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Amisus, now known as [[Samsun]], is the ancient port-city located on the edge of the [[Black Sea]], in the Roman province of Pontus.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Wilson|first1=Mark W.|title=Cities of God in norther Asia minor: Using Stark's social theories to reconstruct Peter's communities|journal=Verbum et Ecclesia|volume=32|issue=1|page=4}}</ref>. It was situated on the north of the trans-Anatolian highway that ran from the [[Mediterranean]] to the Black sea.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Cohen|first1=Getzel M.|title=The Hellenistic Settlements in Europe, the Islands, and Asia Minor|date=1995|publisher=University of California Press|location=Berkely and Los Angeles, California|page=384}}</ref> The estimated population of the city around 150 CE is between 20,000-25,000 people, classifying it as a relatively large city for that time<ref>Mitchell, S., 1993, Anatolia, 2 vols. Oxford University Press, Oxford, 244.</ref>.The city functioned as the commercial capital for the province of Pontus; beating its rival [[Sinope]] (now [[Sinop]]) due to is position at the head of the trans-Anatolia highway <ref> Wilson, 4. </ref>
Amisus, now known as [[Samsun]], is the ancient port-city located on the edge of the [[Black Sea]], in the Roman province of Pontus.<ref>Wilson, M. W. "Cities of God in Northern Asia Minor: Using Stark's Social Theories to Reconstruct Peter's Communities". Verbum et Ecclesia 32 (1). p. 4.</ref>. It was situated on the north of the trans-Anatolian highway that ran from the [[Mediterranean]] to the Black sea.<ref>{Cohen, Getzel M. (1995). “The Hellenistic Settlements in Europe, the Islands, and Asia Minor.” Berkely and Los Angeles, California: University of California Press. p. 384.</ref> The estimated population of the city around 150 CE is between 20,000-25,000 people, classifying it as a relatively large city for that time<ref>Mitchell, S. (1995). “Anatolia: Land, Men, and Gods in Asia Minor.” Journal of Roman Studies, 85. p. 301-302.</ref>.The city functioned as the commercial capital for the province of Pontus; beating its rival [[Sinope]] (now [[Sinop]]) due to is position at the head of the trans-Anatolia highway <ref> Wilson, M. W. "Cities of God in Northern Asia Minor: Using Stark's Social Theories to Reconstruct Peter's Communities". Verbum et Ecclesia 32 (1). p. 4. </ref>


== Early History ==
== Early History ==


Before Amisus was settled by the [[Milesians (Greek)|Milesians]] in the 6th century BCE, <ref> Wilson, 3. </ref> it is believed that there was much Greek activity along the coast of the Black Sea predating the fragmentary archeological evidence of that time.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Topalidis|first1=S|title=Formation of the First Greek Settlements in the Pontos|url=http://pontosworld.com/index.php/pontus/history/articles/292-formation-of-the-first-greek-settlements-in-the-pontos|website=Pontos World|publisher=Pontosworld.com|accessdate=11 March 2015}}</ref> The only archaeological evidence we have as early as the 6th century is fragment of [http://www.louvre.fr/en/oeuvre-notices/ionian-wild-goat-oenochoe-reflecting-oriental-influence wild goat style] Greek pottery, housed at the Louvre. <ref>Tsetskhladze, Gocha R. "The Greek Colonisation of the Black Sea Area: Historical Interpretation of Archaeology". Stuttgart: F. Steiner, 1998. 14-19, 19. </ref> In the 5th century BC, Amisus became a free state after it was conquered by the [[Athenians]] <ref> Wilson, 4 </ref> It was then renamed Peiraeus under [[Pericles]]. <ref>{{cite book|last1=Jones|first1=A.H.M|title=The Cities of the Eastern Roman Provinces|date=1937|publisher=The Carendon Press|location=Oxford|page=149}}</ref> In the 1st century BC [[Mithridates VI of Pontus]]- the Greek King of Pontus- was conquered by the Romans under [[Lucullus]]. <ref> Orrery, John Boyle. The Letters of Pliny the Younger,: With Observations on Each Letter; and an Essay on Pliny's Life, Addressed to Charles Lord Boyle. The 3rd ed. London: Printed by James Bettenham, for Paul Vaillant., 1752, 407. </ref> [[Pliny the Younger|Pliny the Younger's]] address to the [[Emperor Trajan]] in the 1st century CE "By your indulgence, sir, they have the benefit of their own laws," is interpreted by [[John Boyle, 5th Earl of Cork|John Boyle Orrery]] to indicate that the freedoms won for those in Pontus by the Romans was not pure freedom and depended on the generosity of the Roman emperor. <ref> Ibid. </ref> Around 46 BC, during the reign of Julius Cesar, Amisus became the capital of Roman Pontus. <ref> Wilson, 3. </ref>
Before Amisus was settled by the [[Milesians (Greek)|Milesians]] in the 6th century BCE, <ref>Wilson, M. W. "Cities of God in Northern Asia Minor: Using Stark's Social Theories to Reconstruct Peter's Communities". Verbum et Ecclesia 32 (1). p. 3. </ref> it is believed that there was much Greek activity along the coast of the Black Sea predating the fragmentary archeological evidence of that time.<ref>Topalidis, S. "Formation of the First Greek Settlements in the Pontos". Pontos World. Pontosworld.com. Retrieved 11 March 2015.</ref> The only archaeological evidence we have as early as the 6th century is fragment of [http://www.louvre.fr/en/oeuvre-notices/ionian-wild-goat-oenochoe-reflecting-oriental-influence wild goat style] Greek pottery, housed at the Louvre. <ref> Tsetskhladze, G.R. (1998 ) “The Greek Colonisation of the Black Sea Area: Historical Interpretation of Archaeology.” Stuttgart: F. Steiner. p. 19.</ref> In the 5th century BC, Amisus became a free state after it was conquered by the [[Athenians]] <ref> Wilson, M. W. "Cities of God in Northern Asia Minor: Using Stark's Social Theories to Reconstruct Peter's Communities". Verbum et Ecclesia 32 (1). p. 4.</ref> It was then renamed Peiraeus under [[Pericles]]. <ref> Jones, A.H.M (1937). “The Cities of the Eastern Roman Provinces”. Oxford: The Carendon Press. p. 149.</ref> In the 1st century BC [[Mithridates VI of Pontus]]- the Greek King of Pontus- was conquered by the Romans under [[Lucullus]]. <ref>Orrery, J. B. (1752). “The Letters of Pliny the Younger: With Observations on Each Letter; and an Essay on Pliny's Life, Addressed to Charles Lord Boyle.” The 3rd ed. London: Printed by James Bettenham, for Paul Vaillant. p. 407.</ref> [[Pliny the Younger|Pliny the Younger's]] address to the [[Emperor Trajan]] in the 1st century CE "By your indulgence, sir, they have the benefit of their own laws," is interpreted by [[John Boyle, 5th Earl of Cork|John Boyle Orrery]] to indicate that the freedoms won for those in Pontus by the Romans was not pure freedom and depended on the generosity of the Roman emperor. <ref> Orrery, J. B. (1752). “The Letters of Pliny the Younger: With Observations on Each Letter; and an Essay on Pliny's Life, Addressed to Charles Lord Boyle.” The 3rd ed. London: Printed by James Bettenham, for Paul Vaillant. p. 407.</ref> Around 46 BC, during the reign of Julius Cesar, Amisus became the capital of Roman Pontus. <ref> Wilson, M. W. "Cities of God in Northern Asia Minor: Using Stark's Social Theories to Reconstruct Peter's Communities". Verbum et Ecclesia 32 (1). p. 3. </ref>


== Early Christianity ==
== Early Christianity ==
Though the roots of the city are [[Hellenistic]],<ref> Wilson, 3 </ref>, it was also one of the centers of an early Christian congregation <ref> ibid. </ref>. Its function as a commercial metropolis in northern [[Asia Minor]] was a contributing factor to enable the spread of Christian influence. As a large port city –the commercial capitol of Pontus <ref> Studies, Society For The Promotion Of Hellenic. (2013). pp. 105-6. The Journal of Hellenic Studies (Vol. 21). London: Forgotten Books. (Original work published pre-1945, year unknown) </ref> - travel to and from Christian hotbeds like Jerusalem was not uncommon. <ref> Wilson, 2 </ref> According to [[Josephus]], there was large Jewish [[diaspora]] in Asia Minor, <ref> A, Schalit. "Asia Minor." Encyclopedia Judaica. Jewish Virtual Library. 11 Mar. 2015. "http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/judaica/ejud_0002_0002_0_01496.html" </ref> the population totaling around 1 million in the 1st century BCE. <ref> Wilson, 6. </ref>. Given that the early [[Evangelists|evangelist Christians]] focused on Jewish diaspora communities, and that the Jewish diaspora in Amisus was a geographically accessible group with a mixed heritage group, it is not surprising that Amisus would be an appealing site for evangelist work. The author of 1 [[Gospel of Peter|Peter]] 1:1 addresses the Jewish diaspora of the province of Pontus, along with four other provinces: “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God's elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia.” As Amisus would have been the largest commercial port-city in the province, it is believed certain that the spread of Christianity in the region would have begun there. <ref> ibid., 4. </ref> In the 1st century [[Pliny the Younger]] documents [http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/religion/maps/primary/pliny.html accounts] of Christians in and around the cities of Pontus. <ref> Whiston, W. "Letters of Pliny the Younger and the Emperor Trajan." PBS: Frontline. Accessed March 12, 2015. "http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/religion/maps/primary/pliny.html" </ref> His accounts center on his conflicts with the Christians when he served under the [[Emperor Trajan]] and describe early Christian communities, his condemnation of their refusal to renounce their religion, but also describes his tolerance for some Christian practices like Christian charitable societies. <ref> Alikin, V.A. 'Chapter 7' in "The Earliest History of the Christian Gathering Origin, Development and Content of the Christian Gathering in the First to Third Centuries". Leiden: Brill, 2010, 270. </ref> Many great early Christian figures had connections to Amisus, including [[Caesarea Mazaca]], [[Gregory the Illuminator]] (raised as a Christian from 257 CE when he was brought to Amisus) and [[Basil the Great]] (Bishop of the city 330-379 CE). <ref> Wilson, 7. </ref>
Though the roots of the city are [[Hellenistic]],<ref> Wilson, M. W. "Cities of God in Northern Asia Minor: Using Stark's Social Theories to Reconstruct Peter's Communities". Verbum et Ecclesia 32 (1). p. 3. </ref>, it was also one of the centers of an early Christian congregation <ref> Wilson, M. W. "Cities of God in Northern Asia Minor: Using Stark's Social Theories to Reconstruct Peter's Communities". Verbum et Ecclesia 32 (1). p. 3. </ref>. Its function as a commercial metropolis in northern [[Asia Minor]] was a contributing factor to enable the spread of Christian influence. As a large port city –the commercial capitol of Pontus <ref>Society For The Promotion Of Hellenic Studies. (2013). “Roads to Pontus, Royal and Roman.” The Journal of Hellenic Studies (Vol. 21). London: Forgotten Books. (Original work published pre-1945, year unknown) p. 105-6.</ref> - travel to and from Christian hotbeds like Jerusalem was not uncommon. <ref> Wilson, M. W. "Cities of God in Northern Asia Minor: Using Stark's Social Theories to Reconstruct Peter's Communities". Verbum et Ecclesia 32 (1). p. 2. </ref> According to [[Josephus]], there was large Jewish [[diaspora]] in Asia Minor, <ref> Schalit, A. "Asia Minor." Encyclopedia Judaica. Accessed March 11, 2015. </ref>. Given that the early [[Evangelists|evangelist Christians]] focused on Jewish diaspora communities, and that the Jewish diaspora in Amisus was a geographically accessible group with a mixed heritage group, it is not surprising that Amisus would be an appealing site for evangelist work. The author of 1 [[Gospel of Peter|Peter]] 1:1 addresses the Jewish diaspora of the province of Pontus, along with four other provinces: “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God's elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia.” (Peter 1:1) As Amisus would have been the largest commercial port-city in the province, it is believed certain that the spread of Christianity in the region would have begun there. <ref> Schalit, A. "Asia Minor." Encyclopedia Judaica. Accessed March 11, 2015. </ref> In the 1st century [[Pliny the Younger]] documents [http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/religion/maps/primary/pliny.html accounts] of Christians in and around the cities of Pontus. <ref> Whiston, W. "Letters of Pliny the Younger and the Emperor Trajan." PBS: Frontline. Accessed March 12, 2015. </ref> His accounts center on his conflicts with the Christians when he served under the [[Emperor Trajan]] and describe early Christian communities, his condemnation of their refusal to renounce their religion, but also describes his tolerance for some Christian practices like Christian charitable societies. <ref> Alikin, V. A. (2010). ‘Chapter 7.’ In “The Earliest History of the Christian Gathering Origin, Development and Content of the Christian Gathering in the First to Third Centuries.” Leiden: Brill. p. 270. </ref> Many great early Christian figures had connections to Amisus, including [[Caesarea Mazaca]], [[Gregory the Illuminator]] (raised as a Christian from 257 CE when he was brought to Amisus) and [[Basil the Great]] (Bishop of the city 330-379 CE). <ref> Wilson, M. W. "Cities of God in Northern Asia Minor: Using Stark's Social Theories to Reconstruct Peter's Communities". Verbum et Ecclesia 32 (1). p. 7. </ref>


==References==
==References==

Revision as of 17:28, 16 March 2015

  • Comment: You should expand the history section in that article, and perhaps rename this article, History of Samsun. Onel5969 (talk) 21:10, 14 March 2015 (UTC)

Amisus, now known as Samsun, is the ancient port-city located on the edge of the Black Sea, in the Roman province of Pontus.[1]. It was situated on the north of the trans-Anatolian highway that ran from the Mediterranean to the Black sea.[2] The estimated population of the city around 150 CE is between 20,000-25,000 people, classifying it as a relatively large city for that time[3].The city functioned as the commercial capital for the province of Pontus; beating its rival Sinope (now Sinop) due to is position at the head of the trans-Anatolia highway [4]

Early History

Before Amisus was settled by the Milesians in the 6th century BCE, [5] it is believed that there was much Greek activity along the coast of the Black Sea predating the fragmentary archeological evidence of that time.[6] The only archaeological evidence we have as early as the 6th century is fragment of wild goat style Greek pottery, housed at the Louvre. [7] In the 5th century BC, Amisus became a free state after it was conquered by the Athenians [8] It was then renamed Peiraeus under Pericles. [9] In the 1st century BC Mithridates VI of Pontus- the Greek King of Pontus- was conquered by the Romans under Lucullus. [10] Pliny the Younger's address to the Emperor Trajan in the 1st century CE "By your indulgence, sir, they have the benefit of their own laws," is interpreted by John Boyle Orrery to indicate that the freedoms won for those in Pontus by the Romans was not pure freedom and depended on the generosity of the Roman emperor. [11] Around 46 BC, during the reign of Julius Cesar, Amisus became the capital of Roman Pontus. [12]

Early Christianity

Though the roots of the city are Hellenistic,[13], it was also one of the centers of an early Christian congregation [14]. Its function as a commercial metropolis in northern Asia Minor was a contributing factor to enable the spread of Christian influence. As a large port city –the commercial capitol of Pontus [15] - travel to and from Christian hotbeds like Jerusalem was not uncommon. [16] According to Josephus, there was large Jewish diaspora in Asia Minor, [17]. Given that the early evangelist Christians focused on Jewish diaspora communities, and that the Jewish diaspora in Amisus was a geographically accessible group with a mixed heritage group, it is not surprising that Amisus would be an appealing site for evangelist work. The author of 1 Peter 1:1 addresses the Jewish diaspora of the province of Pontus, along with four other provinces: “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God's elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia.” (Peter 1:1) As Amisus would have been the largest commercial port-city in the province, it is believed certain that the spread of Christianity in the region would have begun there. [18] In the 1st century Pliny the Younger documents accounts of Christians in and around the cities of Pontus. [19] His accounts center on his conflicts with the Christians when he served under the Emperor Trajan and describe early Christian communities, his condemnation of their refusal to renounce their religion, but also describes his tolerance for some Christian practices like Christian charitable societies. [20] Many great early Christian figures had connections to Amisus, including Caesarea Mazaca, Gregory the Illuminator (raised as a Christian from 257 CE when he was brought to Amisus) and Basil the Great (Bishop of the city 330-379 CE). [21]

References

  1. ^ Wilson, M. W. "Cities of God in Northern Asia Minor: Using Stark's Social Theories to Reconstruct Peter's Communities". Verbum et Ecclesia 32 (1). p. 4.
  2. ^ {Cohen, Getzel M. (1995). “The Hellenistic Settlements in Europe, the Islands, and Asia Minor.” Berkely and Los Angeles, California: University of California Press. p. 384.
  3. ^ Mitchell, S. (1995). “Anatolia: Land, Men, and Gods in Asia Minor.” Journal of Roman Studies, 85. p. 301-302.
  4. ^ Wilson, M. W. "Cities of God in Northern Asia Minor: Using Stark's Social Theories to Reconstruct Peter's Communities". Verbum et Ecclesia 32 (1). p. 4.
  5. ^ Wilson, M. W. "Cities of God in Northern Asia Minor: Using Stark's Social Theories to Reconstruct Peter's Communities". Verbum et Ecclesia 32 (1). p. 3.
  6. ^ Topalidis, S. "Formation of the First Greek Settlements in the Pontos". Pontos World. Pontosworld.com. Retrieved 11 March 2015.
  7. ^ Tsetskhladze, G.R. (1998 ) “The Greek Colonisation of the Black Sea Area: Historical Interpretation of Archaeology.” Stuttgart: F. Steiner. p. 19.
  8. ^ Wilson, M. W. "Cities of God in Northern Asia Minor: Using Stark's Social Theories to Reconstruct Peter's Communities". Verbum et Ecclesia 32 (1). p. 4.
  9. ^ Jones, A.H.M (1937). “The Cities of the Eastern Roman Provinces”. Oxford: The Carendon Press. p. 149.
  10. ^ Orrery, J. B. (1752). “The Letters of Pliny the Younger: With Observations on Each Letter; and an Essay on Pliny's Life, Addressed to Charles Lord Boyle.” The 3rd ed. London: Printed by James Bettenham, for Paul Vaillant. p. 407.
  11. ^ Orrery, J. B. (1752). “The Letters of Pliny the Younger: With Observations on Each Letter; and an Essay on Pliny's Life, Addressed to Charles Lord Boyle.” The 3rd ed. London: Printed by James Bettenham, for Paul Vaillant. p. 407.
  12. ^ Wilson, M. W. "Cities of God in Northern Asia Minor: Using Stark's Social Theories to Reconstruct Peter's Communities". Verbum et Ecclesia 32 (1). p. 3.
  13. ^ Wilson, M. W. "Cities of God in Northern Asia Minor: Using Stark's Social Theories to Reconstruct Peter's Communities". Verbum et Ecclesia 32 (1). p. 3.
  14. ^ Wilson, M. W. "Cities of God in Northern Asia Minor: Using Stark's Social Theories to Reconstruct Peter's Communities". Verbum et Ecclesia 32 (1). p. 3.
  15. ^ Society For The Promotion Of Hellenic Studies. (2013). “Roads to Pontus, Royal and Roman.” The Journal of Hellenic Studies (Vol. 21). London: Forgotten Books. (Original work published pre-1945, year unknown) p. 105-6.
  16. ^ Wilson, M. W. "Cities of God in Northern Asia Minor: Using Stark's Social Theories to Reconstruct Peter's Communities". Verbum et Ecclesia 32 (1). p. 2.
  17. ^ Schalit, A. "Asia Minor." Encyclopedia Judaica. Accessed March 11, 2015.
  18. ^ Schalit, A. "Asia Minor." Encyclopedia Judaica. Accessed March 11, 2015.
  19. ^ Whiston, W. "Letters of Pliny the Younger and the Emperor Trajan." PBS: Frontline. Accessed March 12, 2015.
  20. ^ Alikin, V. A. (2010). ‘Chapter 7.’ In “The Earliest History of the Christian Gathering Origin, Development and Content of the Christian Gathering in the First to Third Centuries.” Leiden: Brill. p. 270.
  21. ^ Wilson, M. W. "Cities of God in Northern Asia Minor: Using Stark's Social Theories to Reconstruct Peter's Communities". Verbum et Ecclesia 32 (1). p. 7.
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