Περίληψη : The Roman/early Byzantine province of Isauria was established during the reign of Diocletian on the precipitous south eastern coast of Asia Minor with Seleukeia as its capital. Its native population, famous warriors who often opposed central government, became established in Constantinople (5th century) as an opposing force to the Goths. Parts of the province remained independent until the end of the 5th century. Sections of the province were gradually incorporated into the themes of Anatolikon, Kibyrrhaiottai, Cappadocia and Seleukeia after the 3rd quarter of the 7th century. Γεωγραφική Θέση South eastern Asia Minor, present day south eastern Turkey Ιστορική Περιοχή Cilicia, Isauria Διοικητική Υπαγωγή Diocese of Oriens Γεωγραφικές Συντεταγμένες 1. Administration - Political geography The early Byzantine province of Isauria was established by Diocletian (284-305) on the south-eastern coast of Asia Minor, and included the precipitous territories of Cilicia and Isauria. These two areas / Roman provinces were joined with Seleukeia, which was also the seat of the Isaurian praeses and comes during 535-548, 1 as their capital. From 314 they formed a unified province of the diocese of Oriens, a new administrative confederation. In 370, a section of Isauria was incorporated into the newly established province of Lykaonia. In the end to its east the province of Isauria bordered with the province of Cilicia I and to the north and west with the provinces of Lykaonia and Pamphylia of the diocese of Asiana. During the mid-byzantine period the province s territories were incorporated into the themes of Anatolikon (cavallariko after 669), Kibyrrhaiottai (ploimo after 719/20) and Cappadocia (cavallariko after 830). The capital Seleukeia, initially a seat of the theme of Anatolikon, then became the seat of the droungarios of the theme of Kibyrrhaiottai in the 8th century was then organized autonomously as kleisura of Seleukeia during the reign of Theophilos (829-842) and finally formed the theme of Seleukeia in 930. 2. Towns Sources which provide information on the empire s administration during the 6th century record 22 towns in the province of Isauria for the first quarter, and 25 towns and four klimata (κλίματα - regions) for the fourth quarter. 2 Most of these were on the coast with noteworthy commercial traffic throughout the years, as testified by the stamps of the Isaurian kommerkiarioi, which date from the late 7th century, after its territories had fallen under the jurisdiction of the themes. Moreover, the Isaurian local saints Konon and Thecla, always drew numerous pilgrims. Isauria s particular geographical characteristics defined the architecture and urban planning of the area. Buildings in the Isaurian countryside made extensive use of local building materials and they followed innovative building orders. Church architecture was influenced in a similar manner. 3 3. Church administration Δημιουργήθηκε στις 22/8/2017 Σελίδα 1/6
The minutes of the First Ecumenical Council in Nicaea record 10 ecclesiastical seats in the province of Isauria. According to an ecclesiastical order issued by the Patriarchate of Antioch Seleukeia, as ecclesiastical bishopric was responsible for the function of 24 episcopes which existed in the province during the 6th century. 4 Because of the loss of the seat of the Patriarchate of Antioch in 637/8, certain ecclesiastical seats came under the auspices of the Patriarchate of Constantinople until 969. Seleukeia has been recorded as the bishopric of Isauria in early ecclesiastical records and the records of Antioch, and as the bishopric of Pamphylia in records numb. 7 and beyond. 5 4. Isaurians and central government Traditionally the Isaurians were involved in farming activities, tree cultivation and were renowned builders. They lived in extended families. The native inhabitants were also renowned warriors who often took to robbery, both within Isauria and outside it, in order to make a living. 6 Moreover, they ceaselessly displayed their opposition to central government and thus the area was frequently the epicentre of unrests and a safe haven for mutineers. In the 4th century the empire used violence to impose Roman law and order in the wider area of the provinces of Cilicia and Isauria and their inhabitants were referred to as «robbers». Successful campaigns against the Isaurians took place in the 360s. In Constantinople they were treated with arrogance and hostility. During the 5th century, however, central government relied on the Isaurians in order to face the infiltration of the Goths into the government and finally the Isaurian Tarasikodissa rose to the throne in 474 as Flavius Zeno (474-475/476-491) and dealt successfully with the rebellious movement of his compatriots (484-488). Isaurian families finally submitted to central government during the reign of Anastasius I (491-518) after the victorious military operations headed by John Skythis and John Kyrtos during the 490s. Before its final dominance central government gave the outlawed Isaurian chieftains large quantities of gold annually in order to secure peace. 7 The Persians occupied positions in Isauria during the 1st decade of the 7th century but were expelled by Herakleios (610-641) before the end of the following decade. It has been said that during the reign of Herakleios central government was once again involved in hostilities with the Isaurians. Relevant information cannot be disproved but the situation and the outcomes of the battles remain unclear. 1. Apart from a brief period after 400, at which time the head of the province had the double title of count and duke of Isauria, see Hellenkemper, H. Hild, F. (eds.), Kilikien und Isaurien (Tabula Imperii Byzantini 5, Wien 1990), p. 38 and note 75. 2. Συνέκδημος Ιεροκλή, Honigmann, E. (ed.), Le Synekdèmos d Hièroklès et l opuscule géographique de Georges de Chypre (Brussels 1939), pp. 38, 39, 708.1-710.9. 3. Hill, St., The Early Byzantine Churches of Cilicia and Isauria (Birmingham Byzantine and Ottoman Monographs 1, Birmingham 1996), pp. 3-11. 4. Honigmann, E. (ed.), "Studien zur Notitia Antiochena", Byzantinische Zeitschrift 25 (1925), pp. 60-88, esp. 74-5. 5. The ecclesiastical seat of the province of Isauria are mentioned in the minutes of Constantinople nos. 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10 and numb. 13, which are thought to have been compilled during the 9th, 10th and up to the 12th centuries. See Εκκλησιαστικά Τακτικά, Darrouzès, J. (ed.), Notitiae episcopatuum Ecclesiae Constantinopolitanae (Paris 1981), 3.67, 6.36, 7.30, 8.31, 10.679. 6. Regarding the "defences" of other provinces against the looting incursions by the Isaurians see Shaw, B.D., "Bandit Highlands and Lowland Peace: the Mountains of Isauria-Cilicia", Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient 33 (1990), pp. 199-233,237-270, esp. 258, 259 and note 167. 7. Shaw, B. D., "Bandit Highlands and Lowland Peace: the Mountains of Isauria-Cilicia", Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient 33 Δημιουργήθηκε στις 22/8/2017 Σελίδα 2/6
(1990), pp. 199-233,237-270, esp. 265 and note 178. Βιβλιογραφία : Honigmann E., "La liste originale des pères de Nicée (À propos de l évêché de Sodoma: en Arabie)", Byzantion, 14, 1939, 17-76 Jones A.H.M., The Later Roman Empire, 284-602. A Social, Economic, and Administrative Survey, 1-2, Oxford 1964 Fedalto G., Hierarchia Ecclesiastica Orientalis. Series Episcoporum Ecclesiarum Christianarum Orientalium II. Patriarchatus Alexandrinus, Antiochenus Hierosolymitanus, Padοva 1988 Zuckerman C., "Sur la Liste de Vérone et la province de Grande Arménie, la division de l Empire et la date de création des diocèses", Mélanges Gilbert Dagron, Paris 2002, Travaux et Mémoires 14, 617-638 Hild F., Hellenkemper H., Kilikien und Isaurien, Wien 1990, Tabula Imperii Byzantini 5 Downey G., A History of Antioch in Syria from Seleucus to the Arab Conquest, Princeton New Jersey 1961 Hill S., The Early Byzantine Churches of Cilicia and Isauria, Aldershot 1996, Birmingham Byzantine and Ottoman monographs 1 Shaw B., "Bandit Highlands and Lowland Peace: the Mountais of Isauria-Cilicia", Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient, 33, 1990, 199-233, 237-270 Mazzarino S., Aspetti sociali del quarto secolo, Roma 1951 Santoro A., Byzantium and the Arabs during the Isaurian Period 717-802 A.D., University Microfilms International, Ann Arbor, Michigan 1982 Tchalenko G., Villages antiques de la Syrie du Nord, 3 τόμ., Paris 1953-1958 Darrouzès J., "L Edition des Notitiae Episcopatuum", Revue des Études Byzantines, 40, 1982, 216-219 Βρυώνης Σ., "Aspects of Byzantine Society in Syro-Palestine", Vryonis, Sp. Jr. (ed.), Byzantine Studies in Honor of Milton Anastos, Malibu, California 1985, 43-63 Foss C., "Isauria", Kazhdan, A. (ed.), The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium II, New York Oxford 1991, 1014 Δικτυογραφία : Le Synekdèmos d'hiéroclès et l'opuscule géographique de Georges de Chypre, Bruxelles 1939: charted are the lands of: Europe, Asia Minor, Near East http://soltdm.com/sources/mss/hierocl/harta1.htm Γλωσσάριo : Δημιουργήθηκε στις 22/8/2017 Σελίδα 3/6
comes 1. A title in the Roman and the Byzantine Empires, designating an official with political but mostly military jurisdiction. Especially the comes Orientis held the position corresponding to that of a vicar in Early Byzantine period. In the years of Justinian I, the comes in head of wider provinces assumed political and military powers, while in the Middle Byzantine period the Opsikion theme was one of the few themes which was the jurisdiction of a comes instead of a strategos. 2. A nobility title in medieval Europe. droungarios A military rank, first mentioned in the 7th century. This officer was in command of a droungos, a subdivision of the provincial army (thema). kleisoura (lat. clausura) Byzantine military term. Kleisoura initially designated a mountain passage; from the 7 th c. onwards it also meant the military unit responsible for the defence of the passage. The term is also used for an administrative division (smaller than the theme). Its base was in a rough site close to the border, and its administration and economy was not necessarily the jurisdiction of the strategos of the theme. It is considered as the evolution of tourma. kommerkiarios (commerciarius) An official of the fiscal service in charge of the levying of the tax called commercion (δεκάτη<, 10%), that was imposed over the portage and the selling of articles. The jurisdinction of each commerciarius was exersised either over specific urban centers with vivid commercial activity or over particular widespread territories of the empire. Since the official had been appointed by the emperor himself he used to be called "royal commerciarius". In the Late Byzantine era the commerciarius acted also as an individual entrepreneur who used to merchandise silk for his own interest. praeses Provincial governor. According to the later roman and the eraly byzantine administrative organisation, the praeses (praeses, vir perfectissimus as far as the senatorial rank is concerned) served as a governor in certain provinces, expressly intented to exercise political autority. Πηγές Συνέκδημος Ιεροκλή, Honigmann, E. (ed.), Le Synekdèmos d Hiéroklès et l opuscule géographique de Georges de Chypre (Bruxelles 1939), pp. 38, 39, 708.1 710.9. Honigmann, E. (ed.), Studien zur Notitia Antiochena, Byzantinische Zeitschrift 25 (1925), pp. 60 88, esp. 74 5. Honigmann, E. (ed.), La liste originale des pères de Nicée (A propos de l évêché de Sodoma: en Arabie), Byzantion 14 (1939), pp. 17 76. Εκκλησιαστικά Τακτικά, Darrouzès, J. (ed.), Notitiae episcopatuum Ecclesiae Constantinopolitanae (Paris 1981), 3.67, 6.36, 7.30, 8.31, 10.679. Τακτικά πρωτοκαθεδρίας, Oikonomidès, N. (ed.), Les listes de préséance byzantines des IXe et Xe siècles (Paris 1972), p. 351. Schöll, R. (ed.), Corpus Iuris Civilis v. tertium: Novellae (Dublin Zürich 10 1972), pp. 209 211. Κωνσταντίνος Πορφυρογέννητος, Περί θεμάτων, Pertusi, A. (ed.), Constantino Porphyrogenito, De Thematibus (Studi e Testi 160, Città del Vaticano 1952), p. 77. Παραθέματα Ιστορική γεωγραφία του θέματος Σελευκείας Ἡ δὲ Σελεύκεια μέρος ἐστὶν Ἰσαυρίας, πρὸς μὲν δυσμὰς ὁριζομένη ὑπὸ τοῦ Ταύρου ἐν ᾧ κατοικοῦσιν Ἴσαυροι πρὸς δὲ ἀνατολὰς ἀποκέκλεισται παρὰ τῶν Κιλικίας ὀρέων, ἐν οἷς εἰσι πόλεις παραθαλάσσιοι, πρώτη μὲν αὐτὴ Σελεύκεια Τὰ δὲ ἄνω Σελευκείας καὶ μεσόγαια καλεῖται Δεκάπολις Δημιουργήθηκε στις 22/8/2017 Σελίδα 4/6
Κωνσταντίνος Πορφυρογέννητος, Περί θεμάτων, Pertusi, A. (ed.), Constantino Porphyrogenito, De Thematibus (Studi e Testi 160, Città del Vaticano 1952), p. 77. Βοηθ. Κατάλογοι 1. The ecclesiastical seat in Isauria, according to the minutes of the I Ecumenical Synod in Nice: Varata Koropissos Claudiupolis Seleukeia Metropolis Antioch Syedra Oumanada Laranda Ilistra Honigmann, E. (ed.), «La liste originale des pères de Nicée (A propos de l évêché de Sodoma: en Arabie)», Byzantion 14 (1939), pp. 17 76. 2. The towns of Isauria, according to the Synekdemos of Hierocles: Seleukeia Kelenderis Anemourion Titioupolis Lamos Antioch Iouliosevasti Kestroi Selinus Δημιουργήθηκε στις 22/8/2017 Σελίδα 5/6
Iotapi Diocaesarea Olva Claudiupolis Ierapolis Dalisandos Germanicoupolis Irenopolis Philadelphia Meloe Adrasos Svide Neapolis Lauzadeai Συνέκδημος Ιεροκλή, Honigmann, E. (ed.), Le Synekdèmos d Hièroklès et l opuscule géographique de Georges de Chypre (Brussels 1939), pp. 38, 39, 708.1 710.9. Δημιουργήθηκε στις 22/8/2017 Σελίδα 6/6