Perrhe: A City in Commagene in the Light of Ancient Sources

Abstract

Located within the borders of Adıyaman today, the ancient city of Perrhe attracts attention with its
rock-cut tombs. The studies carried out in the necropolis area in the southeast of the city reveal that Perrhe was
inhabited over a long period of time. The Commagene
region, that includes Perrhe, was under the control of
different states over the course of history, and generally
served as a buffer zone against attacks from the east. In
consequence, the Romans in particular placed legions at
strategic points along the Euphrates, attaching importance to the security of the border regions. In this respect, Perrhe was undoubtedly affected by developments in the region both due to its proximity to the city
of Zeugma, a transit point for campaigns to the east, near
Euphrates, and its location on an important transport
route extending in a north-south direction. The city understood to be more prominent during the reign of the
Eastern Roman Empire, then lost importance and over
time, was abandoned probably due to the attacks from
the Sasanians and Muslims. Although the archaeological studies and surveys conducted in the city and its surrounding areas date back to the end of the 19th century,
there are barely any studies of the social and political history of the city. In this context, the problematic of this
study is to create an urban history based upon the ancient sources and to show the political, social and religious background of Perrhe by taking into account the
changing conditions. The archaeological history of the
city has not been discussed in detail, but the archaeological data has been employed to the extent that it supports
our suggestions.