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Hellenistic-Parthian Period Hellenistic-Parthian Period
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Between Parthia and Rome Between Parthia and Rome
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In the Roman Empire In the Roman Empire
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Under the Caliphate Under the Caliphate
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Bibliography Bibliography
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29 Edessa (Fourth Century bc to the Eighth Century ad)
Get accessHartmut Leppin has been professor of ancient history at Goethe-University Frankfurt am Main since 2001. In 2015 he was awarded the Leibniz-Prize of the DFG. He was fellow at the Faculty of Classics in Cambridge and member of the IAS Princeton. Since 2019 he has been president of the Historische Kolleg München. His main research interests are the history of ideas in the ancient world and late antiquity, with a particular focus on the non-classical traditions. Currently he is principal investigator of a DFG-long-term project producing a new edition, translation, and commentary of John of Ephesus’s Ecclesiastical History, one of the major understudied sources of late antiquity. Recent publications include Die frühen Christen: Von den Anfängen bis Konstantin, 3rd ed. (Munich: Beck, 2020), English translation in preparation with Cambridge University Press; Paradoxe der Parrhesie (Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2022).
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Published:22 April 2025
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Abstract
Edessa, the center of Osrhoene, had abundant water, enhancing its economic and strategic importance during antiquity. Founded by the Seleucids, it became autonomous in the 130s bc. Its rulers tried to navigate a path between Rome and Parthia, with Parthian influences dominating until the middle of the second century ad. From the time of Caracalla until the Arab conquest, Edessa was part of the Roman Empire. During the first centuries ad, Edessa was a cultural epicenter where the Syriac language thrived. Christianity became prominent early, even among the elite. During the fifth century very diverse forms of Christianity were still present in Edessa. After the Council of Chalcedon, Theodorians, Chalcedonians, and Miaphysites competed for dominance. Under Arabic rule, Edessa retained its cultural authority, but lost much of its strategic and economic importance.
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