tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76034871637530251852024-03-11T03:22:36.377+00:00Antiochepedia = Musings Upon Ancient AntiochAntioch on the Orontes (Greek: Αντιόχεια η επί Ορόντου; Latin: Antiochia ad Orontem) was one of the most important cities of the Graeco-roman period. The ancient city stood on the eastern side of the Orontes River. It is currently partly covered by the modern city of Antakya.
It was founded in the 4th century BC by Seleucus I Nicator. Antioch eventually rivaled Alexandria as the chief city of the Near East and played a particularly strong role in the late Empire.Antiochianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00212278817763049213noreply@blogger.comBlogger203125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603487163753025185.post-7386474438407324002021-05-22T11:24:00.004+01:002021-05-22T11:31:58.611+01:00A Twice per Century Event?<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The last major tome dedicated to the history of Antioch was by Glanville Downey over half a century ago now. Not that there haven't been specialised/focused publications on sub-themes (e.g. Liebeschutz, A.F. Norman or Waldemar Ceran) in the meantime.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">It is clearly time for a new infusion of comment and reassessment. The tragedy is though that scarcely any meaningful excavation has been been done since Downey's work. We certainly hope we must not wait another 50 years for some extensive work to be undertaken.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The latest addition to the short list of works is: <i>Antioch - </i></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>A History</i> b</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">y Andrea U. De Giorgi & A. Asa Eger, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">2021 published by Routledge, which should be out at the end of May. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYv2yF50MFuWs4YqMe41vaX2PQaUF8asErcoOfnUWUQ8FFrl2En16g8LtLRDHl50q94KRhF8LCh0yXgmf-2yGnaz5T4e7cP5Q1ZzHhWYfiDFlbQ2bLDVydQDtmaD9dPyJMsxDqUFQRPGT3/s528/Eger_digiorgi_cover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="528" data-original-width="350" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYv2yF50MFuWs4YqMe41vaX2PQaUF8asErcoOfnUWUQ8FFrl2En16g8LtLRDHl50q94KRhF8LCh0yXgmf-2yGnaz5T4e7cP5Q1ZzHhWYfiDFlbQ2bLDVydQDtmaD9dPyJMsxDqUFQRPGT3/s320/Eger_digiorgi_cover.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #212529; font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">ISBN 9780367633042, 610 Pages with 198 B/W Illustrations</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #212529; font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #212529; font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #212529; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">A glance at the chapter headings shows that it goes beyond the Graeco-Roman/Byzantine focus of Downey and covers right up to the current times. The Table of Contents reads:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #212529; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #212529; font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 The Eagle of Zeus Arrives (303BCE–64BCE)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2 Orientis Apex Pulcher: The Roman "Beautiful Crown of the East" in the making (64 BCE–192CE)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">3 From Capital to Crisis: Antioch in the Late Roman Empire (193–458)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">4 Theoupolis, the City of God (458–638)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">5 Anṭākiya, Mother of the Cities (638–969)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">6 The Byzantine Duchy of Antioch (969–1085)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">7 The Saljūqs: An Interlude (1084–1098)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">8 The Crusader Principality of Antioch (1098–1268)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">9 A Mamlūk Entrepot (1268–1516)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">10 Ottoman Antakya (1516–1918)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">11 A Frontier Town Once More (1920–2020)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">For us, it will be particularly interesting to see the take on the shambolic and destructive evolution of Antakya since 1938. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">The new edition is available online here: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">https://www.routledge.com/Antioch-A-History/Giorgi-Eger/p/book/9780367633042</div></span></span></div><h2 id="toc" style="background-color: white; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: border-box; color: #212529; font-family: "Droid serif", "open sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.9em; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5rem; margin-top: 0.5em; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.2em; text-align: justify;"><br /></h2><h1 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #212529; font-weight: 500; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0.5rem; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></h1>Antiochianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00212278817763049213noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603487163753025185.post-34682562873643352642020-04-13T19:21:00.001+01:002020-04-13T19:21:23.264+01:00Antony & Cleopatra Coins from the Antioch Mint<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">As mentioned in another <a href="https://libaniusredux.blogspot.com/2020/04/cleopatra-mark-antony-at-antioch.html" target="_blank">post</a>, Antony and Cleopatra sojourned in Antioch in 36-35 b.c.e.. Remarkably the literary evidence is poorer from the numismatic traces. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The Antioch mint produced two rulers’ “portrait” type coins (Walker 2003). Antony and Cleopatra appear individually on coins from this region, but also </span><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">appear together. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">On silver tetradrachms, minted between 37–32 bce, Cleopatra appears on the obverse with the legend “Queen Cleopatra Thea II.” The term <i>thea</i>, Greek for goddess, is also a reference to one of Cleopatra’s ancestors – Cleopatra Thea. Antony appears on the reverse with the legend “Antony, Imperator for third time and Triumvir.” </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Cleopatra appears in the form of a bust, wearing an elaborate dress and necklace, and Antony is shown only to the base of his neck. Both rulers appeared on coins from Antioch independently of one another (Walker and Higgs 2001: 234, nos. 218–22).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Sources:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Ashton, Sally-Ann. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Cleopatra and Egypt </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">p. cm. – (Blackwell ancient lives)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Includes bibliographical references and index.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">ISBN 978-1-4051-1390-8 (pbk. : alk. paper)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Walker, S., and Higgs, P., eds. 2001. Cleopatra of Egypt. From history to </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">myth. London: British Museum Press.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Walker, S., “From queen of Egypt to Queen of Kings: the portraits </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">of Cleopatra VII” in Bonacasa et al. eds., 508–17.</span></div>
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Antiochianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00212278817763049213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603487163753025185.post-45726511939617009232020-04-13T15:09:00.002+01:002020-04-13T15:30:03.154+01:00Cleopatra & Mark Antony at Antioch<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Antony and Cleopatra were the star-crossed lovers of the period of transition from Republican to Imperial Rome. And Cleopatra was the harbinger of the end of Egypt's independence for the next two thousand years. Their fates are usually portrayed as being played out in Alexandria, and to a lesser extent Rome, but the other major city of the Roman realm, Antioch, played a brief but crucial role in harbouring this pair during their brief ascendancy. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Antony resolved to make a foray against the Parthians and, like so many after him, chose Antioch as the base for this campaign. In late Autumn of 37 b.c.e. Antony sent Fonteius Capito (a Plebeian Tribune) to bring Cleopatra </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">to Antioch to discuss this planned invasion of Parthia. Her grip on Egypt had been secured through good governance (and some good harvests) and her </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">position was much stronger </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">than it had </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">been at the time of their first meeting at Tarsus four years earlier.</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The ancient sources rightly point to the renewal of Cleopatra’s affair </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">with Antony as one of the main results of her stay at Antioch from the Autumn</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> of 37 b.c.e. through the winter of 36 b.c.e. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The primary source for reports of this stay has been Plutarch's <i>Life of Antonius, 36</i>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Glanville Downey claims that Antony married Cleopatra at Antioch during this stay (though he was still married to Octavian's sister, Octavia). He notes that none of the sources specifically state that the wedding took place in the city, but that it took place at this time. As a wedding gift, Antony presented her with territories in Syria and Palestine. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Cleopatra, according to Stanley Burstein, also won Antony’s recognition </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">of Alexander Helios and Cleopatra Selene as his children. Apparently </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">when she returned to Egypt the next spring, she was pregnant again with </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">his child (</span><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Ptolemy Philadelphos)</span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">. This would seem to indicate that the couple were together in Antioch for four or five months in total. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Cleopatra also achieved major political successes at Antioch.</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In preparation for the Parthian expedition, Antony carried out the most extensive reorganization of the Roman east since the 60s b.c.e., rewarding </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">loyal client kings and removing those suspected of Parthian sympathies. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In addition to confirming </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">her authority over Cyprus, Antony put under Egyptian rule an </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">enormous swath of territory, including the island of Crete, Kyrene in </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">modern Libya, numerous cities in Phoenicia, Syria and Cilicia in southern </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Turkey, and the Arab kingdom of Iturea in northern Palestine.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It is surprising, or maybe not, that all we have is Plutarch's account as a record of this important sojourn in Antioch </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">for nearly half a year </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">by two of history's most important figures .</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It begs several questions and generates some assumptions. As the flamboyant queen of Egypt with a very substantial entourage it must be assumed that she went in style to Antioch. Cleopatra was not one to "travel light". Consequently, from the vast spacious royal compound in Alexandria, one cannot imagine her moving into anything less than the former Seleucid royal palace in Antioch for such an extended stay (and in winter moreover, which have mitigated against an encampment). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Knowing the Antiochians' love of pleasure and spectacle there must also have been much in the way of panoply and theatre (both on and off the stage). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Finally we might also wonder whether the stay was a "family event" with the two new children of the couple (who would have been 4 years old) in attendance, and maybe even Caesarion (the child of Cleopatra by Julius Caesar). </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm9v4ujUrlbNtL5L1xgLAffl1E6pjippmt_yHowAKVqZt6-LoPLHoh3MfizJu5ZyY7504_-XczSWuTEiNqVo2f6yiCdVYg-ZEnsyoWAEb-OHwm308yuXcQdqaDnqwI75UWZJbnNDchmaC5/s1600/Cleopatra_coin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="579" data-original-width="564" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm9v4ujUrlbNtL5L1xgLAffl1E6pjippmt_yHowAKVqZt6-LoPLHoh3MfizJu5ZyY7504_-XczSWuTEiNqVo2f6yiCdVYg-ZEnsyoWAEb-OHwm308yuXcQdqaDnqwI75UWZJbnNDchmaC5/s320/Cleopatra_coin.jpg" width="311" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Above can be seen a coin from the Antioch mint with a Cleopatra countermark. It is worth noting that in 39/38 BC, Antonius had appointed Fonteius Capito to the office of <i>monetalis</i> in one of the eastern provinces of the empire, during which time he minted coins. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Sources:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Glanville Downey, A History of Antioch in Syria from Seleucus to the Arab Conquest. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press (London: Oxford University Press), 1961. Pp. xix + 752, 21 illustrations including maps.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Burstein, Stanley Mayer. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The reign of Cleopatra </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">p. cm.— (Greenwood guides to historic events of the ancient world), 2004</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Includes bibliographical references and index.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">ISBN 0–313–32527–8</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Mock, Casey, "Plutarch: Life of Antonius" (2005). Senior Thesis Projects, 2003-2006. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">http://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_interstp3/49</span></div>
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Antiochianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00212278817763049213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603487163753025185.post-25527715516166006492020-03-22T09:19:00.001+00:002020-03-22T09:27:24.392+00:00More Recent Work on the Hippodrome<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We have previously introduced the subject of the Hippodrome <a href="https://libaniusredux.blogspot.com/2008/03/hippodrome.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">remains today consist of sixteen <i>in situ</i> pieces of <i>opus </i></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>caementicium </i>cores/foundations (see below) of destroyed stairs on </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">the eastern (long) side, and the northern side, which make up the </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">semicircular sphendone. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Excavations were carried out in the middle of this decade under the direction of Hatice Pamir and the results were published in ANADOLU AKDENİZİ - Arkeoloji Haberleri 2016-14: News of Archaeology from ANATOLIA’S MEDITERRANEAN AREAS in an article entitled "Antakya Hipodrom ve Çevresi Kazısı - Excavations at and around the Hippodrome of Antakya". </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">T</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">he exploration was carried out in an area of 190 m2 </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">in the north-western part of the hippodrome, from </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">85m to 82.34m elevation. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Four settlement levels were identified, three levels were </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">outside of the western side of the hippodrome, two </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">levels were identified on the foundations. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The <b>first</b> level </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">contained poor quality foundations of dwelling spaces </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">and terracotta water pipes crossing the trench from </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">north to south. The structure has at least four parallel </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">rooms, reminiscent of a house. Pottery finds belong to </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">daily-use wares from Late Antiquity. The <b>second</b> level </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">contains remains of a house with small rooms whose </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">walls were built with rubble stones and mud. Under </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">a deposit containing architectural brick fragments and </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">architectural block fragments, here and there were stone </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">blocks <i>in situ</i>. Pottery finds have a mixed character, </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">but mainly reflect Late Roman A-C phases. The <b>third</b> </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">level identified on an ash layer in the east but directly </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">on the <i>opus caementicium</i> ground of the hippodrome </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">foundations. In this level blocks were found belonging </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">to the hippodrome either reused or incorporated <i>in situ</i>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Furthermore, a layer 0.30m thick of ash indicated </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">the remains of a fire. Thus, this layer was settled after the </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">hippodrome fell out of use due to a fire. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The earliest coin found </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">belonged to the reign of Trajan and uncovered on the </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">ground of the hippodrome’s foundation. We would note here that Trajan was in Antioch at the time of the earthquake in AD115 and escaped from the palace into the Hippodrome. The coin thus tallies with the versions that have Trajan as the driving force behind the (re-)building of the Hippodrome in its most splendid version.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Pottery finds </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">of the <b>third </b>level were more homogeneous than the finds </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">from the other two levels, and vessels of the 4th-6th </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">centuries A.D. constitute the majority. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The <b>fourth</b> level is defined as the foundations of the hippodrome. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The level with thick ash layer and rubble brick </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">fragments seats directly on this level. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The hippodrome’s </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">foundation, built in <i>opus caementicium</i> using pebble </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">stones and cement mortar, was attested at the 83.1m </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">elevation. To the west of the foundation a <i>sondage</i> measuring </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">1x2m was excavated to -1m, but the excavations </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">had to be halted due to swampy ground although the </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">foundations continued.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In the 2015 campaign, a filling layer of agricultural soil </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">1.40m thick was removed. Right under this filling was </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">a layer of poor quality wall remains, and lime flooring </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">beneath it was also uncovered. Under this layer there are </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">no other traces of a settlement down to the hippodrome’s </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">foundations. On the foundations <i>in situ</i> blocks possibly </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">belonging to the arches that once supported the rows of </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">seats were exposed. On the outer edge of the western </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">side and parallel to them on the eastern side were the </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">hippodrome’s foundation remains measuring 2.40m </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">in width. The distance between these two foundation </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">remains is 7.67m at the south and 7.88m at the north.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The foundations uncovered comprise a north-south wall for the outer side, and five walls extend perpendicular to </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">that, forming four chambers (below). The parallel walls </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">are 2.80 m. wide where they join the outer foundation </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">wall, but 2.30 m. wide on the interior side of the monument. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In the <b>fourth</b> layer a coin of Diocletian was found </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">on the floor beneath the ash layer, and coins of Trajan </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">and Maximian (A.D. 290-294) found at the 82.84m </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">level indicate that the fire took place after Maximian’s </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">reign. The earliest coin, from Trajan’s reign (A.D. 114-</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">117), was found on the foundations.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">As is evident, this was one of the largest hippodromes in the whole Roman empire and it was by all accounts a very substantial and solid structure. The mind somewhat boggles at how so much stone was eventually redeployed for so little effect in the rather mediocre city that Antioch became in the Christian era. </span></div>
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Antiochianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00212278817763049213noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603487163753025185.post-17652817002884455842020-03-21T19:31:00.004+00:002020-04-12T20:44:08.148+01:00The Plague at Antioch<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Usually we are not partial to relating events in the Christian era of Antioch as the city was a mere shadow of its greatness and the sheer mediocrity of the regimes that ruled after the time of Julian do not give us much solace.However it seems somewhat pertinent in the current moment to circle back to the experience of Antioch in the plague of Justinian. At the time, an account of the travails visited upon the city was written by Evagrius Scholasticus in his Ecclesiastical History (AD 431-594), translated by E. Walford (1846). <a href="http://www.tertullian.org/fathers/evagrius_4_book4.htm" target="_blank">Book 4</a>. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Here is his record of the events:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">CHAPTER XXIX.</span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">PESTILENCE.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif";">I</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> WILL also describe the circumstances of the pestilence which commenced at that period, and has now prevailed and extended over the whole world for fifty-two years; a circumstance such as has never before been recorded. Two years after the capture of Antioch by the Persians, a pestilence broke out, in some respects similar to that described by Thucydides, in others widely different. It took its rise from Aethiopia, as is now reported, and made a circuit of the whole world in succession, leaving, as I suppose, no part of the human race unvisited by the disease. Some cities were so severely afflicted as to be altogether depopulated, though in other places the visitation was less violent. It neither commenced according to any fixed period, nor was the time of its cessation uniform; but it seized upon some places at the commencement of winter, others in the course of the spring, others during the summer, and in some cases, when the autumn was advanced. In some instances, having infected a part of a city, it left the remainder untouched; and frequently in an uninfected city one might remark a few households excessively wasted; and in several places, while one or two households utterly perished, the rest of the city remained unvisited: but, as we have learned from careful observation, the uninfected households alone suffered the succeeding year. But the most singular circumstance of all was this; that if it happened that any inhabitants of an infected city were living in a place which the calamity had not visited, these alone were seized with the disorder. This visitation also befell cities and other places in many instances according to the periods called Indictions; and the disease occurred, with the almost utter destruction of human beings, in the second year of each indiction. Thus it happened in my own case--for I deem it fitting, in due adaptation of circumstances, to insert also in this history matters relating to myself--that at the commencement of this calamity I was seized with what are termed buboes, while still a school-boy, and lost by its recurrence at different times several of my children, my wife, and many of my kin, as well as of my domestic and country servants; the several indictions making, as it were, a distribution of my misfortunes. Thus, not quite two years before my writing this, being now in the fifty-eighth year of my age, on its fourth visit to Antioch, at the expiration of the fourth indiction from its commencement, I lost a daughter and her son, besides those who had died previously. The plague was a complication of diseases: for, in some cases, commencing in the head, and rendering the eyes bloody and the face swollen, it descended into the throat, and then destroyed the patient. In others, there was a flux of the bowels: in others buboes were formed, followed by violent fever; and the sufferers died at the end of two or three days, equally in possession, with the healthy, of their mental and bodily powers. Others died in a state of delirium, and some by the breaking out of carbuncles. Cases occurred where persons, who had been attacked once and twice and had recovered, died by a subsequent seizure.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The ways in which the disease; was communicated, were various and unaccountable: for some perished by merely living with the infected, others by only touching them, others by having entered their chamber, others by frequenting public places. Some, having fled from the infected cities, escaped themselves, but imparted the disease to the healthy. Some were altogether free from contagion, though they had associated with many who were afflicted, and had touched many not only in their sickness but also when dead. Some, too, who were desirous of death, on account of the utter loss of their children and friends, and with this view placed themselves as much as possible in contact with the diseased, were nevertheless not infected; as if the pestilence struggled against their purpose. This calamity has prevailed, as I have already said, to the present time, for two and fifty years, exceeding all that have preceded it. For Philostratus expresses wonder that the pestilence which happened in his time, lasted for fifteen years. The sequel is uncertain, since its course will be guided by the good pleasure of God, who knows both the causes of things, and their tendencies. </span></div>
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Antiochianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00212278817763049213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603487163753025185.post-30742871670290337422019-12-21T15:49:00.001+00:002019-12-21T17:22:01.717+00:00The Conservation Zone at Küçükdalyan<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-align: justify;">This neighbourhood has been declared to be a "First Degree" Archaeological Conservation Zone under Turkish law. This means that this area should be left as it is in the municipality's construction plans. And there cannot be any excavations except for scientific purposes. (It should not be forgotten that in Turkey, with the approval of the local museum, one can make private excavations. This law forbids these kind of excavations in said areas).</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-align: justify;">The details of this law may be found <a href="https://kvmgm.ktb.gov.tr/TR-43249/law-on-the-conservation-of-cultural-and-natural-propert-.html" target="_blank">here</a>:</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-align: justify;">https://kvmgm.ktb.gov.tr/TR-<wbr></wbr>43249/law-on-the-conservation-<wbr></wbr>of-cultural-and-natural-<wbr></wbr>propert-.html</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Below can be seen a map of the current protection zone covering the area known as </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Küçükdalyan is the modern neighborhood that consists in the northern part of the modern day Antioch.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In modern times this is the neighbourhood that covers the excavation of the Podium Temple and excavation of Hippodrome. It also has Antioch Mosaic Museum and Saint Peter's museum within it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">When you consider Ancient Antioch, it's the place where the island, temple, the Beroea Gate and almost all of the Northern walls. If we look at the borders of it, we can see on the West side, the Orontes is delimiting all of the zone and some part to the North. At the East almost whole of the Mount Staurin is the border. The southern border runs along the course of the Parmenius river until it's meeting point with the Orontes. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Contributed by Nazmi KAPBAŞ</span><br />
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Antiochianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00212278817763049213noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603487163753025185.post-46771799848934301732019-12-21T15:46:00.000+00:002019-12-21T15:26:40.927+00:00The "Big" Temple and Recent Works Upon It Ruins<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">One feature of the </span><a href="http://libaniusredux.blogspot.com/2008/03/island.html" style="font-family: verdana;">Island </a><span style="font-family: "verdana";">that the Princeton Expedition of the 1930s scarcely looked at, nor mentioned, was the "temple" site. This stood two blocks east of the hippodrome, so was very close to where they were operating. This is visible in aerial photographs from the 1920s and is shown best in the Poccardi article. Below is the map from the Poccardi work showing the temple (at letter 3).</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana";"><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzj2g_d3wzxNZyc0eC2tFGQHKADYic-vMet0H2NKBtMYkTU5sVeJf-8E3q9UM-rRQlIIvgEA_tpb1fwXR3n-9upPLI2Hfg165NwRdlhEGVQZh_Ag8PLXdpDlES9PJ8Yj_0nAPRdBMoIwLY/s1600-h/poccardi_map_island.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266314519053892258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzj2g_d3wzxNZyc0eC2tFGQHKADYic-vMet0H2NKBtMYkTU5sVeJf-8E3q9UM-rRQlIIvgEA_tpb1fwXR3n-9upPLI2Hfg165NwRdlhEGVQZh_Ag8PLXdpDlES9PJ8Yj_0nAPRdBMoIwLY/s400/poccardi_map_island.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 314px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">This was a fairly massive temple with a podium measuring 107m by 71m covering two city blocks. It has been the subject of testing since at least 2008 by the only group that is currently working in the Antioch site. It stands to the East of the Hippodrome as shown in the map below:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglerVRKutyhr4Vxal_RkubKATJORbEaOiN-EPHF9VJrLPc2BINH_Tg9f4aKg8VYmCrSpX13rNZcfAr_1rBih8x6aXhwi3DnoxhayCsNvTKxpotKeZH7slRb43OHgeragdzXALzhto5bmGp/s1600/Map_re_hippo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="550" data-original-width="620" height="566" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglerVRKutyhr4Vxal_RkubKATJORbEaOiN-EPHF9VJrLPc2BINH_Tg9f4aKg8VYmCrSpX13rNZcfAr_1rBih8x6aXhwi3DnoxhayCsNvTKxpotKeZH7slRb43OHgeragdzXALzhto5bmGp/s640/Map_re_hippo.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">The visible remains consist of the rubble core of the structure. We have seen no speculation on which god the temple may have been dedicated to.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";"><span style="font-family: "verdana";">A collaborator, </span><span style="color: rgb(0 , 0 , 0); font-family: "trebuchet ms";">JØRGEN CHRISTENSEN-ERNST</span><span style="font-family: "verdana";">, took the following photographs.</span></span></div>
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</span><span style="font-family: "verdana";"><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzK_dTKJdSBcBMsxHkRrNQ3GYHl2EZ05KwJckwB_0r-Ni-SLDl9XHYX_S-SF6YD_6qFuWleFjpYCfv5XHoE-FY8W9MiDxSasgwBaFTymxpTbmWSFFIWWEFn0TNO47_GXqBeGMVFeQ6fMoV/s1600-h/Temple+1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266315941416794322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzK_dTKJdSBcBMsxHkRrNQ3GYHl2EZ05KwJckwB_0r-Ni-SLDl9XHYX_S-SF6YD_6qFuWleFjpYCfv5XHoE-FY8W9MiDxSasgwBaFTymxpTbmWSFFIWWEFn0TNO47_GXqBeGMVFeQ6fMoV/s400/Temple+1.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJPHbPYSBnyPFiFYdn8kLPi19VbpzXtBddD4YArSV5SXLyHJO-5UlMHLVEJ9XrW3Hv0aDLHYjmHmhggVC5rquVSaeyMfJ-1wsd-bLbrUQDxysyDcRzANQdXAuDy9VuBBIRrODgkAFaOBjp/s1600-h/Temple+2.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266316420494607714" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJPHbPYSBnyPFiFYdn8kLPi19VbpzXtBddD4YArSV5SXLyHJO-5UlMHLVEJ9XrW3Hv0aDLHYjmHmhggVC5rquVSaeyMfJ-1wsd-bLbrUQDxysyDcRzANQdXAuDy9VuBBIRrODgkAFaOBjp/s400/Temple+2.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRnFOWLHnO9vbzk7fxrisSVYlr20sibyqSuO-bDDhV2JkkYGn2DLvyW6lAPXH9NOWlsiZv6X0BNTHRdZBdvJCphgPs30cRqEWKRUJ1wbwV0iwtUecvUY5ZUtqzYkgUPoUTVwPexAhd2qXA/s1600-h/Temple+-+entrance.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266316855513614690" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRnFOWLHnO9vbzk7fxrisSVYlr20sibyqSuO-bDDhV2JkkYGn2DLvyW6lAPXH9NOWlsiZv6X0BNTHRdZBdvJCphgPs30cRqEWKRUJ1wbwV0iwtUecvUY5ZUtqzYkgUPoUTVwPexAhd2qXA/s400/Temple+-+entrance.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 225px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu0ZvLaHN7CjNK0BllOP98dfZ5aNzZtg9dpmoVsGV0zhnYlMLs1h1XeTM76fAo2Gu_Ws93uWoGVwuK6oBD2b30EdMB_6VR23ZtT5MzRhrsWZOOHvzduJb2mjAl6JnLeBTHFlLdQdz8hh2Q/s1600-h/Temple+-+top+of+wall.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266317330565713442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu0ZvLaHN7CjNK0BllOP98dfZ5aNzZtg9dpmoVsGV0zhnYlMLs1h1XeTM76fAo2Gu_Ws93uWoGVwuK6oBD2b30EdMB_6VR23ZtT5MzRhrsWZOOHvzduJb2mjAl6JnLeBTHFlLdQdz8hh2Q/s400/Temple+-+top+of+wall.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">This last image shows the top of the podium.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";"><span style="font-family: "verdana";"><span style="font-family: "verdana";"><span style="font-family: "verdana";">In 2004, a team of archaeologists (Hatice Pamir et al.) with a geomagnetic approach visited the site. There report was as follows: "</span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana";">The so-called temple, the rubble core podium of which still stands at a height of 5 m, underwent a preliminary documentation. A geomagnetic survey was conducted west of the temple, on the periphery of the adjacent hippodrome, which became part of the Tetrarchic palace at Antioch in the late 3rd century. The remains of an <i>opus caementicium</i> wall, which once separated the Basileia from the rest of the city, was provisionally documented and so were most of the monuments registered by the American excavators".</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">A more extensive report was published in </span>ANADOLU AKDENİZİ - Arkeoloji Haberleri 2016-14: News of Archaeology from ANATOLIA’S MEDITERRANEAN AREAS in an article entitled "Antakya Hipodrom ve Çevresi Kazısı - Excavations at and around the Hippodrome of Antakya authored by Hatice Pamir. In this report:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">"Not investigated until today, this structure is mentioned as a temple in the excavation reports of the 1930s. First short-term geophysical surveying was done at the monument in 2011, and then in 2013 excavation and documentation started and still continues. This monument extending north to south sits parallel to the hippodrome, 160 m. to its east. What remains today from the monument are the podium and cella wall foundations of <i>opus caementicium</i> (roman concrete) built with pebble stones and cement mortar.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNYrK2OVaOX_PFdJLtENIp63P-Xwlbz0UkL_MasMbdrvKmmKgX9AU_4YDHuRYD7pzAA3l1PBB85yVEvYJNoBq5wc-y16E-w3_X-lkrJp990geLMh8I-sgB-rlxpqdy2Dy4DsAzyLzbwAXW/s1600/Drone_view.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="807" data-original-width="965" height="534" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNYrK2OVaOX_PFdJLtENIp63P-Xwlbz0UkL_MasMbdrvKmmKgX9AU_4YDHuRYD7pzAA3l1PBB85yVEvYJNoBq5wc-y16E-w3_X-lkrJp990geLMh8I-sgB-rlxpqdy2Dy4DsAzyLzbwAXW/s640/Drone_view.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">The high podium measures 109.70 m. long north to south and 75.06 m. wide east to west. The width of the peristasis is 13.70 m. on its long sides and 15.60 m. on its short sides. The cella walls are double walls extending parallel as inner and outer walls. The outer cella wall is 78.70 m. long on its long eastern and western sides while 47.90 m. wide on its short northern and southern sides. A T-shaped construction adjoined for 3.9 m. south from the middle of the northern cella wall and forms a foundation wall 18.5 m. long and 3.5 m. wide extending parallel to the cella’s northern wall. The cella was accessed from the eastern, western and southern sides. The eastern and western entrances are 5 m. wide and on the same axis, while the southern one is 6.8 m. wide.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Following the preliminary documentation, excavations were initiated at the temple carried out at the western peristasis of the podium, gates B2 and B9, the northern peristasis, and the cella.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">In the northern half of the western peristasis of the podium, the western outer wall of the podium is bordered with nine blocks of <i>opus caementicium</i> at equal intervals from the northern corner of the north-west podium up to the west gate axis. On the outer surfaces of the blocks placed at intervals forming the podium wall are at least three rows of straight line of mold construction traces left by blocks or molds used during the construction, giving a height of 0.60 m. and 0.45 m. Regarding its construction technique, a row of pebble stones was placed regularly at the bottom, and a thick layer of cement was poured, then another row of pebble stones and again cement mortar. This continued up to the top of the mold.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">In order to determine the height of the podium, a sondage measuring 1.00 x 10.80 m. was dug south of the entrance b2. At the 80.15 m. level a mortared floor was reached so the excavation was stopped. Thus, the height of the podium is 5 m. from the top level of the well-preserved block and the podium’s floor/base. On the exterior surface of the wall the courses do not look regular on the plaster but suggest an isodomic wall-facing; blocks measure on the average 0.40 x 0.60 m.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">In the northern part of the western peristasis, an area 60 m. long north to south and 5 m. wide from the outer wall of the podium towards the cella was excavated.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">This area contained 66 high pedestal bases includes 22 rows in north south and each row includes three pedestal in east-west, built with pebble stone and cement mortar in opus caementicium technique. The pedestal bases measure 0.70 x 0.65 m. with a height of 0.55 m. placed 0.90 m. apart (below). The bases were placed without cutting the gaps. They rest on the ground at the 83.00 m. level.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYTcRK1FEl7N1XfCWpWcriRcxWVRa_CMUWoMSgcNGj__adO7S6aYu6L4lucBtQYeu4ZBDKxc1Hg3M9EtxREQQPdotLe1fkpUVuXAX9Tm3UhKUimdLdi_e7DKgJwaqL0cESexZ4zTI7vInX/s1600/Western_peristasis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="639" data-original-width="958" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYTcRK1FEl7N1XfCWpWcriRcxWVRa_CMUWoMSgcNGj__adO7S6aYu6L4lucBtQYeu4ZBDKxc1Hg3M9EtxREQQPdotLe1fkpUVuXAX9Tm3UhKUimdLdi_e7DKgJwaqL0cESexZ4zTI7vInX/s640/Western_peristasis.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">The excavation carried out in the western part of the northern peristatis. A total of 16 pedestal bases (4 rows of 4) were uncovered in an area measuring 6.50 x 13.50m. extending from the western corner of the cella wall to the outer podium wall. These well-preserved <i>opus caementicium</i> bases measure 0.90x1 m. with a height of 0.8 m., thus are larger than those uncovered in the western peristasis. They also built on the <i>opus caementicium</i> ground at the 82.90 m. level.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">The ramp construction in B2 entrance and B9 entrance were excavated. They should be related to the last phase of the temple when its function was changed. Straight line traces of mortar for ashlars measuring 0.45 x 0.60 m. at the eastern end of the northern wall of Entrance B9 indicate that this face of the wall was faced with ashlars originally but later removed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Excavations were carried out front of the T-shaped wall in the northern part of the cella, in the northern corner of inner eastern wall of the cella, and before the inner western wall of the cella in order to document the ground upon which the foundations of the cella walls.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Under the modern agricultural soil, down to 84.05 m., in a filling 1.50 m. thick were fragments of bricks, rubble, mortar and cut limestone blocks, indicating a few phases of destruction. Beneath it was loose ground with lime mortar. Further down, the pebble stone and rubble filling reaches down to the 83.20 m. level where an <i>opus caementicium</i> ground adjoining the cella walls was uncovered. At the northern corner of the inner western wall of the cella was a platform 2.60-2.65 m. wide at the levels of 84.10-84.00 m. It bounds north-south wall and continues into the profile. Within this platform is a channel paved with brick and bounded with stone blocks.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">On the western entrance axis of the cella is an <i>opus caementicium</i> platform 2.60 m. wide uncovered at the 84.04 m. level and adjoining the inner wall of the cella. This one should be extension of the platform uncovered at the northern corner of the inner eastern wall of the cella.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">A trench measuring 5x3.40 m. was dug west of the outer cella wall in the west peristasis. Modern agricultural soil and rubble filling were removed, and <i>opus caementicium</i> ground at the 82.88 m. level. This ground extends north to south as a platform 4.93 m. wide adjacent to the outer wall of the cella. Another trench measuring 6 x 2 m. was dug from the outer wall of the cella in the western </span><span style="font-family: "verdana";">peristasis, and the </span><i style="font-family: verdana;">opus caementicium</i><span style="font-family: "verdana";"> ground 5.05 m. wide extending from the cella wall to the podium platform was reached at the 82.90 m. level. Both these platforms/buttress foundations extend adjacent to the outer wall of the cella. Like the platform 2.60 m. wide uncovered at the 84.05 m. level inside the cella, it adjoins the cella wall and looks like a buttress. The podium foundation 7.60 m. wide formed by the outer blocks of buttress in the western peristasis is only 0.60 m. away from the 5.05 m.-wide buttress platform adjoining the cella wall.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">This shows that the bases for the vertical elements of the temple were built individually.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">For the time being there is no evidence for the superstructure of the temple except very few architectural elements. It was documented one shaft fragment of a grey granite column and two fragments of porphyry granite columns on the surface and in modern soil. It is possible that they were collected and brought the temple from the field around the temple. The temple surrounded with modern occupation houses and agricultural fields. It can be said that this structure is a podium temple of monumental size. The opus caementicium core has been preserved, and facing blocks have been documented at a few points in situ. Its height is over 10 m. including the podium and the cella walls. Its dimensions make it one of the rare monuments of this size. Its plan seems to be unique, and from the point of layout its closest parallel is the Donuktaş temple in Tarsus, which is dated to the Severan period at the end of the 2nd century A.D.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">According to preliminary data, the top deposit belongs to the Islamic and Crusader cultures of the 11th-12th centuries. It is thought that the temple served for temporary accommodation thanks to its sturdy architecture during that period. Coin finds are abundant for the 3rd to 4th centuries A.D., but there is no coin from the 4th to the 11th centuries. Pottery finds include amphorae of the late 5th to 7th centuries A.D. (Fig. 5), and the metal armlet on a skeleton uncovered in the debris indicate that the structure fell down in the 6th century. Two burial were uncovered a skeleton in 2013 and another burial in 2015. It is inferred that the area served as a cemetery after the building fell out of use".</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Here are a couple of plans from recent publications by Hatice Pamir: </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV1CBRG8-9_zgVmBXczI8sDsF59IiPE-m42CfdRfq5Zypf_8k0lsuBejVGHEcuG0lDN0J4e044RTZmI1KdT7UapE1IEYAohFg0eUkNSPbHgSUh68z0ljXt7RFReYfh-dmkTEKruPKnJD4x/s1600/another_temple_plan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="631" data-original-width="707" height="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV1CBRG8-9_zgVmBXczI8sDsF59IiPE-m42CfdRfq5Zypf_8k0lsuBejVGHEcuG0lDN0J4e044RTZmI1KdT7UapE1IEYAohFg0eUkNSPbHgSUh68z0ljXt7RFReYfh-dmkTEKruPKnJD4x/s640/another_temple_plan.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxetMeJ25jfYDhpVvK1kWewJoA_IcqsofSy8IkHVYZP6v_Quou1vx34x3sTLajkrtKy5I4UVG-5QFt0BKitXBRxhCddyhGYHaGX3ms1pj0URonFUqi2MBpl2qIGFxKPTj8JNWEyc0gyjE7/s1600/Detail_NW_corner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1044" data-original-width="585" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxetMeJ25jfYDhpVvK1kWewJoA_IcqsofSy8IkHVYZP6v_Quou1vx34x3sTLajkrtKy5I4UVG-5QFt0BKitXBRxhCddyhGYHaGX3ms1pj0URonFUqi2MBpl2qIGFxKPTj8JNWEyc0gyjE7/s640/Detail_NW_corner.jpg" width="356" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkFj9D7VQplvkolWlrXNvsIItH4C134zz6S5A6FNtIX3XU89tGY6mDyEpQak8pjOhWh4lVpPdlh_-GuFsiCLRk0Fe3kI0cpC2PuKo9i6xqkuqgYHR_fy5EKGnLjqb5bwkJDxz2fS5o-AIC/s1600/Temple_podium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1209" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkFj9D7VQplvkolWlrXNvsIItH4C134zz6S5A6FNtIX3XU89tGY6mDyEpQak8pjOhWh4lVpPdlh_-GuFsiCLRk0Fe3kI0cpC2PuKo9i6xqkuqgYHR_fy5EKGnLjqb5bwkJDxz2fS5o-AIC/s640/Temple_podium.jpg" width="482" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">The plan above predates the latest works at the site but is still useful.</span><br />
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Antiochianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00212278817763049213noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603487163753025185.post-90538989590186852932019-12-21T15:05:00.001+00:002019-12-21T17:26:23.380+00:00A Map of the Island<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I came across the following map (click to enlarge):</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj55jBrY0-bmsnW0qfm2d1Ji9bRFFy91P1Ba6ed0p0H-Osr8O1EOTlmV4nnzZ5eCMEISrLVsix3qxfTW9XqNHKI_SfMLWsZmwJwr_c4czggZHaFfsxveVCLFoXL3EuOtkD7QT4drh1veoe2/s1600/Island.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="946" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj55jBrY0-bmsnW0qfm2d1Ji9bRFFy91P1Ba6ed0p0H-Osr8O1EOTlmV4nnzZ5eCMEISrLVsix3qxfTW9XqNHKI_SfMLWsZmwJwr_c4czggZHaFfsxveVCLFoXL3EuOtkD7QT4drh1veoe2/s640/Island.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The map was in: The Palace of Diocletian at Split - </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A Thesis presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School University of Missouri, Columbia by </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Guy Dominic Robson Sanders in August 1989 and represents a refiguring by Sanders of Downey's original. This meshes with the ideas generated by the Poccardi map <a href="https://libaniusredux.blogspot.com/2008/03/island.html" target="_blank">here</a>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">While the map contains many details discussed by us in previous postings the layout is somewhat novel groups all the elements thus far discovered on the same map and reorients the street grid to a pseudo-north-south layout. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The dotted line (J) is claimed to be Downey's canal with bridges and gates. Maybe Downey was not privy to the aerial views which quite clearly show the canal where the City Wall is marked. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We remain of the persuasion that G & D are where the imperial palace was sited with a bridge to the imperial box at the Hippodrome. Maybe our eyesight is defective but we cannot see letter H (the <i>carceres</i>). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The tragedy of all this is that this area is still not built over but might shortly be subject to the creeping urbanisation of Antakya. The whole area should be declared a "historic park" and would bring the area far more tourism than it currently has. </span></div>
<div class="ff5" style="background-color: #e9e9e9; border: none; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 90px; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; white-space: nowrap;">
<span class="a" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "ff5" , "courier new" , "courier new" , "courier6"; font-weight: bold; height: 1px; left: 1204px; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 566px; word-spacing: -3px;">The Palace of Diocletian at Split</span></div>
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<span class="a" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "ff2" , "courier new" , "courier new" , "courier6"; height: 1px; left: 2036px; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 1402px; word-spacing: -3px;">A Thesis</span><span class="a" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "ff2" , "courier new" , "courier new" , "courier6"; height: 1px; left: 1791px; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 1609px;">-----------------</span><span class="a" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "ff2" , "courier new" , "courier new" , "courier6"; height: 1px; left: 1927px; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 1918px; word-spacing: -5px;">Presented to</span><span class="a" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "ff2" , "courier new" , "courier new" , "courier6"; height: 1px; left: 1327px; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 2021px; word-spacing: -3px;">the Faculty of the Graduate School</span><span class="a" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "ff2" , "courier new" , "courier new" , "courier6"; height: 1px; left: 1409px; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 2124px; word-spacing: -5px;">University of Missouri Columbia</span><span class="a" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "ff2" , "courier new" , "courier new" , "courier6"; height: 1px; left: 1791px; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 2330px;">-----------------</span><span class="a" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "ff2" , "courier new" , "courier new" , "courier6"; height: 1px; left: 1682px; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 2845px; word-spacing: -5px;">In Partial Fulfilment</span><span class="a" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "ff2" , "courier new" , "courier new" , "courier6"; height: 1px; left: 1327px; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 3051px; word-spacing: -3px;">Of the Requirements for the Degree</span><span class="a" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "ff2" , "courier new" , "courier new" , "courier6"; height: 1px; left: 1873px; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 3154px; word-spacing: -3px;">Master of Arts</span><span class="a" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "ff2" , "courier new" , "courier new" , "courier6"; height: 1px; left: 1791px; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 3668px;">-----------------</span><span class="a" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "ff2" , "courier new" , "courier new" , "courier6"; height: 1px; left: 2200px; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 3875px;">By</span></div>
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<span class="a" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "ff5" , "courier new" , "courier new" , "courier6"; font-weight: bold; height: 1px; left: 1427px; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 4188px; word-spacing: -3px;">Guy Dominic Robson Sanders</span></div>
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Antiochianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00212278817763049213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603487163753025185.post-20504980899990496362019-05-01T19:10:00.000+01:002019-05-01T19:54:49.021+01:00The Ravishing Praise of Pseudo-Hegesippus<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We were perusing an article: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Pseudo-Hegesippus at Antioch? </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Testing a Hypothesis for the Provenance of the </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>De Excidio Hierosolymitano</i>", by Carson Bay, Florida State University in </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">BABELAO 8 (2019), p. 97-128:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">which is ostensibly about a rewrite of Josephus' Judean War but in fact has a lot to do with the supposed Antiochene origin of the mysterious </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Pseudo-Hegesippus. In his work, the ancient author speaks of Antioch (at 3.5.2) in glowing terms, though nothing we haven't heard from others of its native sons that sung similar praises:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"This city is held, without hesitation, to be the first, and for that reason the metropolis, of </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Syria, having been founded by the partisans of the warrior Alexander the Great and called by </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">the name of its founder. The city is situated thus: spread out over an immense length, it is narrower </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">in width, because it is bounded on the left side by the steep face of a mountain, such </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">that the spaces of the city as measured were not able to be extended further. Necessity marked </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">the location, because such a high mountain would provide a place to hide from the Parthians </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">breaking in through unknown and alternate routes, from which they could pour themselves </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">out by way of an unanticipated onset and immediate attack against an unprepared Syria, unless </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">the city should lie before a mountain as before a bulwark and obstruct the egress of those </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">approaching, so that if any of the barbarians should ascend, immediately he would be seen </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">from the hollow center of the city. Eventually, they hold that, when theatrical plays were being </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">frequented in that city, one of the farcical actors, raising his eyes to the mountain, saw the </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Persians arriving and immediately said: “I am either beholding a dream or a great danger. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Behold: Persians!” This was possible because the mountain leaned over the city, so that not </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">even the height of the theatre provided an impediment to seeing the mountain. A river separates </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">it in the middle which, originating from the direction of the sun’s rising, is joined to the </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">sea not far from the city. This river those of former times called ‘Orient’ due to the tracing of </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">its origin, inasmuch as they [those of former times] are commonly believed to have given </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">names to places, names which were thereafter adopted. It is from the frigid flows of this river </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">from its very onset, and from the Zephyrs blowing constantly through it in places, that the </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">entire city is cooled at nearly every moment, so that it has hidden the East in its eastern parts. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Within it are sweet waters, and without a nearby meadow surrounded by open spaces and </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">clusters of cypress trees, as well as productive fountains. They call it Daphne, because it </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">never sets aside its greenery. There there exists a populus numerous and very happy that is </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">more refined than nearly all others of the East, but nearer to licentiousness. This city, having </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">been reckoned to hold third place of all other citizen bodies which exist in the Roman world, </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">now holds fourth place, after the citizen body of the Byzantines has produced Constantinople, </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">once capital of the Persians, but now a means of defense. I believe enough has been said concerning </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">the situation of the city. For it is not seemly to delay by describing its edifices. When I </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">spoke of the East from its back, it was clear enough that the South is situated from the left, </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">that Europe meets it from the front, that the Northern peoples live to the right, where also the </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Caspian kingdoms are held, who had previously been the most inclined to make incursions </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">into Syria. But after Alexander the Great established the Caspian Gate at a steep part of the </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Taurus Mountain, and closed off the way to all the peoples of the interior, he returned the </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">famous city to peace, except perhaps when observing Persian movement".</span></div>
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Antiochianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00212278817763049213noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603487163753025185.post-20528996602947651782018-10-23T12:03:00.000+01:002018-10-23T12:03:58.505+01:00The Plethron & the Xystos<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">The plethron was the ancient wrestling stadium of Antioch. It merited an Oration from Libanius (Oration X, "On the Plethron"). In Downey's article on the Antioch Olympics he says ".. the successive enlargements of the Plethron, which had been built under Didius Julianus in the heart of Antioch, near the site of the later Forum of Valens, for use in the athletic trials and preliminary contests in the games. In a </span><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">statement by </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">Malalas (cited by Downey</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">) </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">the </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">Plethri(o)n was built on </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">the </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">site </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">of the </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">house </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">of </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">Asabinus </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">of </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">the </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">Council </span><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">(πολιτευομενου), a </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">Jew by </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">religion.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">The structure was originally designed, with two rows of seats about its four sides, to accomodate as spectators only the trainers, patrons and present and past officials of the games, the building was enlarged by Argyrius, who gave the games in 332AD, and then by Libanius' uncle Phasganius, who gave them in 336, each doubling the former capacity of the seats. The resulting admission of students, workmen and idlers of all sorts destroyed, Libanius says, the sacred character of the contests, which were even set at a later hour to suit the convenience of the new spectators". Downey adds that Proculus, the <span style="font-style: italic;">comes Orientis</span><span style="font-family: "verdana";"> of 383-4 proposed a further expansion of the seating. This last proposal is what spurred Libanius to his outburst against riff-raff at the plethron!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">The Xystos was another structure used for the Games. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana";">Malalas relates that this was built (or rebuilt) by Commodus (180-192AD). This is described in some commentaries as a covered track used for sports. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana";">In a footnote A.F. Norman suggests some sort of linkage with the Theatre of Zeus and references Roland Martin in Festugiere but my reading of Martin quite clearly states the Theatre of Zeus was in Daphne, moreover Norman attributes Martin as claiming that the Xystos and Plethron were in some way connected with the theatre. Maybe our French is faulty but R. Martin says in reference to the Plethron "</span><span style="font-family: "verdana"; font-style: italic;">où </span><span style="font-family: "verdana"; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: "verdana";"> il es</span>t bien<span style="font-family: "verdana";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana"; font-style: italic;">distingué</span><span style="font-family: "verdana";"><span style="font-family: "verdana"; font-style: italic;"> des d</span><span style="font-style: italic;">eux theatres</span>". That sounds like the contrary view. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Both of these structures were in or around the Forum, which is usually named in honour of Valens, for his rebuilding activities.<br /><br />I have uploaded Richard Foerster's edition of Libanius' Oration X: "On the Plethron" and it is available <a href="http://www.filefactory.com/file/ag69c90/n/plethron_oration_foerster_pdf">here</a>:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">http://www.filefactory.com/file/ag69c90/n/plethron_oration_foerster_pdf</span></div>
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Antiochianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00212278817763049213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603487163753025185.post-30470231455113440072018-07-20T20:28:00.004+01:002018-07-20T20:28:24.685+01:00A Short Bibliography on the Antiochikos<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: #f1f1f1; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We have dealt with the subject of a broad bibliography of Antioch in a previous postings <a href="https://libaniusredux.blogspot.com/2013/01/an-expanded-yet-abridged-bibliography.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="https://libaniusredux.blogspot.com/2008/03/annotated-and-highly-subjective.html" target="_blank">here</a>. A subset of Antioch studies is the study of Libanius's Oration in praise of his home city, the <i>Antiochikos</i>, which we posted upon <a href="https://libaniusredux.blogspot.com/2008/10/antiochikos-of-libanius.html" target="_blank">here</a>. The oration in translation, by Glanville Downey, can be found <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0ByYUCs0QSUmaZjdmUC1UdmRiSUk/view" target="_blank">here</a>. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f1f1f1; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It might be useful to list here the research that deals solely with the Oration in question. Here are the articles I know of:</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f1f1f1; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Les fondations d’Antioche dans l’Antiochikos (Or. XI) de Libanios</i>, Catherine Saliou, Aram 11-12 (1999-2000), p. 357-388</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Libanius' Oration in Praise of Antioch (Oration XI)</i></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">: Glanville Downey - </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society, Vol. 103, No. 5, (Oct. 15, 1959), pp. </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">652-686</span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Antioche décrite par Libanios. </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">La rhétorique de l’espace urbain et ses enjeux </span></i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>au milieu du quatrième siècle</i>, Catherine Saliou, in </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #f1f1f1; color: #333333; text-align: left;">M. Steinrück, E. Amato, A. Roduit (dir.), Approches de la troisième sophistique (Mélanges J. Schamp), Bruxelles, 2006, p. 273-285</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Libanius the Mythographer: Cultural Competition in the Antiochikos</i>, Alex Lee, Florida State University. </span><span style="background-color: #f4f4f4; color: #2c2a29; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: left;">112th annual meeting of CAMWS, 16-19 March 2015</span><span style="background-color: #f4f4f4; color: #2c2a29; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: left;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-style: italic;">Vergangenheit und Gegenwart im “Antiochikos” des Libanios. </span>Wiemer, H-U. 2003. Klio
85(2): 442-468.</div>
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<i>Libanios' Antiochikos as the First Independent City Praise to Contain an Extent City Description or the Last Evolutionary Stage of a Rhetorical Genus, </i>Alexandra</div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Voudouri, </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">University </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">of </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Athens, </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Greece, </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I.S.H.R </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Twentieth </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Biennial </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Conference,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tübingen, </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">July </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">31, </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2015</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Antiochikos - </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Zur heidnischen Renaissance in der Spätantike </span></i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Aus dem Griech</i>, Tilman Krischer & Georgios Fatouros, </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">286 S., </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">ISBN 978-3-85132-006-0</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Der Antiochikos des Libanios; eingeleitet, übersetzt und kommentiert</i>, Leo Hugi.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Solothurn, "Union," 1919. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">164 p.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Antioch as a Centre of Hellenic Culture, as Observed by Libanius</i>, A. F. Norman, Liverpool University Press | Series: Translated Texts for Historians | 2000, 199p </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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Antiochianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00212278817763049213noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603487163753025185.post-56586067039703383432018-06-17T20:53:00.000+01:002018-06-18T09:25:26.507+01:00The Sarcophagus "Industry" in Antioch<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Antioch was way more than just an Eastern outpost or some staging post on the way to campaigns against the Parthians. As the former capital of the Seleucid Empire for centuries it was where the wealth of that empire gravitated attracting the "big spenders" on not only its own area of dominion but from a broader region (as evidenced by Herod's gift of the Colonnaded Street). It was plugged into various strands of the Silk Road and the Red Sea trade as well as connections through to Palmyra providing interaction with that entrepôt.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 1em;">So jewellery, textiles and perfumes were the prime stock in trade of the merchants and craftsmen dealing with the Syrian "carriage trade". All of these involved conversion of inputs from distant lands into products for local consumption or export to points west in the Roman Empire.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 1em;">However, one range of products has received less focus mainly because it is so difficult to pinpoint the exact origin of where work was undertaken. This subset of the city's production was its carved output. With so little <i>in situ</i> to be seen at the site of ancient Antioch and the excavations in the 1930s throwing up little in the way of statuary it has fallen to scholars to see commonality in widely dispersed objects and using the style similarities to source them back to workshops in Antioch. This has resulted in a typology for work of this nature originating in the Syrian metropolis.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 1em;">Most prominent in cultivating this view was the prominent (and controversial) art historian Josef Strzygowski who in his paper entitled "</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 1em;">A Sarcophagus of the Sidamara type in the collection of Sir Frederick Cook, and the influence of stage architecture upon the art of Antioch" (published in the </span><a href="https://archive.org/stream/journalofhelleni27soci/journalofhelleni27soci_djvu.txt" target="_blank"><span class="gstxt_hlt" style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 1em;"><i>Journal </i></span><i style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: 1em;">of H</i><span class="gstxt_hlt" style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 1em;"><i>ellenic Studies, </i></span></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 1em;"><a href="https://archive.org/stream/journalofhelleni27soci/journalofhelleni27soci_djvu.txt" target="_blank">vol. XXVII 1907,</a> p. 99-122, planches V-XII) launched his thesis upon the art world.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 1em;">In this article he posits: "</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It now remains to prove that the Asia Minor </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 16px;">sarcophagi also belong to this school of plastic art, and depend from a centre </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 16px;">of which till now we knew very little, namely Antioch. For to the sphere of </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 16px;">influence of this Syrian metropolis belongs also the region on this side of the </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 16px;">Taurus whence the art tendency noticeable in the Richmond fragments may </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 16px;">have travelled to the west of Asia Minor just as well as to Macedonia, Greece, </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 16px;">Italy and Rome. For the present nothing can be determined with certainty, </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 16px;">but it is my firm conviction that the Asia Minor type of sarcophagus had its </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 16px;">origin neither at Ephesus nor in any other district of western Asia Minor, </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 16px;">neither in Greece nor Rome, but in the angle which lay nearest to Meso</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 16px;">potamia, and had Antioch as centre of culture". </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 16px;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 1em;">Here can be seen a few of the pieces of the sarcophagus that prompted this theory: </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAwjfhU_tqWvt8ARpYx4IZu3xVCVb-r6Z3dujAiW_wVy9HtyC98CDb1jr5G0uXFSU6-IR0VgVkHK5220xREcaoHCvMsffzB2Wn02HOZyD-sNFcrloo6iERlncRLfes9y24cB23GCvc1sa_/s1600/Sarcophagus_cook2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="866" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAwjfhU_tqWvt8ARpYx4IZu3xVCVb-r6Z3dujAiW_wVy9HtyC98CDb1jr5G0uXFSU6-IR0VgVkHK5220xREcaoHCvMsffzB2Wn02HOZyD-sNFcrloo6iERlncRLfes9y24cB23GCvc1sa_/s320/Sarcophagus_cook2.jpg" width="173" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnWFYHj9wx5bZfwkapQZLrekloLClkuHgH8w2JxIHm9geRcFoiRFK8Ti0MpWsGB5Jmym2yXLG_fr4aguPQKuOLAPYyEEIIZQO9vKXMFFhQ6UCZLZBZdcVEDpA8bY3MTcxMVQW41RV6yMrx/s1600/Sarcophagus_cook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="265" data-original-width="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnWFYHj9wx5bZfwkapQZLrekloLClkuHgH8w2JxIHm9geRcFoiRFK8Ti0MpWsGB5Jmym2yXLG_fr4aguPQKuOLAPYyEEIIZQO9vKXMFFhQ6UCZLZBZdcVEDpA8bY3MTcxMVQW41RV6yMrx/s1600/Sarcophagus_cook.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 1em;">A French review of the book at the time sums it up well as: "</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 1em;">L'étude du sarcophage conservé dans la collection de sir Frederick Cook, à Richmond, amène M. </span><span class="gstxt_hlt" style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 1em;">Strzygowski </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 1em;">à établir que les sarcophages de type dit d'Asie Mineure proviennent d'une école de sculpture d'Antioche qui chercha à combiner les motifs de l'ornement impressionniste venu de Mésopotamie avec les plus belles formes plastiques de l'art grec. Parmi les huit figures en haut relief qui ont été conservées (trois adolescents nus du type des Dioscures, deux figures masculines aux draperies flottantes, trois figures féminines également drapées), les trois premières semblent dériver de l'Hermès de Praxitèle; les figures drapées présentent des analogies avec la Muse de Praxitèle de la base de Mantinée et la matrone d'Herculanum du musée de Dresde; les deux dernières se rattachent à la même inspiration que les « pleureuses » du sarcophage de Sidon. L'élégante coquille qui encadre les figures comme une niche trahit l'influence mésopotamienne. Enfin le décor même du sarcophage de Richmond, qui se retrouve sur tous les sarcophages d'Asie Mineure, ne serait, avec ses trois portes surmontées d'un fronton, qu'une copie du « proskenion » des théâtres antiques dont la restitution a pu être tentée grâce aux peintures du quatrième style de Pompeï. L'influence de ce style d'Antioche se retrouve dans le panneau central du trône d'ivoire de Maximien, archevêque de Ravenne, et dans le bel ivoire du Musée Britanique qui représente un archange porteur du sceptre et du globe crucigère. En réunissant ces monuments si éloignés en apparence les uns des autres, on peut donc arriver à reconstituer le mouvement de syncrétisme artistique dont la façade de Mschatta reste la manifestation la plus éclatante".</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 16px;">Strzygowski's thesis could be summed up as that the artists in Antioch took the proscenium of the theatre as their <i>mise en scene</i> for all manner of relief carving but most particularly with regard to sarcophagi. It would seem that Antioch had established quite a niche </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 1em;">(excuse the pun) </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 16px;">in this type of product and that marble from very distant quarries (as far away as Prokenessos in the Sea of Marmara) was shipped to Antioch to be transformed and then re-exported to a wealthy costumer base across the Empire. </span></div>
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Antiochianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00212278817763049213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603487163753025185.post-46376522474084240042018-06-16T15:45:00.000+01:002018-06-18T09:59:17.466+01:00Better-Than-Antioch II<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I came across some more information on the destruction and relocation of the city by Khosroe in a paper by </span></span><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Katarzyna Maksymiuk</span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> entitled "</span><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Mass Deportations in Syria and Northern Mesopotamia under the rule of Xusrō I Anōšīrvān (540-542)", in. War and Population Displacement. Lessons of History, eds. Fernando Puell de la Villa and David García Hernán, Brighton-Portland-Toronto, Sussex Academic Press. 2018, 46-53.</span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I excerpt here the specifics related to how "Better-Than-Antioch" was effected:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">"According to Jacob of Edessa, the Roman prisoners of war from the
cities of Sula, Beroea, Antioch, Apamea, Callinicum, and Batnae were deported to Weh Antioch Xusro (Jacob of Edessa, 1907: 320-321). As far as Sula and Apamea are concerned, no other sources confirm the information that deportations from these two towns took place. In the case of Beroea, Procopius of Caesarea clearly states that its inhabitants remained in Sergiopolis, and the majority of other authors, representing different cultural circles, mention the deportation of the inhabitants of Antioch.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 14.2pt;">Many sources describe complete destruction of Antioch. For
instance, </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 14.2pt;">John Lydus states that "The statues, however, with which the city was </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 14.2pt;">adorned, he [Xusro] seized as booty, along with slabs of marble, p</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 14.2pt;">recious stone and pictures; it was the whole of Syria that he carried off </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 14.2pt;">to Persia" (John the Lydian, 1812: III.54). It might seem that the pillage </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 14.2pt;">was not the goal of Xusro. A fragment of the chronicle of Pseudo-</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 14.2pt;">Dionysius shows he planned and systematic actions of Iranian king </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 14.2pt;">towards Antioch: "They stripped it and removed even the marble slabs </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 14.2pt;">which overlaid the walls, and took them away to their country, since </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 14.2pt;">they also were building in their country a city like this one and named </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 14.2pt;">it Antioch" (Pseudo-Dionysius of Tel-Mahre, 1933/1989: II, 69.7-15). </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 14.2pt;">The <i>shahanshah</i> decided to move into Iran not only the population but </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 14.2pt;">virtually the entire city.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 12.2pt;">Weh Antioch Xusro was "situated at the side of al-Mad'in"
(Tabari, </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 12.2pt;">1999: I.898), "in a place one day's journey distant from the city of </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 12.2pt;">Ctesiphon" (Procopius, 1914: II.14. I). It was known as al-Romiyyah (Tabari, 1999: 1.959; Shahid 1995: 209-236).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 13.3pt;">Most information about building of the new city can be found in
the </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 13.3pt;">testimonies of Procopius and the Arabic chronicles Tabari and Dinawari </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 13.3pt;">(Dinawari, 2012: 70). The new city was to be built on the original plan </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 13.3pt;">of the Syrian metropolis. "He [Xusro] then gave orders that a plan </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 13.3pt;">should be made for him of the city of Antioch exactly to scale (literally, </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 13.3pt;">according to its extent), with the number of its houses, streets and every</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 13.3pt;">thing contained in it" (Tabari 1999: I.898).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 12.75pt;">The authors point out the special status of the city. It was
excluded from the administrative system of the state. The city was a speci</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 12.75pt;">al distric</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 12.75pt;">t (<i>ku</i></span><i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: 12.75pt;">rah</i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 12.75pt;">)
for</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 12.75pt;"> the</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 12.75pt;">m consisting of four wards </span><i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: 12.75pt;">(tassujs): </i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 12.75pt;">Upper Nahrawan, Lower Nahrawan Badaraya, Bakusaya. "He [Xusro] allotted living allowances for the people whom he had transported from Antioch to al-Romiyyah" (Tabari 1999: I.959-860). The inhabitants were called "king's subjects, so as to be subordinate to no one of the magistrates, but to the king alone" (Procopius, 1914: II.14.3-4).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 12.9pt;">An interesting legal aspect can be observed in the testimony of </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 12.9pt;">Procopius who wrote that "if anyone else too who was a Roman slave </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 12.9pt;">ran away and succeeded in escaping to the Antioch of Chosroes, and if </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 12.9pt;">he was called a kinsman by anyone of those who lived there' (Procopius, </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 12.9pt;">1914: II.14.4), then in such a situation his owner would lose the owner</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 12.9pt;">ship over the escapee even if the owner was a member of Iranian </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 12.9pt;">aristocracy. We can believe that escapes of this sort must have been quite </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 12.9pt;">common if special law regulated such events.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 12.8pt;">The inhabitants of Weh Antiok Xusro were not treated as captives </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 12.8pt;">but almost like guests. The ruler did not impose the Iranian religion </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 12.8pt;">(Jullien, 2006: 116; Maksymiuk, 2015c: 123-134) or Iranian habits on </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 12.8pt;">them (Dignas and Winter, 2007: 254-263). Barz, a Christian from </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 12.8pt;">Gondesapur, was appointed an administrator of the city, "because he was their co-religionist" (Tabari, 1999: I.960). Xusr6 provided at his expense the pastimes corresponding to culture and tradition of the inhabitants. According to Procopius, "a bath and a hippodrome", were built in the city so that the Antiochenes could have "free enjoyment of their other luxuries' (Procopius, 1914: II.14.1-2). The author of the </span><i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: 12.8pt;">Chronicle
of Seert </i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 12.8pt;">mentions that "when Xusro died, Antiochean Greeks whom he captured and settled in the city which he built for them, venerated him after his death, by their Christian habit, by following his remnants on their last way" (Chronicle, 1911: 197)".</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 12.8pt;">As one of my prime interests is the physical heritage of the city it is interesting to note how the creation of the new city involved the wholesale removal of statues from Antioch. This might be a good explanation as to why so little sculptural material was recovered by the expeditions of the 1930s. However one wonders also after the destruction of the earthquakes and around 150 years of Christian ascendancy how much statuary remained in the city to be carried off. For instance was the famous Tyche still extant? It might be ironic if the original statuary of Antioch ended up being preserved at Khosroes' new city whereas the original Antioch has proven to have been destroyed so many times and ultimately made so inaccessible to archaeological work. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 12.8pt;">Then the comment that the city was built to the original plan of Antioch is intriguing. One wonders whether this could be true but only identification and excavation of the site of the duplicate city could reveal the truth of this. </span></div>
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Antiochianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00212278817763049213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603487163753025185.post-31218759990490530722016-12-30T15:37:00.002+00:002018-06-18T09:25:50.332+01:00Procopius of Caesarea on the Earthquake in Antioch in 526 AD<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">There is a comment by Procopius on the earthquake at Antioch in 526 AD in this paper:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">FATE, DIVINE <i>PHTHONOS</i>, AND THE </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">WHEEL OF FORTUNE: THE </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">RECEPTION OF HERODOTEAN </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">THEOLOGY IN EARLY AND MIDDLE </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">BYZANTINE HISTORIOGRAPHY</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">by Vasiliki Zali in Histos Supplement </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(2015</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> ) pages 85-126. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Zali notes that Procopius wrote when relating the fate of the city of Antioch (2.10.4–5): </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"But I become dizzy as I write of such a great calamity and transmit it to future times, and I am unable to understand why indeed it should be the will of God to exalt on high the fortunes of a man or of a place, and then to cast them down and destroy them for no cause which we can perceive (τί ποτε ἄρα βουλοµένῳ τῷ θεῷ εἴη πράγµατα µὲν ἀνδρὸς ἢ χωρίου του ἐπαίρειν εἰς ὕψος, αὖθις δὲ ῥιπτεῖν τε αὐτὰ καὶ ἀφανίζειν ἐξ οὐδεµιᾶς ἡµῖν φαινοµένης αἰτίας). For it is wrong to say that with Him all things are not always done with reason (αὐτῷ γὰρ οὐ θέµις εἰπεῖν µὴ οὐχὶ ἅπαντα κατὰ λόγον ἀεὶ γίγνεσθαι), though he then endured to see Antioch brought down to the ground at the hands of a most unholy man, a city whose beauty and grandeur in every respect could not even so be utterly concealed".</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This was taken from Dewing, H. B., tr. (1914–40) Procopius, vols. 1–5 (Cambridge,
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Antiochianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00212278817763049213noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603487163753025185.post-80597141169861167662016-12-10T20:54:00.002+00:002016-12-24T20:13:55.933+00:00Towards a Prosopography of Ancient Antioch - Visualising Networks<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Lawrence Stone gave a definition: </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">“Prosopography is the investigation of the common back-ground </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">characteristics of a group of actors in history by means of a collective study of their </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">lives ”(1971: 46).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The most comprehensive source of prosopographical material on Ancient Antioch was undoubtedly its most voluminous writer, Libanius. His trove of writings spawned a more narrowly focussed work by the French expert on Antioch, Paul Petit. In this volume he specifically focussed upon the public functionaries that Libanius mentioned in his letters and orations. This work is:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Petit Paul. <i>Les fonctionnaires dans l'oeuvre de Libanius : analyse prosopographique.</i> Préface de André Chastagnol et de Jean</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Martin. Besançon : Université de Franche-Comté, 1994. pp. 5-286. (Annales littéraires de l'Université de Besançon, 541)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">doi : 10.3406/ista.1994.2515</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Which is available here on the Persee website:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.persee.fr/doc/ista_0000-0000_1994_mon_541_1">http://www.persee.fr/doc/ista_0000-0000_1994_mon_541_1</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">When I first read this work it struck me that here was the potential foundation for "populating" the Antiochepedia with more characters than just Libanius, Chrysostom and Malalas. Here we have administrators, senators, patrons, clients and a host of the elites that peopled the corridors of power in Antioch and Constantinople and dined at the <i>symposia</i> of Daphne in its heyday. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Finding the correct software to visualise this social network was tough and after some false starts I came upon GEPHI, a free network visualisation software which suited my purposes. I had even at one point thought of using Linkedin for my purposes. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Using Petit as a base and overlaying the other works dealing with Libanius' interactions I have created an initial database and started on bolting on names and linked up the relationships, even if tenuous, between those in Libanius' relationship with the good, bad and indifferent of his times. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The basic index of Petit's book provided me with the basic "one-to-many" relationship between Libanius and the 299 characters that Petit awards with entries. Now the task is to interconnect the personalities from the specific entries and include players without entries (Julian, Chrysostom and many less well-known figures). Moving on to Norman's work on the Antiochene booktrade we get mention of more humble non-administrators, like the copyist </span><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Maeonius. Such works will add extra names to the mix.</span></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Rather than a work in process, I call this a Visualisation in Progress. I welcome others to the cause. Click here for the first <a href="http://hallgartenco.com/Antioch_network.pdf" target="_blank">output</a> of a few hours works. </span></span></div>
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Antiochianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00212278817763049213noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603487163753025185.post-73567857588675570292016-08-13T20:30:00.001+01:002016-08-13T20:30:34.580+01:00A Thesis on Hippodrome Curses in Ancient Antioch Finally Surfaces<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Many moons ago I wrote of Dr Florent Heintz's <a href="http://libaniusredux.blogspot.co.uk/2009/04/circus-curse-tablet.html" target="_blank">thesis</a> on agonistic curses in the ancient Roman world. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Agonistic Magic in the Late Antique Circus, PhD dissertation, Harvard University, 1999, Florent Heintz</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">A failed attempt at getting my hands on the original text via Interlibrary loans at the New York Public Library on Fifth Avenue yielded only a bunch of microfiche (yes..) that was impossible to work with as it could not be searched, nor copied nor printed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Time has passed and now Dr Heintz's thesis has finally appeared on www.academia.edu in a three volume <a href="https://harvard.academia.edu/FlorentHeintz" target="_blank">posting</a>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">He starts with a reference to the 1959 film Ben Hur which is best remembered for its chariot race which was set in the hippodrome of Antioch. </span><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">The start of the chariot scene involves the various competing charioteers using invocation to the gods (or curses) to advance their chances in the race.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">On the specific parts of the thesis related to Antioch we can finally record verbatim here:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"During the 1934 and 1935 seasons of excavations in the Antioch hippodrome, the Princeton expedition uncovered five lead curse tablets in the area of the central barrier: 'There were drains along both sides of the <i>spina </i>and across both ends between it and the <i>metae</i>; these yielded a number of lead <i>tabellae defixionum</i></span><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">." Although their imminent publication was announced shortly after their discovery, at this point in time only two out of the five tablets have been fully unrolled, and only one deciphered. The inscription contains 61 lines of Greek, of which two-thirds are taken up by an unusually lengthy invocation to some chthonic aspects of otherwise Olympian deities (Zeus, Dionysos, Poseidon), and to Hecate in particular. The cursing formula is reduced to a minimum (three imperatives: καταδησ[ατε, ερημωσατε and καταστρεψατε) and is followed by a list of names of 41 "horses of the Blue faction" (-τουζ ιππουζ του καλλαινου</span><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">), the same faction cursed in Beirut (C5) and Apamea (C6). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Some of the cursive letter shapes clearly place the inscription within the Late Antique period (roughly 4th to mid 6th c.). Evidence for the presence of the Blues and Greens in Antioch appears only in the late 5th century with the report of a violent confrontation between circus factions under the reign of Zeno (490). It is possible that our tablet predates this riot and thus provides the first testimony for the presence of circus factions in Antioch. But it is equally possible that it post-dates the riot; in any case, the question will remain open until further work can be done on the Antioch excavations field-books so as to narrow down the date of the tablet based on archaeological evidence.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The three remaining tablets are heavily corroded and brittle and present such a daunting array of technical challenges that only one of them stands a chance of being unrolled without too much damage. One is pierced with an iron nail and will probably have to be left untouched. Two tablets appear to be made of unusually large sheets of lead which have been first rolled up very tight before being folded in two; both ends then seem to have been pressed together on a convex surface intentionally to form a more compact object. It is conceivable that the folding and pressing process had a ritual function similar to the piercing of other tablets with nails: to lock the spell in place and symbolically immobilize the target. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">C7.2. ANTIOCH (lead horse figurines). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Also from Antioch comes a series of nine small horse figurines made of lead. Although they are not archaeologically documented like the curse tablets from the same site (they were brought to the museum by a local), they are still extremely interesting in that they seem to represent a three-dimensional counterpart to the figures of horses and charioteers engraved on some circus <i>defixiones</i> (C1.2; 2.3). Each horse figurine is engraved with either one or two names of horses. All together the names amount to a number of 12, which roughly coincides with the average number of horses cursed for each faction on circus tablets from necropoleis in Rome (C1.2) and Carthage (C2.4). It has been noted that the figurines show no trace of mutilation, piercing or binding, which could arguably speak against their magical function. But the nine pieces were probably part of a magical ensemble which included written curses and other implements (F7.3-4). In the absence of a documented context, one is left to wonder where the figurines were originally deposited, whether in the hippodrome itself or in a grave". </span><br />
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Antiochianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00212278817763049213noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603487163753025185.post-57519400543786980232016-01-18T16:39:00.000+00:002016-01-18T16:15:19.007+00:00The Princeton Antioch Photo Archive<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana";">The Princeton-led expedition to excavate Antioch in the 1930s produced a trove of photographs, the vast bulk of which have never been seen in public. Even sifting through the works that have been published over the decades since there is only a minute fraction of the total number. Sometime back we discovered that there is a catalogue of these photos which is available online <a href="http://vrc.princeton.edu/archives/items/browse?collection=7" target="_blank">here</a>:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "verdana";"><a href="http://winscript.princeton.edu/rp/RPAntioch.php">http://vrc.princeton.edu/archives/items/browse?collection=7</a></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "verdana";">We have engaged in some correspondence on the theme with Trudy Jacoby, the director of the Visual Resources Collection of the Department of Art and Archaeology at Princeton. Here are her comments on the progress they are making in bringing this material within access of Antioch scholars around the world: </span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana";"><span style="font-size: 100%;">"...the Antioch dig photographs are part of the Research Photographs Collection in the Department of Art and Archaeology. There are over 5,000 photographs and all of them have already been digitized....We will be adding thumbnails to the catalog listing in the future."</span></span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Th</span><span style="font-family: "verdana";">e thumbnails started to appear in 2009 and now they are all uploaded in full size versions. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana";">We have noted from perusing the list that there are many photos of some of the lesser digs that were undertaken which were never written up in the official five-volume report on the work of the Committee for the Excavation. Particularly exciting for us is the work at the Bridge Gate and the exploration around the Bab el-Kelb (the Porta Canis) from which we have never encountered any photographic record anywhere.</span><br /><span style="font-family: "verdana";"><br /></span></span></div>
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Antiochianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00212278817763049213noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603487163753025185.post-46548921046705887982016-01-15T17:31:00.001+00:002016-01-15T17:31:24.090+00:00Latest Excavations at the Forum of Valens<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A <a href="https://www.academia.edu/20260715/Pamir_H._Antakya_Kent_%C4%B0%C3%A7i_Kurtarma_Kaz%C4%B1lar%C4%B1_Rescue_Excavations_in_the_Urban_Center_of_Antioch_%C3%87a%C4%9Flar_Boyu_Hatay_ve_%C3%87evresi_Arkeolojisi_Uluslararas%C4%B1_Sempozyumu_Archaeology_of_Hatay_and_its_Vicinity_Through_the_Ages_May_21-24_Mustafa_Kemal_%C3%9Cniversitesi_Yay%C4%B1nlar%C4%B1_No_52_s._101-114" target="_blank">paper</a> has recently been published in Turkish by Hatice Pamir who is the main archaeologist working on Antioch at this time. It has some interesting discoveries and images relating to what might appear to be the Forum of Valens or its fringes. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The excavation area is located in Haraparası quarter of Antakya, 750 m. southwest of the so-called St Peter’s Grotto,
and next to the west side of modern Aleppo road (which tracks the old Colonnaded main street) and adjacent to the Hacıkürüs (ancient Parmenius) river on the north. While not mentioned in the article, I suspect that this is the site where the "Hilton" was being built. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The excavated area lies on
southeast-northwest direction parallel to the ancient grid plan of the city.
The area was a suburb of Antakya in 1930s when it was mainly gardens/orchards and
then a truck depot/garage for a long time before the excavation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The rescue excavation provided knowledge
of city’s historical sequence in one place. It was also the first systematic
excavation since the 1930s, and has revealed four significant building remains:
a public building of 5th-6th century AD., a bath complex, a villa of 5th
century AD, a row of shops and a stone paved road in two different places. The
preliminary analyses shows the area was actively occupied from Hellenistic to
the Medieval times.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">While my Turkish is way less than proficient I was able to glean some key details of the discoveries. A decision was made in 2009 by the Hatay Archaeological Museum to do some drilling (sounding?) on the site. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Based upon this work, a further decision to make a substantial excavation was made. As a result some six metres of overburden was removed and an area of a massive 180 metres by 95 metres was excavated. Some idea of the scale can be gauged from the people (little black dots) standing in the centre background of this photograph of the excavation. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The site is challenging because over time the bed of the Parmenius "river" has shifted backwards and forwards across the plain at the foot of the mountains and in the process has destroyed some of the historic evidence. It has at time runs through the area excavated. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Below can be seen the necropolis with around 50 graves counted. This relates to the same burial field uncovered in 1936 (numbered 16P at that time). The graves date from the 10th to 14th century. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Under the graves was a totally different layer of settlement from the 5th to the 7th century consisting of side-by-side shops in an area 25m by 8 m, including storage areas with large ceramic grain-storage containers and some examples of two-colour "fish-scale" mosaics.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbuiscdzJM2UyRXUpgCWNnI9Zr34Vg1CbSYCAvH8Xt2g2sE6UQI4RnMd2qaaSZBV7rMx6fCqQqXDTcTWCEZiJ4PYVemV3it9ioESScoTIu07MVkFEcLWa8BENM7kkE2WKtDuTytlDMeH8m/s1600/Valens_dig3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbuiscdzJM2UyRXUpgCWNnI9Zr34Vg1CbSYCAvH8Xt2g2sE6UQI4RnMd2qaaSZBV7rMx6fCqQqXDTcTWCEZiJ4PYVemV3it9ioESScoTIu07MVkFEcLWa8BENM7kkE2WKtDuTytlDMeH8m/s640/Valens_dig3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The next area uncovered was a marble-floored atrium of exceptional size measuring 58 metres north-south and 70 metres east-east. A marble structure on the East-West axis has been destroyed by the river flow shifting over time. There is series of nine mosaic panels stretching along the west side. These are 14 metres wide and some 90 metres long. This is not some humble building and could indeed be the type of structure which might represent the core of the Forum of Valens. The sixth panel (?) was totally destroyed but there are many pieces of red and yellow glass from the destroyed mosaics. It seems the stone walls of this portico(?) were covered with frescoes. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There was a layer of ash and burnt wood, interspersed with nails from a collapsed roof, signalling that the structure was destroyed by an earthquake or some sort of natural disaster (or the Chosroe attack). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There is a gateway onto a main street and a collapsed colonnade (with the photo above showing the fallen columns). After the main destruction some of the surviving parts were re-employed as storage areas. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWCP4mSkZQqb1seft4OTiHR2Cx5yImiGdzhsRqNkxHkeA366L6q0K6Ih1ZRjUGriqVy-CHp0AnO0Lb7T4hCNER1t6v6VvO9Dv-5NR2kkcaTT0yhYD923qEWNaSdzh-H3OJKcFsaX4jzc67/s1600/Valens_mosaic2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWCP4mSkZQqb1seft4OTiHR2Cx5yImiGdzhsRqNkxHkeA366L6q0K6Ih1ZRjUGriqVy-CHp0AnO0Lb7T4hCNER1t6v6VvO9Dv-5NR2kkcaTT0yhYD923qEWNaSdzh-H3OJKcFsaX4jzc67/s640/Valens_mosaic2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The author speculates that because of an inscription on a fallen pediment including the Latin word "Curia" that this was some sort of "parliament". Previous commentators have always placed a Bouleterion in the older part of the Seleucid city, but it is possible that Valens moved important functions to his new forum to enhance its status. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Under this structure at a depth of around 13 metres was discovered more Hellenistic remains, including the sizable <i>triclinium</i> (dining room) of a house, with some more spectacular mosaics reminiscent of those found at Daphne and elsewhere in Antioch in the 1930s. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The figure is a Megalopsychia surrounding by pairs of male and female birds (shown below).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The next discovery was some baths. As noted in the past Antioch was famed for the number of bathing establishments and their decor. Below can be seen the floor layout with the floor supports and the hypocausts for distributing sub-floor heat to the various chambers and pools. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the <i>frigadarium</i> part of the structure some important finds were made including a headless Hecate Triformis statue and two marble lions. While these baths were not large they were certainly sumptuously adorned. </span></div>
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Antiochianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00212278817763049213noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603487163753025185.post-59408710852594214482015-09-26T20:10:00.001+01:002015-11-26T15:12:49.360+00:00Libanius on the Calends<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Also in Thomas Taylor's two</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> volumes translation of 41 dissertations by Maximus of Tyre, there is material from Libanius about pagan festivals. The material is in vol. 2, p.267, and belongs to the Descriptions, part of the <i>Progymnasmata</i>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The </span><i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Progymnasmata </i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">is described by Craig Gibson as "</span><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">the largest surviving ancient collection of preliminary exercises used to teach young men how to compose their own prose, a crucial step toward public speaking and a career worthy of the educated elite. Graded in difficulty, the exercises range from simple fables and narratives to discussions of wise sayings, speeches of praise and blame, impersonations of figures from myth, descriptions of statues and paintings, and essays on general propositions (e.g., should one marry?). It provides a unique glimpse into the schoolrooms of the ancient Mediterranean from the Hellenistic period to the Byzantine Empire, vividly illustrating how ancient educators used myth, history, and popular ethics to shape their students characters as they sharpened their ability to think, write, and speak".</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: left;">On the Calends, (Latin: kalendae, "the called") were the first days of each month of the Roman calendar. The Romans assigned these calendsto the first day of the month, signifying the start of the new moon cycle, Libanius has this to say: </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"This festival is extended as far as the dominion of the Romans ; and such is the joy it occasions, that if it were possible time could be hastened for mortals, which, according to Homer, was effected by Juno respecting the sun, this festival also would be hastened by every nation, city, house, and individual of mankind. The festival flourishes on every hill and mountain, and in every lake and navigable river. It also flourishes in the sea, if at that time it happens to be undisturbed by tempest : for then both ships and merchants cut through its waves and celebrate the festival. Joy and feasting everywhere abound. The earth is then full of honours, inconsequence of men honouring each other by gifts and hospitality. The foot-paths and the public roads are crowded with men, and four-footed animals bearing burdens subservient to the occasion ; and the ways in the city are covered, and the narrow streets are full. Some are equally delighted with giving and receiving; but others, though they do not receive any thing, are pleased with giving, merely because they are to give. And the spring by its flowers, indeed, renders the earth beautiful, but the festival by its gifts, which, pouring in from every place, are every where diffused. He, therefore, who asserts that this is the most pleasant part of the year will not err ; so that if the whole time of life could be passed in the same manner, the islands of the blest would not be so much celebrated by mankind as they are at present. The first appearance of the swallow is, indeed, pleasant, yet does not prevent labour ; but this festival thinks proper to remove from the days of its celebration everything laborious, and permits us to enjoy minds free from molestation. These days free the youth from twofold fears, one arising from their preceptors, the other from their pedagogues. They also make slaves as much as possible free, and exhibit their power even in those in chains, removing sorrow from their countenances, and exciting some of them to mirth. They can also persuade a father who expects the death of his son, and through sorrow is wasting away, and averse to nourishment, to be reconciled to his condition, to abandon darkness, lay aside his squalid appearance, and betake himself to the bath : and what the most skilful in persuasion are unable to accomplish, that the power of the festival effects. It also conciliates citizen with citizen, stranger with stranger, one boy with another, and woman with woman. It likewise instructs men not to be avaricious, but to bring forth their gold, and deposit it in the right-hands of others".</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The most useful referral to the translations of Thomas Taylor are care of Roger Pearse, who uncovered them and reported them <a href="http://www.roger-pearse.com/weblog/2015/09/25/some-4th-century-pagan-festivals-in-libanius/" target="_blank">here</a>. </span></div>
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Antiochianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00212278817763049213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603487163753025185.post-3360573785947342532015-09-26T20:10:00.000+01:002015-09-26T20:10:07.263+01:00Libanius on the Festivals<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thomas Taylor, the 18th century translator known as the “English Platonist”. wrote a two</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> volume translation of 41 dissertations by Maximus of Tyre, in which there is material from Libanius about pagan festivals. The material is in vol. 2, p.267, and belongs to the Descriptions, part of the <a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=IdBLAAAAcAAJ&dq=literary%20anecdotes&pg=PA261#v=onepage&q&f=false" target="_blank">Progymnasmata</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Whether the festivals described are based on Antioch, or Athens, is not clear. I suspect that they are not likely to be Constantinople. Could this be a reflection of the rites at the Temple of Apollo at Daphne?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Solemn festivals when approaching produce desire in the human race, when present they are attended with pleasure, and when past with recollection : for remembrance places men very near the transactions themselves. The recollection also possesses a certain advantage. For in speaking of solemn festivals it is also necessary to speak concerning the gods in whose honour they are instituted. Men prepare themselves for these festivals when they approach with joy. The multitude, indeed, procure such things as may furnish them with a splendid entertainment, but the worthy those things by which they may reverence the gods. Cattle and wine, and whatever else is the produce of the fields, are brought from the country. Garments also are purified ; and every one is anxious to celebrate the festival in perfection. Those that are in want of garments are permitted to borrow such as are requisite to adorn themselves on this occasion from those that have abundance. When the appointed day arrives the priests open the temples, pay diligent attention to the statues; and nothing is neglected which contributes to the public convenience. The cities too are crowded with a conflux of the neighbouring inhabitants, assembled to celebrate the festival; some coming on foot, and others in ships.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">At sun-rise they enter the temples in splendid garments, worshipping that divinity to whom the festival is sacred. Every master of a house, therefore, precedes bearing frankincense : a servant follows him carrying a victim ; and children walk by the side of their parents, some very young, and others of a more advanced age, already perceiving the strong influence of the gods. One having performed his sacrifice departs ; another approaches to perform it. Numerous prayers are everywhere poured forth, and words of good omen are mutually spoken. With respect to the women, some offer sacrifices in the temples, and others are satisfied with beholding the crowd of those that sacrifice. When such things as pertain to the divinities are properly accomplished, the tables follow, at which hymns are sung in praise of the god who is honoured in the festival. Social drinking succeeds, with songs, which are partly serious and partly jocose, according to the different dispositions of the company. Some, likewise, feast in the temples, and others at home; and citizens request strangers to partake with them of the banquet. In the course of drinking, ancient friendships are rendered more firm, and others receive their commencement. After they have feasted, rising from table, some take the strangers, and show them whatever is worthy to be seen in the city, and others sitting in the forum gaily converse. No one is sorrowful, but every countenance is relaxed with joy. The exaction of debts gives place to festivity, and whatever might cause affliction is deferred to another time. Accusations are silent, and the judge does not pass sentence ; but such things as produce pleasure alone flourish. The slave is not afraid of blows from his master, and pedagogues are mild to youth.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the evening they sup splendidly, at which time there are so many torches that the city is full of light. There are also many revellers, and various flutes, and the sound of pipes is heard in the narrow streets, accompanied with sometimes the same, and sometimes different songs. Then to drink even to intoxication is not perfectly disgraceful ; for the occasion in a certain respect appears to take away the opprobrium. On the following day the divinity is not neglected ; but many of those that worshipped on the preceding day do not again come to the shows. Those that contend in the composition of verses attend on this, but those with whom the contest is in the scenes on the preceding day. The third day also is not far short of these; and pleasure and hilarity are extended with the time of the festival. When the solemnity ends, prayers are offered for futurity, that they, their children, and families, may again be spectators of it ; after which the strangers depart, and the citizens accompany them".</span></div>
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Antiochianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00212278817763049213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603487163753025185.post-35325440048323246882015-08-31T18:00:00.004+01:002015-11-26T17:07:43.314+00:00Proculus - Study in a Bad Governor<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Looking at the translation of Oration X, On the Plethron, the theme of this piece was Libanius' objections to an expansion of this sporting facility by the <i>Comes Orientes</i> (Count of the East) at the time, one Proculus. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This individual was someone with whom Libanius carried on a rather dangerous feud over the years. The main mention of this official in the past was in our listing of the <i>Comes Orientes</i> <a href="http://libaniusredux.blogspot.co.uk/2010/04/comes-orientis-count-of-east.html" target="_blank">here</a>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Looking through Paul Petit's prosography of Libanius's acquaintances <a href="http://libaniusredux.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/a-whos-who-of-antioch-in-mid-fourth.html" target="_blank">here</a> one of the longest references is to Proculus who seemed to have been the bane of Libanius' life. Indeed considering what foul deeds the <i>Comes</i> was supposedly guilty of it is lucky that Libanius had high connections at court in Constantinople or the <i>Comes </i>might have singled him out for elimination. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Our listing of the <i>Comes Orientes</i> has Proculus ruling from AD 383 (8 March) to 384 (Summer). Paul Petit's summation of Proculus' career states that Proculus was the son of Flavius Eutolmius Tatianus who was <i>Comes Orientes</i> from September AD 370 to Feb 374.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #29303b; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19.5px;">The first significant position held by Proculus was <i>Praeses</i> or consul of Palestine, then consul of Phoenicia, before 383. Then he was Comes Orientes from 382 to 384, until just before the month of July. He was recalled, in ignominy (according to Libanius). </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Proculus then became the wonderfully named <i>Comes sacrarum largitionum (Count of the Sacred Largesses)</i> in AD386, a role his father had previously held, and left the position in the same year. There was no allusion to these positions in the texts of Libanius, who never had any interest in provincial government.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Proculus became the prefect of Constantinople, at the period when his father Tatianus was prefect of the </span><span style="line-height: 18.2000007629395px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">prætorium</span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">, named in the middle of AD 388 at which moment he was in Antioch, for Libanius attended his departure. The fall of Proculus (and that of his father Tatianus) was precipitated in September of AD 392 by the intrigues of Rufinus. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-align: start;">Rufinus, consul in 392, feared the power of Tatianus and </span>Proculus<span style="color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-align: start;">, as the two of them held both the Praetorian prefecture of the East and the urban prefecture. Such concentration of power in the hands of father and son caused the envy of Rufinus's faction. Rufinus took advantage of some mishaps of Tatianus in the administration of finances, to depose and arrest him, and succeed him as prefect (September AD 392).</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-align: start;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Proculus went into hiding. Rufinus then coaxed Tatianus and Theodosius to pardon Proculus, who received a letter from his father asking him to return to court. Once Proculus turned up, he was captured and imprisoned. He was tried and sentenced, in a manouevre by Rufinus, and sent to be executed in Sykai, a suburb of Constantinople. The story goes that the Emperor sent a messenger to order the execution halted, but Rufinus ordered the messenger to move slowly (<i>festina lente</i>!), so that he arrived after the execution had been carried out.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-align: justify;">Proculus was subject to </span><i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-align: justify;">damnatio memoriae</i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-align: justify;"> and was erased from monuments, such as the Obelisk of Theodosius in the Hippodrome.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tatianus was later sent into exile, probably in Lycia, and he was subjected to a <i>damnatio memoriae</i> also.
Later, a nephew of Proculus that came to power under the Emperor Marcian (AD 450–457) had the "good" name of Proculus restored, re-carving it on the obelisk.</span></div>
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Antiochianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00212278817763049213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603487163753025185.post-30594529368374065782015-08-26T11:09:00.000+01:002015-08-26T11:09:06.085+01:00A Who's Who of Antioch in the mid-Fourth Century<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Libanius was extraordinarily well positioned in Antiochene society. He was a renowned rhetorician, well-connected to the imperial family in Constantinople and came from a powerful local family with strong political connections in the Bouleterion. As a result he was connected with a veritable "Who's Who" of the city and the empire. Not shy at touting his connections and name-dropping he was constantly <i>naming names</i> in his letters and orations. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Paul Petit, the French scholar who died in 1981, wrote a work which attempted to quantify the prosography of Libanius's milieu. This encyclopedic work:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Les fonctionnaires dans l'œuvre de Libanius : analyse prosopographique. Préface de André Chastagnol et de Jean Martin. Besançon : Université de Franche-Comté, 1994. 288 p. (Annales littéraires de l'Université de Besançon, 541) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">is now available online in its entirety at the Persee.fr site <a href="http://demo.persee.fr/doc/ista_0000-0000_1994_mon_541_1" target="_blank">here</a> .</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have not worked out how to download it but it can at least be read online for the moment. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It would be interesting for someone to take the names dropped by Libanius and convert it into a network diagram. </span></div>
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Antiochianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00212278817763049213noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603487163753025185.post-72897388298100334512015-08-26T10:25:00.004+01:002015-08-26T10:25:38.699+01:00Listing of sources for translations of Libanius' Orations<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A very thorough summary of the translations of the Orations by Libanius has been prepared by Christine Lund Koch Greenlee, a graduate student at St Andrews University.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The pdf is available <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0ByYUCs0QSUmabUhxUDJ1aEFHNm8/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">here</a>. </span></div>
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Antiochianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00212278817763049213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603487163753025185.post-18885475822629572052015-08-21T20:20:00.000+01:002015-08-21T20:20:13.923+01:00English Translation of "On the Plethron"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After much searching I finally found one of the two translations of Libanius' Oration X, "On the Plethron". The two versions were a French translation by Jean Martin and the English translation was by Glanville Downey. The latter apparently dated from 1960 but I could not find it anywhere until I stumbled on a link to his work:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A History of Antioch in Syria: From Seleucus to the Arab Conquest, <span style="color: #777777; line-height: 1.24;">by Glanville Downey, o</span><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 1.24;">riginally published: Princeton, N.J., Princeton University Press, 1961.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.8400001525879px;">And there as one of the appendices was the translation. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.8400001525879px;">I have written on this structure <a href="http://libaniusredux.blogspot.co.uk/2008/04/plethron-xystos.html">before</a> so finally having the text in English is a great help. The Plethron was a form of wrestling arena and was probably located near (or in) the Forum of Valens and was used for the Olympic Games that were held in Antioch.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; line-height: 19.8400001525879px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I pdfed it and uploaded it <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0ByYUCs0QSUmaWUhNSFhvSHhidU0/view?usp=sharing">here</a> .</span></span></div>
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Antiochianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00212278817763049213noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603487163753025185.post-44690770876626635732014-08-28T11:40:00.001+01:002014-08-28T11:43:03.737+01:00Chrysostom on Antioch's Topography <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I must confess to not being a fan of St John Chrysostom and I have avoided as much as possible the Christian Era in the city. However it does overlap with the period of Libanius (who was a tutor of Chrysostom). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have been waiting a long time to get my hands on Wendy Mayer's article on the theme of Antioch's topography as evidenced through the writings of the Bishop and it has now popped up on <a href="https://www.academia.edu/8108018/The_topography_of_Antioch_described_in_the_writings_of_John_Chrysostom">Academia.edu</a> and is well worth reading. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In it she scours the homilies and letters for references to various features of the city. While the <i>martyria</i> do not interest us the mention of features of the city, particularly within the walls do provide some useful insights:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"In regard to the civic data, the prison is said to be located within the city walls and we are told that one passes through the agora from the <i>dikasterion</i> en route to it. The agora is a focal point of civic and festival activity, lit well into the night and traversed by vehicular as well as foot traffic. Passing through the agora is required of John when he presides at one of the city's churches. A <i>dikasterion</i> is closely associated with the agora. An execution site (<i>barathron</i>) exists to which the condemned are led through the agora. This raises the question: to what extent is the agora used as a route because of its location (necessity) and to what extent because it is central to the life of the city (symbolic) or offers the greatest number of spectators (opportunity for public display)?" </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Then further along Dr Mayer notes:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Additional civic data includes the information that baths are located inside the city within walking distance of the prison. These were closed by imperial decree for a number of weeks in Lent 387. A theatre was closed by imperial decree at this same period. A theatre is also said to be situated at a lower level than one of the regularly used churches. Taverns are situated on the route back from a suburban martyrium. It is uncertain whether these are situated inside or outside the city walls. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A number of statements are made about the river Orontes. It was used as a substitute baths during Lent 387, after baths were closed by imperial decree. At that time, men and women bathed in the river together. It was used for the disposal of illegal items in the winter of 371/2, and it was bracketed on at least one side by gardens when one travelled on route back to the city from one of the martyria". </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A dikasterion is a law court. I have referred to these before with reference to the <a href="http://libaniusredux.blogspot.co.uk/2008/04/clepsydra.html">water-clock</a>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">While this may seem like thin gruel on the agora, it is more information than anyone else has recorded on this important civic venue as it to pertains to Antioch. So we have something to thank Chrysostom for!</span></div>
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Antiochianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00212278817763049213noreply@blogger.com1