Abgar II.

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Abgar II. ( Abgar II. Ariamnes bar Abgar ) was from about 68 to 53 BC. King of Osrhoene with the capital Edessa, today's Şanlıurfa . He could be identical to Abgar I. Piqā (the mute) mentioned by the Chronicle of Edessa ; then his reign would be about 75 to 49 BC. To apply.

Life

Since the regulations made by Pompey in the Orient, Abgar was recognized as ruler of Edessa and was allied with Rome. In the Roman sources it appears in 53 BC. As a traitor to the Romans, allegedly through his disguised friendship mainly to have caused the defeat of Marcus Licinius Crassus in the battle of Carrhae . As part of his campaign against the Parthians, Crassus pursued the plan to march along the Euphrates against Seleukeia and Ctesiphon . Abgar went to him, feigned friendliness to Rome and called Pompey his Euergetes (benefactor). Allegedly he advised Crassus to attack the forces of the Parthian general Surenas , who was far from King Orodes II , felt weak and wanted to withdraw into the interior of the empire in order to bring reinforcements from there. Through his cunning pretenses he had known how to lure Crassus away from the Euphrates to those barren plains in which Roman armies later found their downfall.

In the course of the further advance, according to the story of Plutarch , Abgar withdrew from the Roman army, under the pretext that he wanted to cause confusion with the enemy. According to Cassius Dio , at the moment of the most dangerous fighting at Carrhae, he and his troops apparently allied with the Roman army fell away and attacked the Romans from behind, who could no longer think of rescue.

If Abgar is identical to Abgar I. Piqā mentioned in the Chronicle of Edessa , he may have ruled for a few years after the death of Crassus until about 49 BC. Under Parthian sovereignty.

literature

Remarks

  1. ↑ Cassius Dio ( Roman history 40, 20, 1 ff.) Offers the name form Augaros ( Greek  Αὔγαρος ), Plutarch ( Crassus 21, 1) Ariamnes ( Greek  Ἀριάμνης ), Pseudo- Appian ( Parthika 34 ed.Schweigh ) Akbaros ( Greek  Ἄκβαρος ), Florus ( Epitoma de Tito Livio 1, 46, 7) Mazzares or Mazares , Rufus Festus ( Breviarium rerum gestarum populi Romani 17) Mazzarus or Mazorus .
  2. ↑ See Michael Sommer: Roms orientalische steppe border , Stuttgart 2005, p. 232 f.
  3. ↑ Plutarch, Crassus 21, 2; Cassius Dio, Roman History 40, 20, 1.
  4. ↑ Cassius Dio, Römische Geschichte 40, 20, 3; Velleius Paterculus , Historia Romana 2, 46, 4.
  5. ↑ Plutarch, Crassus 21; Cassius Dio, Roman History 40, 20.
  6. ↑ Plutarch, Crassus 22, 6.
  7. ^ Cassius Dio, Römische Geschichte 40, 21 ff.
personal data
SURNAME Abgar II.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Abgar II. Ariamnes bar (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION King of Osrhoene
DATE OF BIRTH 2nd century BC BC or 1st century BC Chr.
DATE OF DEATH 1st century BC Chr.