Mopsuestia
Μοψουεστία | |
 Roman bridge in Misis-Mopsuestia over thePyramus | |
  Shown within Turkey | |
| Alternative name | Mopsos, Seleucia on the Pyramus, Hadriana, Decia, al-Maṣṣīṣah, Mamistra, Misis, Yakapınar |
|---|---|
| Location | Adana Province,Turkey |
| Region | Cilicia |
| Coordinates | 36°57′28″N35°37′26″E/ 36.95778°N 35.62389°E |
| Type | Settlement |
MopsuestiaandMopsuhestia(Ancient Greek:Μοψουεστία and Μόψου ἑστία,romanized:Mopsou(h)estiaand ΜόψουMopsouand Μόψου πόλις and Μόψος;Byzantine Greek:Mamista,Manistra,Mampsista;Arabic:al-Maṣṣīṣah;Armenian:Msis,Mises,Mam(u)estia;modernYakapınar) is an ancient city inCilicia Campestrison the Pyramus River (now theCeyhan River) located approximately 20 km (12 mi) east of ancient Antiochia inCilicia(present-dayAdana,southernTurkey). From the city's harbor, the river is navigable to theMediterranean Sea,a distance of over 40 km (24 mi).
The 1879 bookA Latin Dictionary,the 1898 bookDictionary of Classical Antiquities,the 1913Catholic Encyclopediaand the 1920La Ciliciemention that the city at that time was called Missis or Messis,[1][2][3][4]but in 1960 the name changed to Yakapınar.[5]
History
[edit]The founding of this city is attributed to the seerMopsus,[6][7]from whom the city also took its name,[8]who lived before theTrojan war,although it is scarcely mentioned before theChristian era.The name has been glossed asΜόψου ἑστία,"The house (hestia) of Mopsus".Pliny the Eldercalls it the free city of Mopsos (Hist. nat.,V, 22), but the ordinary name is Mopsuestia, as found inStephanus of Byzantiumand all the Christian geographers and chroniclers. Under theSeleucid Empire,the city took the name of Seleucia on the Pyramus (classical Greek: Σελεύκεια πρὸς τὸν Πύραμον,Seleukeia pros ton Pyramon;Latin:Seleucia ad Pyramum), but gave it up at the time of theRomanconquest. Coins and inscriptions show that underHadrianit was called Hadriana, underDeciusDecia, and so forth.Constantius IIbuilt there a magnificent bridge over the Pyramus (Malalas,Chronographia,XIII; P.G., XCVII, 488) afterwards restored byJustinian(Procopius,De Edificiis,V. 5) and has been restored again recently.
Near the city a battle between theAntiochus X Eusebes,son ofAntiochus IX Cyzicenus,andSeleucus VI Epiphaneswas fought. Antiochus won and Seleucus took shelter in Mopsuestia, but the citizens of Mopsuestia killed him. His brothersAntiochus XIandPhilip Idestroyed Mopsuestia as an act of revenge and their armies fought those of Antiochus X, but they lost.[9]
Christianityseems to have been introduced very early into Mopsuestia, and during the 3rd century, there is mention of a bishop, Theodorus, the adversary ofPaul of Samosata.Other famous residents of the early Christian period in the city's history includeSaint Auxentius(d. 360), andTheodore,bishopfrom 392–428, the teacher ofNestorius.The bishopric is included in theCatholic Church's list oftitular sees.[10]Along with much of Cilicia, the region was wrested from Roman control by the Arabs in the late 630s.
In 684 the EmperorConstantine IVrecaptured Misis from its small Arab garrison and it remained an imperial possession until 703 (Theophanes,"Chronogr.", A. M. 6178, 6193), when it was recaptured by the Arabs, who rebuilt the fortifications, constructed a mosque, and maintained a permanent garrison.[11]Because of its position on the frontier, the city was repeatedly fought over and was recaptured from time to time by theByzantines:it was besieged in vain by the Byzantine troops ofJohn I Tzimiscesin 964, but was taken the following year after a long and difficult siege byNicephorus Phocas.[12]
Mopsuestia then numbered 200,000 inhabitants, some of whom were Muslim, and the Byzantines made efforts to re-Christianize the city. In the early 1090s, Turkish forces overran the town, but were expelled in 1097 byCrusadertroops underTancredwho took possession of the city and its strategic port, which were annexed to thePrincipality of Antioch.It suffered much from the internecine war between Crusaders, Armenians, and Greeks who lost it and recaptured it, notably in 1106, 1132, and 1137. Finally, in 1151–1152 the Armenian Baron T'oros II captured the city and defeated the Greek counterattack led byAndronikos I Komnenos.Thereafter it remained a possession of theArmenian Kingdom of Cilicia,but was briefly captured and plundered by the Mamluks in 1266, 1275, and 1322. The Venetians and Genoese were licensed by the Armenians to maintain warehouses near the harbor to store goods brought from India. The Armenians were permanently evicted by the Mamluks in 1347.[11]The city was the site of several church councils and possessed four Armenian churches; theGreekdiocesestill existed at the beginning of the fourteenth century (Le Quien,Oriens Christianus,II, 1002). In 1432 theFrenchmanBertrandonreported that the city was ruled by theMuslimsand was largely destroyed. In 1515 Mopsuestia, and the whole of Cilicia was incorporated into theOttoman Empireby SultanSelim I.Since then it has steadily declined and became the small village ofMisis.Misis was renamedYakapınarin the 1960s. Only fragments of the medieval fortifications survive today. However, an etching of the circuit walls and towers was made in the mid-19th century.[13]TheMisis Mosaic Museumwas founded in 1959 to exhibit the mosaics found in the area, including the famous "Samson Mosaic".
Victor Langloiswrote that he found a beautiful Greek inscription at the city and while he was trying to move it to France, the inscription fell in thePyramus River.[14]
Notable people
[edit]- Heracleides (Ancient Greek:Ἡρακλείδης) was a grammarian from Mopsus.[8][15]
- Theodore of Mopsuestia,bishop of Mopsuestia
- Auxentius of Mopsuestia,bishop of Mopsuestia
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^Harry Thurston Peck, Harpers Dictionary of Classical Antiquities (1898), Mopsuestia
- ^Charlton T. Lewis, Charles Short, A Latin Dictionary, Mopsuestia
- ^Vailhé, Siméon (1911)..Catholic Encyclopedia.Vol. 10.
- ^Normand Robert, La Cilicia. In: Annals of Geography. 1920, vol. 29, No. 162. p.p. 426-451
- ^Missis and its Roman bridge
- ^GREEK ANTHOLOGY, § 9.698
- ^Procopius, On Buildings, §5.5.1
- ^abStephanus of Byzantium, Ethnica, § M459.1
- ^Eusebius, Chronography, 97-98
- ^Annuario Pontificio2013(Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2013,ISBN978-88-209-9070-1), p. 933
- ^abEdwards, Robert W. (1987).The Fortifications of Armenian Cilicia: Dumbarton Oaks Studies XXIII.Washington, D.C.: Dumbarton Oaks, Trustees for Harvard University. pp. 198–200, 284.ISBN0-88402-163-7.
- ^Edwards, Robert W., "Mopsuestia" (2016).The Eerdmans Encyclopedia of Early Christian Art and Archaeology, ed., Paul Corby Finney.Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing. p. 168.ISBN978-0-8028-9017-7.
{{cite book}}:CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^Langlois, V. (1861).Voyage dans la Cilicie et dans les montagnes du Taurus, exécuté pendant les années 1852-1853.Paris. p. 451.
{{cite book}}:CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^Missis and its Roman bridge
- ^Athenaeus, Deipnosophists, §6.234b
Sources
[edit]- Hild, Friedrich; Hellenkemper, Hansgerd (1990).Tabula Imperii Byzantini, Band 5: Kilikien und Isaurien(in German). Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften.ISBN3-7001-1811-2.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain:Vailhé, Siméon (1911). "Mopsuestia".Catholic Encyclopedia.Vol. 10.