which
had been under his rule before. (Apeme Kibotos-which is now called as Dinar
Treaty, 188 BC).
After
this treaty, Seleucos State squeezed between Dicle, Taurus Mountains, East
Anatolia and Syria Desert. But the treacheries and intrigues within the dynasty
continued. It is useful to give some interesting examples related to this topic
for you to have an idea about these treacheries and intrigues.
Antiochia and Seleucia were under
the rule of Alexander Bala for 5 years during Demetrius Soter era (162-150 BC).
Since Demetrius was too much involved with enjoyment, he was not aware of the
danger. Alexander Bala, who was supported by Roman, Egyptian and other
kingdoms, defeated Demetrius’s armies and took the throne of Antakya. Demetrius
was killed.
Alexander Bala, who took the
throne of Antakya, married Cleopatra who was the daughter of the Egyptian King,
Ptolemiasos Filometer. Alexander Bala, who gave the rule of his city to his
assistant, Ammonious gave too much harm to the people of the city. He tortured
people and took very high taxes from them. People started to hate him.
The son of Demetrius, who had the
same name as him, had escaped to Crete and had saved his life. He established
an army there which was composed of soldiers employed against payment. Dimetrus
II attacked Clicia with his army (148-147). Alexander Bala wanted help
from his father-in-law, the Egyptian King. The Egyptian King helped him. But
Ammonious, who suspected the Egyptian King, tried to murder him. But the
Egyptian King became aware of this murder before and he wanted Alexander to
punish him. Alexander refused to punish him, so he declared war. He reached
Seleucia and and took his daughter, Cleopatra, from Seleucia. He gave the
throne to Demetrius II and made him marry Cleopatra. Alexander Bala was killed
by an Arabic Sheikh in West Arabia.
Demetrius II ascended his father’s
throne with the name Nicator (Victorious-Triumphant). He left the works of the
state to his minister, Lastenes and became too much involved with enjoyment.
Lastenes took all the power. After his terrible oppression, people rebelled
against the state. Demetrius II wanted help from the Jews. Seleucoses,
who had prohibited Jewish religion and who had oppressed Jews for a long time
became so weak that they wanted help from them. The Jewish people used this
situation for their own sake and they sacked and burnt down the city. The
people found Demetrius responsible for this and they started to dislike him.
At the same time Diodot, who was
the Governor of Antakya, and who was called as Tryphon, benefited from this and
he declared Bala’s son, who was only a child then, as the king in the
name of Antiochos VI Teos. Demetrius II was defeated in the fight and escaped
to Seleucia in Mesopotamia.
Tryphon first killed Jewish rabbi, then Antiochos whom he had given the
throne with an intrigue. He declared himself as the king of Antiochia.
Demetrius escaped to Mesopotamia and he was taken prisoner by the Ports in
Persia in a cruise made against them.
During these disorders, Antiochos,
the brother of Demetrius, went to Rhodes. When he heard that his brother was
taken prisoner, he came to Antiochia. The people hated Tryphon because of his
despot regime Jonathes and, so they supported Antiochos VII. Tryphon was
defeated and killed in the war. Antiochos VII married Cleopatra, who had been
his brother’s wife. At first, he defeated the Ports three times and became
powerful; but then his army was too much involved with enjoyment, so they were
defeated by the Ports this time. Meanwhile, the Port King gave his daughter to
Demetrius and he set him free because of the fight for throne against
Antiochos. Within a short period of time, Antiochos was killed.
Meanwhile, there were many bloody
struggles in the Egyptian Palace. Ptolemiaos VIII Everjet cut his brother’s son
into pieces in his mother’s arms, ascended the throne, he first married
Cleopatra and then divorced her to marry her daughter. Cleopatra, who was the
mother-in-law of Demetrius, offered the throne of Alexandria. But the rebellion
in Antiochia prevented this. Everjet sent Alexander Zabinas to Antiochia as the
son of Alexander Bala who was one of the old kings and caused some disorders
there. Zabinas made people like him, he defeated Demetrius II in Syria near
Damascus. Demetrius II wanted to take shelter in Ptolemais (Akka) Castle where
his ex-wife stayed. But Cleopatra did not stomach his marriage with the
daughter of the king of Port so she did not allow his entrance to the city. So
he escaped to Sina Mountain and died there (126/125).
After the refusal of his wife
Cleopatra, Demetrius left the stage and Alexander Zabinas ascended the throne
of Antiochia. Cleopatra wanted to rule Ptolemais (Akka) by herself.
Cleopatra had three sons two of
whom belonged to Demetrius II Nicator and one belonged to Antiochos VII. She
declared her eldest son as the king. But she suspected him as taking the
revenge of his father, so she killed him. But the people of Akka refused the
rule of an Egyptian woman in the name of Seleucoslar. Her second son,
Antiochos Grypos ascended the throne (Grypos: eagle-nosed). Meanwhile,
Ptolemiaos Fiskan took the throne of Egypt. With his help, he attacked
Alexander Zabinas. Zabinas was defeated. He sacked the Temple of Glory in
Antiochia with his soldiers. He came to Seleucia Pieria and wanted to take
shelter in Seleucia Pieria. But people supported Antiochos and closed the doors
of the city to Zabinas. While he was trying to escape to Greece with a small
sailing boat, pirates captured him and took him to Egypt. There he was killed
after the command of the king.
ALWAYS
INDEPENDANT
After this event, Seleucia Harbour was called as “Is Panda Hronon
Elefceriu (Always Independent)”. Antiochos Grypos, who took the throne from
Alexander Zabinas, married Trifan who was the daughter of the Egyptian King.
But Cleopatra could not stomach her son’s becoming the only ruler of the state.
One day, when he returned from hunting, she offered him a poisonous drink by
saying that he could be thirsty. Grypon suspected his mother, and he wanted her
to drink it first. They were in front of the pillars of the state, so Cleopatra
did not know what to do. At last, she had to drink it and poisoned herself. She
suddenly died there within a short time, Seleucia State lived a comfortable
life, but when Grypon’s step brother grew up and started to claim rights over
the throne the disputes started again. After this event, things were worse and
worse. Trifon, his wife of Grypon killed Cleopatra Thea, who was the queen of
Egypt, in front of a temple in Antiochia since she suspected that there was a
secret treaty between herself and her husband. Cleopatra hugged the temple so
strongly that the soldiers could not separate her from the temple. Trifon
ordered her soldiers to cut the wrists of Cleopatra and separated her from the
statue. Then they cut her into pieces and killed her.
During these events, the Romans did not interfere with Seleucoslar.
Seleucoslar left no work for the Rpmans since they had already been
struggling among themselves. The Romans had to wait more to damage the state of
Seleucoslar.
While the internal struggles and family tragedies continued in
Seleucos Kingdom, the Armenian Kingdom in West Anatolia got bigger and bigger
and became powerful in this region. The Aramiler were shocked because of
the endless fights of Seleucoslar and invited Tigrones, the king of Armenia to
the region (95-60 BC). Tigranes willlingfully accepted this. He appointed his
chief commander, Megadates to rule Syria. When their commander went to Orant
clans with a huge army, all the Seleucos princes who had struggled for the
thrones of Damascus and Antiochia escaped to Anatolia to Clicia became under
the rule of Tigranes. After these successes, Tigranes was called as “The King
of the Kings”. Although Tigranes captured all the ports of North Syria,
Seleucia tried hard against him and did not go under his rule. The reason for
this was that he did not have any navy. After these successes, Tigranes moved
his capital city from Artaksata at the north of Ararat Mountain and he founded
a new capital city. (Mayafarilkin at the east of Diyarbakır which is called
Silvan today). He called the city as Mithiridates, the father-in-law of
Tigrates, out of West Anatolia. (71 BC). Then he defeated the Armenian King,
Tigranes and he sacked Tigronakerta, which was recently built and not
completed. in this war, the Greeks whom Tigress had settled, helped Romans and
the Roman commanders, Luckless allowed them to return to their old land. (69BC)
Seleucos People benefited from the defeat of Tigranes and they
declared their independance by the help of Lucullus in Syria. But Lucullus was
called back to Rome and Pompeius, the commander was sent instead of him, attack
Tigranes to convert the Potos and the Armenian Kingdoms into a province of
Rome. Tigranes understood that he would be defeated, he came to Roman Headquarters
and gave his crown to Pompeius. Pompeius gave back the throne, but he took the
captured places under his rule. His status was determined as “The Friend and
The Union of Rome”. Tigranes exactly knew what this meant. (67 BC)
Pompeius then attacked the dynasty founded by Seleucos People
in Syria. The last inheritor, Antiochos VIII claimed to be left as the king,
but Pompeius rejected this since he thought that Antiochos was unable to
establish piece and security in the country. Syria was convertedinto a Roman
Province. (64 BC) Pompeius left the rule of Seleucia to the brave people of
Seleucia. Antiochos XIII, the last inheritor of Seleucos Kingdom, continued to
live his last days as an ordinary people and died in 58 BC.After this age, the
region was ruled by consules sent from Rome. During the Roman Empire Augustos
Age, the rule was given to the deputies of the emperor. The last remainder of
İskender, The Egyptian Dynasty, was included in Roman Lands and Hellenism
totally came to an end.
THE ROMAN
PERIOD
Seleucia Pieria kept its importance for the Roman who ended the
Seleucos Kingdom and included their lands to their empire in 64 BC. Since the
harbour was very interesting, the relations with the other countries started in
the Hellenistic Ages.
After the Romans captured this region, the Christianity would
appear and a new religion would be shaped on earth. The Christianity was first
thought as the doctrine of Jewish Religion and would be separated from Jewish
Religion.
At about 43 AC, the people who were not Jewish were converted
to this religion in Antiochia and very important steps were taken about this
topic. When this news was heard in Jerusalem, St. Barbanas came to Seleucia
from Jerusalem to look for St. Paulos who had first worked on this topic here.
In Seleucİa, he got on the ship which would take him near Tarsus. Because
St.Paulos was born in Tarsus, when Barbanas found Pavlos, he persuaded him to
return to Antiochia.
When Paulos and Barbanas started from their missionary trip,
Marcos, who would then be the secretary and the friend of Petros, was also with
them. Their starting point was again Seleucia .
In the following years, Christianity would spread quickly. But
300 years had to be passed to be accepted as the state religion in Roman
Empire. During this period, the people who accepted Christianity would strictly
be suppressed. For example,, the great fire, which started on the 18th
of July in 64 BC in Rome and which continued for nine days damaged most of the
city. Empire Neron was dominating the city at that time. First people gossiped
that Empire Neron put on the fire. But emperor blamed Christians for the fire
since he wanted to be known as innocent. So the Christians were investigated
because of this fire. They were tortured, they were eaten by savage animals in
amphitheatres, they were burnt. They faced these kinds of oppressions during the
following eras. But no one could prevent the spreading of Christianity.
There
is no absolute information about the spreading of Christianity in Seleucia. In
a writing of a religious man (187-175 BC) found in the old Hellen Pantheion of
the city, Zeus Olimpius was dealt as the God, Zeus Keraunios, Apollon from
Daphne (Defne:Harbiye), Zeus Nicator from Seleucia, Apollon Soter, some
god-like heroes and the other kings were also mentioned. These sacred signs
were pressed on the coins. There was a picture of a crowned eagle located on
thunder on the coins. These signs probably belonged to Hittite God of Sky.
People sacrificed and wailed many times for Teşub. The people of Seleucia
worshipped both Teşub and Zeus Keraunios at the beginning, in time they combined
them as a unique power and symbolised as Zeus Keraunios. People sometimes
resembled Zeus Casius to the God of Sky. In time, he used power to be the God
of the Harbour. Zeus Casius was the god against the spreading Christianity.
During Emperor Julianus (361-363 AC), who was the last emperor visiting the
Cassius Tomb, the people of Seleucos willingly worshipped for their previous
god.
The
name of Seleucia Pieria was not known during the good days of the Roman Empire.
Although the borders of the empire widened in time, many new political powers
formed and developed around it. As the time passed, The Persians from Persia
(The Parts), became powerful again and they became an important power in the
region. In the war between The Roman Empire and the Persians during the era of
Emperior Valarian (253-260), the Roman Army was defeated and the emperor was
taken as prisoner.
Şapor
I, who captured Antiochia in 256, sacked the city. But it was estimated that he
didn’t give any harm to Antiochia. The Persians again captured and sacked
Antiochia in 260. After that, Palmyra Queen Zenobia would capture the city
despite the negative opinions of the divination places, but she would soon be
defeated and became a prisoner by the Romans.
During
the Roman Empire Diocletion (284-305) Age, people started to clean the stopped
up harbour in Seleucia. The workers sacked many places throughout the end of
the cleaning process to protest the bad and small amount of meal and they
reached Antiochia. The people in Antiochia killed all of them as a punishment.
The old emperor strongly punished the people of Seleucia and Antiochia because
of this event.
Emperor
Constantius II (337-361) started to rule Seleucia and too much development was
seen in the cleaning process of the harbour. There was a danger of filling of
the harbour, so they needed to found a new harbour between the mouth of the
harbour and the previous harbour’s formation place. In 346, they finished the
construction of the new harbour. This harbour was very important for Antiochia.
It provided both travelling, communication, commercial goods’ transportation
and it was also available for the completion of the tools. It helped the
development of Antiochia and it made the city more wealthy.
Especially
in the 4th Century AC, when the Asi River became unavailable for the
sailing of the big ships, the importance of Seleucia Pieria Harbour increased.
All the stones till the feet of the mountain were broken and cleared away for
the construction of the new harbour. So the flow of the garbage, coming from
the mouth of the tunnel which was near the harbour, to the sea was established.
They needed to build a canal of 800 meters to provide the flow of the garbage.
Valens,
who was an emperor on the 4th of April in 372, went to Seleucia to control the
works of the harbour.
After
the division of the Roman Empire into two in 395 AC, the region belonged to
East Roman (Byzantium)
THE CITY
WHICH WAS DESTRUCTED BY THE NATURAL DISASTERS
We can not say that the Seleucos and the Roman Eras are comfortable
for the people in Antiochia. The earthquakes, the scarcity, the rebellions and
the fires were the most important events in the history of the city.
The
earthquakes (148, 130, 83, 69 BC, 35, 37, 41-45, 155, 341, 365, 396, 526, 528,
531, 534, 542, 551, 557, 560, 588, 589 AC) caused huge damages in the city.
The
fires, (145 BC, 23, 24, 70, 138, 161, 507, 525 AC) gave big harms to Antiochia.
Especially
a few big earthquakes damaged Antiochia, Daphne and Seleucia Pieria. The one
that occurred on 29th of May 526 was one of the biggest earthquakes in history.
There were many visitors in Antiochia at that time for the festival. Most of
the people were having dinner. So many people died. 250-300 000 were estimated
to have died in this earthquake and Daphne and Seleucia Pieria were too much
damaged. Two years later, another earthquake occurred in 528 and the reconstructed
cities were again damaged. Justianus I (527-565) helped the people to cure
themselves.
The
Persian King Hüsrev I (Chasroes: Chasrow), who captured Antiochia and its
surroundings in June of 540, came to Seleucia, washed in Mediterranean and
worshipped for the Sun and the Persian Gods.
Seleucia
had a small role in the following religious and historical traces. The Syrian
Priests mixed the previous belief about the gods with the Christian Religion.
Priest Barlaam became the inheritor of Casius and helped to spread Christianity
in this region. But it was not easy to get rid of the powers of the previous
gods. Even St. Simon (Symeon Stylites: Simon Stilit) tried so hard to get rid
of the Seleucia Gods.
THE STORY OF
St. SIMON
The story of the monastery, on the way which separated Değirmenbaşı
and Aknehir and which was 18km. Southwest of Antakya, started throughout the
middle of the 6th Century. The Christian Saint Simon, who was one of the heads
of "TERK-İ DÜNYA" dervish order, worshipped for God for 30 years on a
stone in the middle of the monastery without any worldly things. (48 years for
some sources) The researchers call this place as "Genç Simon
Manastırı" (Young Simon Monastery). Young Simon, who was believed to have
miracles, lived between 521-592. There was Antakya-Samandağ Road in the north
and west, Big Karaçay was in the east and Orentes River (Asi) was in the south.
The
Young Simon Monastery was built 100 years later than Old Simon Castle that was
located 45km east of Antakya in Syria. Its previous name was "Cebel-Mar
Sem'an" or "Dar Sem'an". But today, these names are not common.
The inhabitants of this region call the "monastery" as
"Castle" or "Kale Semen". You can easily reach this
monastery by using the stabilised road, which was built recently.
St.
Simon Monastery is composed of three churches; several buildings and a baptism
place in a 61x68 rectangle made up of rocks. The baptism place is combined to
the northern church with an entrance.
The
monastery is surrounded with a wall of 160m. in the east-west direction and of
130m. in the south-north direction. There are three entrances. To understand
this monastery well, it is essential to know the life of St. Simon and the
religious concepts of his dervish order.
St.
Simon took the education of being a stilit at a place called as "John's
Monastery" from the age of seven to twenty. According to a belief, after
he became an adult, he would live the city life, go to the mountains, and
continue to live without any worldly things.
The
construction of St. Simon Monastery, that was not supported by the emperors of
that age, was finished by the immigrants who believed that dervish order. There
was not a talented architect in the construction. The ill people and their
relatives who wanted to be cured and who wanted the benefit from the superpower
of St. Simon came to the monastery with their food, drinks and goods and they
helped the construction. St Simon, who came to the monastery in 542, dwelled on
the stone which is still in the centre of the monastery today. The construction
of the first part of the monastery finished in 551, ten years later than his
arrival. The believers of St. Simon Stilit Dervish Order believed that the plan
of the monastery was made by an angel.
Everything
except the ceiling and some important tools are still in their places today.
The outer and the inner walls and the sitting places around the stone where St.
Simon prayed are still stable. It was possible to see some mosaic upholstery
recently when the floor was digged. Unfortunately, because of the researches of
the excavators, there isn't any remainder of this mosaic upholstery today. The
carved figures, which have many symbols, are separated to many places.
The
trace of the tomb, which was opened to surroundings, is bound to fall down.
There are a few wide and deep cisterns in the north of the tomb. The stores in
the south has fallen down. It was stated that the stone, where St. Simon
dwelled in, was about 13m. long. This stone was damaged because of the
earthquakes and natural conditions and it is possible to see its parts in
separated forms today.
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