Pontic Maps & Landscapes

“A Brief History of Pontos BC,” Tasmanian Numismatist, accessed June, 28 2019, http://www.vision.net.au/~pwood/March2002.htm.

The Kingdom of Pontus was a Hellenistic state of Persian origin situated in the Eastern Asia Minor wasted by the Black Sea which played an extraordinary role in the Antique history between 302-64 BC. Its favorable geographical position remained an imprint on its history: based on the crossroads of important trade routs between Asia, the Balkans and the Black Sea region, having relations with rich countries of the Northern Mesopotamia, Caucasus, Iran and Black Sea region the Pontic Kingdom represented a vivid social, economic, ethnic, and cultural mixture of local Asia Minor, Anatolian, Iranian, and Hellenistic traditions (Christopher). The northern border of Pontos was going through the southern coast of the Black Sea from the River Galis (modern Kizil-Irmak) up to the River Ofis (modern Ishtala-Dere). The River Ofis was the eastern border of Pontos and Chochis up to the River Lik in the south and the River Iris in the east crossing the River Galis. On the south the border of Pontus was expanding from the Mount Ak-Daga up to Gurlevik-Daga, then on south-western part the Pontic Kingdom was bordering on the Greater Cappadocia. Then the borderline was crossing the River Cappadox (modern Deliche Irmak), flowing into Galis.1 According to B. C. McGing, “the Hellenistic Kingdom of Pontus which Mithridates Eupator inherited from his ancestors spanned much of the south coast of the Black Sea from Amastris in the west at least as far as Pharnaceia in the east. It was bounded inland by Paphlagonia and Galatia in the west, by Cappadocia in the south and by Armenia Minor in the east (Christopher). The name of the province came from the name of the sea itself – ‘euxinus’ was often dropped from the name even when mentioning the sea. The ‘euxinus’ (or in Greek ‘εύξεινος’ meant ‘hospitable’ and is believed to be a euphemism of ‘aksenos’. This means ‘inhospitable’ and is believed to describe the difficulty in navigating this large body of water and also the savage tribes that historically surrounded it. (The History files). Given of the size of the armies of Mithridates VI, we can conclude that the population in the interior Pontos primarily lived in cities. The only city that Mithridates VI founded during his rule was Eupatoria, named so basing on the tradition of the Hellenistic kings who tended to call the new-founded cities in their own or their family names and which was situated south of the confluence of the Rivers Lykos and Iris in a highly strategic point. The evidence does show that kings founded cities in the interior. The geography and climate of the Black Sea region which was quite different from most of the Mediterranean homelands – except around the Propontis – encumbered rather than promoted the growths of polis-territories. There was little or no traffic inland by roads or rivers. (Christopher)

https://www.ancient.eu/Tigranocerta/

I chose this map because of the battle that arose from the Third Mithridatic War being fought between Roman Republic and Mithridates VI of Pontus, whose daughter Cleopatra was married to Tigranes (Mark). As part of the kingdom of Urartu (9th-6th century BCE) which is the first attested presence of a proto-Armenian state on the highlands south of the Caucasus Mountains and the Black Sea and east of the Anatolian plateau, this territory, with its harsh climate and fertile soil, was a source of constant dispute between the successive Persian, Greek, Roman and Arabic empires. The city was 37 miles away from Nisibis=the modern Nisibin, in the extreme North of Mesopotamia. It lay on the river Nicephorius, and this river was a considerable breadth. Where the river did not defend the town, a great trench was dug and in general it was strong by reason of its great walls and numerous defenders. Famous for its riches and fine buildings, as well as its mix of Hellenistic and Persian culture, the city, despite possessing impressive fortifications, was captured twice by Roman armies in 69 BCE and 59 CE. Tigranocerta had impressive fortification with the walls reaching a height of 22-26 metres. (Cartwright)

I chose the landscape of these gardens because Lucullus in 72-69 B.C., L. Lucullus successively captured the most important urban centres of the kingdom of Pontus, and Tigranocerta in Armenia. The Gardens of Lucullus (Italian: Horti Lucullani) were the setting for an ancient villa on the Pincian Hill on the edge of Roma; they were laid out by Lucius Licinius Lucullus about 60 BCE (Wikipedia). The Villa Borghese gardens still cover 17 acres (6.9 ha) of green on the site, now in the heart of Rome, above the Spanish Steps. The earliest gardens on the Pincian, laid out by L. Licinius Lucullus about 60 B.C. (Tac. Ann. XI.1). In 46 A.D. they belonged to Valerius Asiaticus and were called horti Asiatici (Cass. Dio LX.27.3). Messalina coveted them, forced Valerius to commit suicide, and seized the gardens, and was herself killed in them. Thereafter they were regarded as among the richest of the imperial properties, They were situated immediately above the point where the aqua Virgo emerged from its underground p269passage through the hill, close to the junction of the present Vie due Macelli and Capo le Case. Their eastern boundary was probably the ancient road that crossed the Pincian from the porta Salutaris, corresponding in general with the via Porta Pinciana; their western boundary was on the slope of the hill above the Due Macelli; while their extent towards the north is unknown. From remarks of ancient writers it is known that these horti were very beautiful, and one of its halls was apparently known as Apollo. Few traces of these buildings have been found. (Platner)

I chose this map as Parthian strategic planning under Mithridates II included Kommagene, a country between Syria, Kilikia, Kappadokia and the Euphrates river which had been a Seleukid possession. The ancient Kingdom of Commagene covered the territory extending from the mountain chain of the Eastern Taurus in the North to the frontier of the present Syria in the South, and from the Amanus mountain in the West, to the Euphrates in the East. Kommagene became independent in about 163-162 BC.  Kommagenian rulers attempted to maintain friendly political relations with the Seleukids. Thus, Mithridates I Kallinikos married Laodike Thea, daughter of the Seleukid king Antiochos VIII Grypos, and mother of Antiochos I of Kommagene (ca. 96 BC). Scholars, explain the name as a derivative of the 8th century BCE Neo-Hittite Kummuh (or Kummuha) found in Assyrian sources, referring originally to the main city of the region, and subsequently assigned to a wider region of fertile land between the Anti-Taurus Mountains and the Euphrates River in south-eastern Turkey. After the Battle of Issus in 333 BCE, the region was engulfed by Alexander the Great’s growing empire and the name Kummuh was Hellenized to Commagene. Commagene has been characterized as a “buffer state” between Armenia, Parthia, Syria, and Rome; culturally, it seems to have been correspondingly mixed. The ancient Kingdom of Commagene covered the territory extending from the mountain chain of the Eastern Taurus in the North to the frontier of the present Syria in the South, and from the Amanus mountain in the West, to the Euphurates in the East. I chose this map as Parthian strategic planning under Mithridates II included Kommagene, a country between Syria, Kilikia, Kappadokia and the Euphrates river which had been a Seleukid possession. The ancient Kingdom of Commagene covered the territory extending from the mountain chain of the Eastern Taurus in the North to the frontier of the present Syria in the South, and from the Amanus mountain in the West, to the Euphrates in the East. Kommagene became independent in about 163-162 BC (Oblrecht).  Kommagenian rulers attempted to maintain friendly political relations with the Seleukids. Thus, Mithridates I Kallinikos married Laodike Thea, daughter of the Seleukid king Antiochos VIII Grypos, and mother of Antiochos I of Kommagene (ca. 96 BC) (Hojte). Scholars, explain the name as a derivative of the 8th century BCE Neo-Hittite Kummuh (or Kummuha) found in Assyrian sources, referring originally to the main city of the region, and subsequently assigned to a wider region of fertile land between the Anti-Taurus Mountains and the Euphrates River in south-eastern Turkey. After the Battle of Issus in 333 BCE, the region was engulfed by Alexander the Great’s growing empire and the name Kummuh was Hellenized to Commagene. Commagene has been characterized as a “buffer state” between Armenia, Parthia, Syria, and Rome; culturally, it seems to have been correspondingly mixed. The ancient Kingdom of Commagene covered the territory extending from the mountain chain of the Eastern Taurus in the North to the frontier of the present Syria in the South, and from the Amanus mountain in the West, to the Euphurates in the East (Brijder,38).

Reference

Cartwright,Mark. Tirganocerta. Accessed July 03,2019. https://www.ancient.eu/Tigranocerta/

Christodoulou, Stavros. The Pontic Kingdom under Mithridates VI. Accessed June 28, 2019. https://www.imxa.gr/files/bsfiles/50/1.Christodoulou-web.pdf

Edited by Hojte, Jakob Munk. Mithridates VI and the Pontic Kingdom. Accessed July 02,2019. http://mithridat-eupator.ru/biblioteka/Mithridates_VI_and_the_Pontic_Kingdom_Hojte_2009.pdf

Gill, N.S. King Mithridates of Pontus – Friend and Enemy of the Romans. Accessed July 02,2019. https://www.thoughtco.com/king-mithridates-of-pontus-119792

Muscato, Christopher. The Mithridatic Wars: Facts & Causes. Accessed July 03.2019. https://study.com/academy/lesson/the-mithridatic-wars-facts-causes.html

Pontus. Accessed July 03,2019. https://www.historyfiles.co.uk/KingListsMiddEast/AnatoliaPontus.htm

Mark, Joshua. Mithridates VI. Accessed July 02,2019. https://www.ancient.eu/Mithridates_VI/

Platner, Samuel Ball. Gardens of Lucullus. Accessed on July  02,2019 http://archive1.village.virginia.edu/spw4s/RomanForum/GoogleEarth/AK_GE/AK_HTML/GD-005.html

Olbrycht, Marek Jan. Mithridates VI and Eupator and Iran. Accessed July 03,2019. http://www.pontos.dk/publications/books/bss-9-files/bss-9-10-olbrycht

Herman, Brijder. Nemrud Dagi: Recent Archaeological Research and Preservation and Restoration.  https://books.google.com/books?id=x-zoBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA38&lpg=PA38&dq=The+ancient+Kingdom+of+Commagene+covered+the+territory+extending+from+the+mountain+chain+of+the+Eastern+Taurus+in+the+North+to+the+frontier+of+the+present+Syria+in+the+South,+and+from+the+Amanus+mountain+in+the+West,+to+the+Euphrates+in+the+East.