Nisibis at the border of Romans and Sasanians between the third and fifth centuries AD.

Year 2017, Volume: 36 Issue: 62, 1 - 30, 01.10.2017

Muzaffer Demir , Murat Keçiş

Abstract

Nusaybin (Nisibis), bölgesindeki tek ana ticaret merkezini oluşturduğundan jeostratejik önemine binaen döneminin iki büyük gücü olan Roma ve Sasani devletlerinin sınırda karşı karşıya geldikleri bir kent olma özelliğine sahiptir. Kent sağlam bir şekilde tahkim edilmesine rağmen, zaman zaman iki taraf arasında yer değiştirmiştir. Romalılar, sınırlarını Yukarı Dicle Vadisi ve Mezopotamya’ya kadar genişlettikten sonra, bu sefer Sasanilere karşı Doğu-Batı çatışmasının da ortaya çıkmasına sebep olmuşlardır. Bir sınır kenti olarak Nusaybin, sadece ekonomik ve sosyo-kültürel değil askeri açıdan da önemli bir bağlantı noktası olmuştur. 363 yılında Sasanilere teslim oluncaya kadar, sadece Mezapotomya’daki Roma liderliğinin (dux Mesopotamiae) karargah merkezi olmakla kalmamış, aynı zamanda Doğu Orduları Komutanlığı (magister militum per Orientem)’nın hareketli güçlerinin ileri toplanma noktası konumundadır. Parthlar 224 yılında Sasanilerin ortaya çıkışına kadar Doğu gücünü temsil etmişlerdir. I. Ardaşhir veya I. Şapur, Sasani hanedanlığının taze enerjisiyle birlikte, Nisibis’i 238 veya 241 yılında fethetmiştir. Gordianus II burayı ele geçirmiş, ancak 244 yılında tekrar Sasanilerin kontrolü altına girmiştir. Nisibis ve bölgesi, 298 yılında Narseh ile yapılan anlaşma sonucunda Roma İmparatorluğu’na bağlanmıştır. Özellikle II. Constantius döneminde 337, 346 ve 350 yıllarında üç defa kuşatılmış, ancak II. Şapur burayı ele geçirmeyi başaramamıştır. 363 yılındaki Iulianus’un yenilgisinden sonra tekrar Sasanilere geri verilmiştir. Biz bu çalışmamızda Roma ve Sasanilerin Nusaybin kenti üzerindeki çekişmelerinin ekonomik, sosyo-kültürel ve siyasi sebepleri üzerine odaklanacağız

Keywords

Nusaybin, Romalılar, Sasaniler, Hristiyanlık, Ticaret

ROMA VE SASANİLER ARASINDA BİR SINIR KENTİ, NUSAYBİN (MS III.-V. YY.)

Abstract

Owing to its geostratejic importance as being the only main trade center in its region, Nisibis became the typical of a city in the limes where the Roman and the Sasanians, the two great powers of their time, confronted each other. Though heavily fortified, it occasionally changed hands. The Romans, having extended their borders to the Upper Tigris Valley and Mesopotamia, pioneered the eastern territorial aspirations of the West, this time against the Sasanians. As a border city, Nisibis was a significant anchor for them, not only socio-economic but also from a military point of view. Until its surrender to the Sasanians in 363, Nisibis was not only the headquarters of the commander of Mesopotamia (dux Mesopotamiae) but also often served as the forward mustering-point for the mobile forces of Master of the Soldiers for the East (the magister militum per Orientem). The Parthians represented the Eastern power at the time until the appearance of the Sasanians in 224. With the fresh energy of the new Sasanian dynasty, Ardashir I or Shapur I conquered Nisibis in 238 or 241. Then the Sasanians were driven out of Nisibis by Gordian III and took the city back in 244. In 298, by making a treaty with Narseh, the town of Nisibis was acquired by the Roman Empire. It was besieged three times during the reign of Constantius II, yet Shapur II was not able to conquer it. In 363 Nisibis was ceded back to the Sasanians after the defeat of Julian. In this study, we shall concentrate on the struggles between Rome and the Sasanians by striving to enlighten the economic, socio-cultural and the political reasons of their struggles

Keywords

Nisibis, Romans, Sasanians, Christianity, Trade.

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