Seleucia ad Belum
Seleucia (Greek: Σελεύκεια, Seleukeia), distinguished as Seleucia-near-Belus[1] (Greek: Σελεύκεια πρὸς Βήλῳ, Seleúkeia pròs Bḗlōi,[2] or πρὸς τῷ Βήλῳ, pròs tôi Bḗlōi;[1] Latin: Seleucia ad Belum[3] or juxta Belum)[4] and later known as Seleucobelus (Σελευκόβηλος, Seleukóbēlos)[1] or Seleucopolis,[5] was an ancient Greek and Roman city on the Orontes River. Its location remains uncertain.
Name
The name of the settlement honored Seleucus I Nicator,[6] one of the Diadochi successors to the empire of Alexander the Great, although it may have been a foundation by his son and successor Antiochus.[1] It was distinguished from other cities named Seleucia by reference to "Belus" or "the Belus", a toponym which was variously applied to Syria's Limestone Massif, which lies to the city's north,[7] and to various rivers in Syria.[1] In this case, it appears that the name Belus was a title of the Orontes.[7]
History
The city was a Hellenistic foundation of the Seleucid Empire.[6] It sat on the Orontes's[6] west bank near its headwaters, positioning it to function as a depot for overland trade in the area.[citation needed] During the heyday of the Seleucid Empire, it formed a suburb of the nearby and larger settlement Apamea[6] (originally Pella),[8] which Ptolemy placed ½° to its east.[2] The entire area held over half a million people.[citation needed]
After the 2nd century, it typically appeared under the name Seleucobelus.[1]
The precise location of the settlement remains uncertain,[6] with various scholars placing it near Seluqiye,[9] Djisr esh-Shogur, Kafr al Bara, Maʾaz, Suqelbiye,[7] and Al-Suqaylabiyah.[citation needed]
See also
- Other Seleucias
- Chalcis ad Belum, another Syrian city on a different river Belus
References
Citations
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Cohen (2006), p. 135.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Ptolemy, Geography, Bk. 5, Ch. 14, §12.
- ↑ Pliny, Nat. Hist., Bk. 5, §82.
- ↑ Bingham (1834), p. 306.
- ↑ Hazlitt (1851), p. 313.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Smith & al. (1862), p. 796.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Cohen (2006), p. 136.
- ↑ Cohen (2006), p. 97.
- ↑ Dodgeon & al. (1991), p. 361.
Bibliography
- Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found..
- Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found..
- Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found..
- Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found..