The Hellenistic Settlements in the East from Armenia and Mesopotamia to Bactria and India. Getzel M. Cohen

mentions Artaxata among the towns of Armenia).

      For the results of excavation at Artaxata see Invernizzi, Ai piedi dell’Ararat (bibliography, pp. XIX–XVI, and introductory essay by Invernizzi, pp. XIX–XXIX).

      1. With regard to the relationship of Hannibal and Artaxias and the credit due each, one might consider ALEXANDREIA near Egypt: Alexander the Great is credited with founding the city, but it is clear that in the initial stages it was Kleomenes and others who actually built it. The Macedonian king was too busy rushing off elsewhere to oversee the day-to-day building of the new settlement.

      ARTEMITA

      Ptolemy twice mentions an Artemita in Armenia (5.13.21, 8.19.13). These are the only extant ancient attestations for Artemita. M.-L. Chaumont has suggested it was located on the southeastern shore of Lake Van at the site of the town of Edremit.¹ The toponym Artemita is also found in Greece; this suggests that Artemita in Armenia might have been a Hellenistic foundation.²

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      In general see Baumgartner, RE s.v. “Artemita 2”; R. H. Hewsen, REArm 16 (1982) 140; M.-L. Chaumont, Syria 70 (1993) 436–39.

      1. For the suggested location see Chaumont, Syria 70 (1993) 437–39 and map on p. 433. For Artamet in the later Armenian sources see Chaumont, pp. 437–38.

      2. The toponym Artemita was the name of an island (part of the Echinades archipelago) off the southwest coast of Acarnania. Due to silting, it (and other small islands) became attached to the mainland; see Strabo 1.3.18; Pliny NH 4.5; Stephanos, s.v. “Artemita”; and Hirschfeld, RE s.v. “Artemita 4”; Strauch, BNP s.v. “Echinades”; Radt, Kommentar 5:166.

      EPIPHANEIA ON THE TIGRIS

      Stephanos (s.v. “Epiphaniea 4”) is our sole extant source for an Epiphaneia on the Tigris. He adds that it had been called “Arkesikerta” and that it had been founded by Arkesios. A number of sources mention that Antiochos IV Epiphanes conducted a campaign against the Armenian king Artaxias probably in 165 B.C.¹ Furthermore, the loss of the eastern Seleucid territories as a result of the defeat of Antiochos VII Sidetes in 129 B.C. at the hands of the Parthians makes it clear that—if Epiphaneia was a Seleucid settlement—it would have been founded before that date. The confluence of these facts suggests, therefore, that the founder was Antiochos IV.

      M.-L. Chaumont suggested one of two possible locations for Epiphaneia: Egil or Diyarbakir (modern AMIDA), both in southeastern Turkey.²

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      In general see Droysen, Hist. 2:747; Weissbach, RE s.v. “Epiphaneia 6”; Meyer, Ursprung 2:140; Tcherikover, HS 82; Mørkholm, Antiochus 116–17; Grainger, Prospopography 718; Mittag, Antiochos IV 203–4, 208; M.-L. Chaumont, Syria 70 (1993) 434–36; Fraser, Terminology 373.

      1. For Antiochos’s campaign in Armenia: Diod. 31.17a; App. Syr. 45, 66; Porph. FGrH 260 F38 and 56; see also Strabo 11.14.5 (Artaxias). In addition, see Mørkholm, Antiochus 166–67; Schottky, Media 192–95; Brodersen, Komment. 65.

      2. For the location of Epiphaneia see the map in Chaumont, Syria 70 (1993) 433. Note that in his enumeration of settlements founded by Seleukos I Nikator, Ps.-Dionysius of Tel Mahre mentioned AMIDA on the Tigris River. Assuming that this information is correct, one could further suggest that the settlement was subsequently renamed by Antiochos IV; cf. EDESSA/ANTIOCH on the Kallirhoe. But this is highly speculative, and I would not press it.

      NICEA NIALIA

      The only extant source for Nicea Nialia is the Tabula Peutingeriana (XI.1).¹ Undoubtedly, as J.-G. Droysen suggested, the reference is to a Nikaia, and “Nialia” could be emended to “Paralia.” M.-L. Chaumont speculated that the reference could be to a Nikaia or a Nikopolis. We do not know the exact location. K. Miller suggested it was located southeast of Lake Urmia, in the vicinity of Sindschid or Sainkala.² We should need additional information to affirm that the toponym recorded in the Tabula Peutingeriana reflects the (earlier) presence of a Hellenistic settlement.

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      In general see Droysen, Hist. 2:747; Miller, Itineraria 782; J. Markwart, REArm 3 (1966) 313; Tcherikover, HS 83; M.-L. Chaumont, Syria 70 (1993) 441.

      1. Chaumont also suggested that Nicea Nialia should be identified with Nicanicio in the Geog. Rav. 2.11.16 (ed. Schnetz). Note, however, that the Tab. Peut. (XI.1) distinguishes Naucanio (identical with Nicanicio recorded by the Geog. Rav.?) and Nicea Nialia (see also Markwart, REArm 3 [1966] 313; and Chaumont, Syria 70 [1993] 440 n. 41).

      2. On the suggested location southeast of Lake Urmia see Miller, Itineraria 782 and 783–84 (map), followed by Tcherikover, HS 83, and Chaumont, Syria 70 (1993) 441 and map on p. 433.

      NIKOPOLIS

      In his enumeration of settlements founded by Seleukos I, Appian (Syr. 57) included a Nikopolis in Armenia (ἐν Ἀρμενίᾳ τῇ ἀγχοτάτω μάλιστα Καππαδοκίας). In fact, Appian elsewhere (Mith. 105, 115) ascribed the foundation to Pompey. Other ancient sources—for example, Strabo (12.328), Cassius Dio (36.50.3), and Orosius (6.4.7)—also attributed the founding to Pompey.¹ We may, therefore, assume that at Syrica 57 Appian erred.²

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      In general see Droysen, Hist. 2:748; Tcherikover, HS 84, 166; Sturm, RE s.v. “Nikopolis 8”; Brodersen, Komment. 162; Orth, Diadochenzeit 129–30.

      

      1. Jones (CERP² 244, 452) dismissed the possibility that Alexander founded a NIKOPOLIS in northern Syria to commemorate his victory over Darius at Issos (see evidence and discussion in that entry). He admitted that Appian’s description of Nicopolis as ἐν Ἀρμενίᾳ τῇ ἀγχοτάτω μάλιστα Καππαδοκίας (Syr. 57) was “odd,” but suggested that it was “intelligible if it be remembered that Commagene was at that date part of Armenia.” Jones was therefore willing to accept Appian’s statement as evidence that Seleukos founded Nikopolis east of the Amanos Mountains in honor of one of his own victories. Olshausen (KP s.v. “Nikopolis 6”) raised the possibility that the place had been founded by Seleukos (“originally under another name?”) and then rebuilt by Pompey.

      2. On the occasional errors in Appian’s list see Cohen, Settlements in Syria 3.

      PHILADELPHEIA

      The Tabula Peutingeriana (X.5) records a “Filadelfia” on the road between Artaxata and Ekbatana. This is the only extant source for the settlement. We do not definitely know who was the founder. Three possibilities have been proposed: the Seleucid Demetrios II Theos Philadelphos Nikator, the Parthian Arsakes II, or Artabanos I.¹

      The location is not definitely known.²

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      In general see Droysen, Hist. 2:748; Tcherikover, HS 83; M.-L. Chaumont, Syrie 70 (1993) 440.

      1. Droysen suggested that the founder was the Seleucid Demetrios II Theos Philadelphos Nikator; followed by Chaumont, Syria 70 (1993) 440. Demetrios led a military expedition to the East in 140 B.C. (I Macc. 14.1 says the objective was Media. Josephus, AJ 13.184, says he went to Mesopotamia, planning to take control of it and Babylon and thereby get control of the upper satrapies. His plan was to make war on Arsakes and overcome the Parthians. Porphyry, FGrH 260.32 [16], says he marched against Arsakes to Babylon and the upper regions.) But the short duration of the expedition and his defeat (and capture by the Parthians) make one wonder if he had the time or opportunity to found a settlement in Armenia during the campaign. As for his epithets we may note that he is called “Nikator” or “Nikanor” in the literary evidence (e.g., Joseph. AJ 13.120 and Porph. FGrH 260.32 [16]). The epithet Philadelphos Nikator or (more frequently)