Meharaspes, also written as Mebarsapes or Mehrasp, was the Parthian client king of Adiabene in the early 2nd century CE; he was also the last king of an independent Adiabene.[1] He was defeated by Trajan in 116; Adiabene was incorporated into the short-lived Roman province of Mesopotamia.
Defeat by Trajan
editMebarsapes' stronghold was in Adenystrae (suggested as medieval Kızıltepe, though geographically unlikely given the position of the Tigris)[2] and was besieged by Trajan's forces.[3] Within the city was a Roman centurion named Sentius, sent by Trajan as an envoy, who had been jailed by Mebarsapes following his failed diplomatic mission.[4] Sentius convinced his fellow prisoners to aide in his escape; together, they killed the commander of the stronghold and opened the gates for the besieging Romans, ending what would have otherwise been a lengthy campaign.[5] The fall of Adenystrae was the final blow for Meharaspes, losing his kingdom. Following the defeat of Adiabene with a single division, a second Roman column continued, unopposed, down the Tigris to the ruins of the city of Babylon.
References
edit- ^ Abel, Danielle (2005). Early Syro-Mesopotamian Christian Writers, Jews and Judaism: Influence and Reaction (with a Study of a Selection of Aphrahat's Demonstrations) (PhD thesis). University of Manchester.
- ^ Marciak, Michał (2017-01-01). "Political History of Gordyene". Sophene, Gordyene, and Adiabene. Brill. pp. 241–254. doi:10.1163/9789004350724_008. ISBN 978-90-04-35072-4.
- ^ Dio Cassius (1914). Roman History. Loeb Classical Library. doi:10.4159/dlcl.dio_cassius-roman_history.1914.
- ^ Kyrychenko, Alexander (2014-01-31). The Roman Army and the Expansion of the Gospel: The Role of the Centurion in Luke-Acts. Walter de Gruyter. p. 29. ISBN 978-3-11-034726-5.
- ^ Jackson, Nicholas (2022-04-30). Trajan: Rome's Last Conqueror. Greenhill Books. pp. 217–220. ISBN 978-1-78438-710-5.
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