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Osroene

For the Roman province, see Osroene (Roman province).
Osroene
ܡܠܟܘܬܐ ܕܒܝܬ ܐܘܪܗܝ
132 BC–AD 638[1]
Map includes Osroene as a tributary kingdom of the Armenian Empire under Tigranes the Great
Map includes Osroene as a tributary kingdom of the Armenian Empire under Tigranes the Great
StatusKingdom, vassal state, province
CapitalEdessa
(modern-day Şanlıurfa, Turkey)
Common languagesAramaic (official)
Koine Greek
Armenian
Religion
Christianity c. 200 AD (State religion)[2][3]
Demonym(s)Osroenian
GovernmentMonarchy
King 
Historical eraHellenistic Age
• Established
132 BC
• Disestablished
AD 638[1]
Preceded by		 Succeeded by
Seleucid Empire
Osroene (Roman province)

Osroene or Osrhoene (/ɒzˈriːniː/; Greek: Ὀσροηνή) was an ancient region and state in Upper Mesopotamia. The Kingdom of Osroene, also known as the "Kingdom of Edessa" (Classical Syriac: ܡܠܟܘܬܐ ܕܒܝܬ ܐܘܪܗܝ / "Kingdom of Urhay"), according to the name of its capital city (now Şanlıurfa, Turkey), existed from the 2nd century BC, up to the 3rd century AD, and was ruled by the Abgarid dynasty.[4][5][6][7][8][9] Generally allied with the Parthians,[8][10] the Kingdom of Osroene enjoyed semi-autonomy to complete independence from the years of 132 BC to AD 214. The kingdom's population was of mixed culture, being Syriac-speaking[a] from the earliest times.[11] The city's cultural setting was fundamentally Syriac, alongside strong Greek and Parthian influences, though some Arab cults were also attested at Edessa.[10][12][13]

The ruling Abgarid dynasty was deposed by the Romans during the reign of Roman Emperor Caracalla (r. 211–217), probably in 214 or 216, and Osroene was incorporated as a province,[1] but it was briefly reestablished during the reign of Roman emperor Gordianus III (238–244). Christianity came early to Osroene. From 318, Osroene was a part of the Diocese of the East. By the 5th century, Edessa had become a main center of Syriac literature and learning. In 608, the Sasanian emperor, Khosrow II (r. 590–628), took Osroene. It was briefly reconquered by the Byzantines, but in 638 it fell to the Arabs as part of the Muslim conquests.

  1. ^ a b Segal 1982, p. 210–213.
  2. ^ Ball, W (2001). Rome in the East: the transformation of an empire. Routledge. p. 98. ISBN 978-0-415-24357-5.
  3. ^ Frankfurter, David (1998). Pilgrimage and Holy Space in Late Antique Egypt. BRILL. p. 383. ISBN 90-04-11127-1.

    It was around 200 CE that Abgar IX adopted Christianity, thus enabling Edessa to become the first Christian state in history whose ruler was officially and openly a Christian.
  4. ^ Bowman, Alan; Garnsey, Peter; Cameron, Averil (2005). The Cambridge Ancient History: Volume 12, The Crisis of Empire, AD 193-337. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521301992.
  5. ^ "Osroëne | ancient kingdom, Mesopotamia, Asia | Britannica".
  6. ^ Skolnik, Fred; Berenbaum, Michael (2007). Encyclopaedia Judaica. Macmillan Reference USA. ISBN 9780028659435.
  7. ^ Roberts, John Morris; Westad, Odd Arne (2013). The History of the World. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199936762.
  8. ^ a b Segal 1982, p. 210-213.
  9. ^ Laet, Sigfried J. de; Herrmann, Joachim (1996). History of Humanity: From the seventh century B.C. to the seventh century A.D. UNESCO. ISBN 9789231028120.
  10. ^ a b Lieu 1997, p. 174-175.
  11. ^ Healey 2014, p. 394-396.
  12. ^ Sartre 2005, p. 500.
  13. ^ Healey 2014, p. 396.


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