Commagene

The Commagène (in Greek: Kομμαγηνή Kommagênê) was a kingdom located at the southern center of current the Turkey, with like capital Samosate (currently Samsat, at the edge of the Euphrate). Today Commagène is famous for its sanctuary located on Mount Nemrod (Nemrut Dağı).

History

Commagène is mentioned for the first time in the Assyrian texts like Kummuhu, which was an ally of the Assyrie, but which was annexed like province in 708 av JC under Sargon II.

The kingdom Hellénistique, bordered by the Cilicie with the west and the Cappadoce in north was created in 162 av JC, when its Ptolémée governor benefitted from the disintegration of the Empire Séleucide. Its dynasty was related to the kings Parthian S, but its descendant Mithradate Kallinikos (100-69 av JC) chooses the hellenistic culture and married Laodice X Théa Philadelphe, a princess séleucide, thus proclaiming dynastic bonds at the same time with Alexandre Large the and the kings Perse S. Their son Antiochus Theos (69-40 av JC) helped Pompée against the parthes and in 64 av JC and receipt of the territories in reward. It was able to push back the attacks of Marc-Antoine, which it ends up joining in the Roman civil war, but after the defeat of Antoine against Octave, Commagène became a state customer of Rome. In 17, Tibère deposited Antiochos III, but Caligula gave again the throne with his/her son Antiochus IV who reigned until 72, date on which Vespasien deposited the dynasty. Their descendants lived in Greece in prosperity. Julius Antiochus Philopappus, one of the descendants, are honoured by an important monument with Athens.

Lucien de Samosate, a Greek satirist of importance, was born into 125 in Samosate.

National park of Nemrut Dağı

An enormous complex based by Antiochos Theos on the top of the Nemrut Dağı composes a sanctuary with giant statues of the king (whose epithet in Greek " means modestly; dieu") surrounded gods. The site of the tomb of Antiochos is one of the mysteries of the Archéologie and of recent research revealed that close to the mausoleum cavities are which could contain fall it from the king. Nemrud is a will of the Syncrétisme hellenistic, each god being a synthesis of Greek and Persian gods traditional (for example Apollo-Mithra-Photogravure), and was created not to be nothing less than the " home of the dieux" , making of Commagène and its kings a spiritual center for the Middle East. The statues were however destroyed by the Romans, and the sanctuary fell into the lapse of memory. It was redécouvert only at the XIXe century. It is at present a site of the most archaeological interest and an inheritance of humanity.

Under the Romain Empire, kings de Commagène tried to draw up strong bonds between their dynasty and the Iranian god Mithra. The historian and enquiring Roger Beck, suggested in 1996 qu ' a group of soldiers and elites of Commagène were an instrument of the diffusion of the worship with Roman mystery which is the Mithraïsme.

External bonds

sculptures of Nemrud Dagh
Guide and photo album of the Mount Nemrud
International The Nemrud Dagi Foundation

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