Abstract
Amaseia and Its Vicinity in Ancient Times According to Strabo
Strabo of Amaseia is a geographer who lived between 64/63 BC-24 AD. His ancestors played important roles in the Kingdom of Pontus. Strabo’s work Geography consists of 17 books and gives detailed information about the world geography from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Indus River in the east. Strabo does not only provide geographical information, he also refers to cultural and historical events. His XIIth book is about the ancient situation of Amaseia and its vicinity also the topic of my paper. Strabo gives detailed information about Amaseia: “My city is situated in a large deep valley, through which flows the Iris River. Both by human foresight and by nature it is an admirably devised city, since it can at the same time afford the advantage of both a city and a fortress.” Then he gives information about settlements around Amaseia such as Amisos, Zela and Komana. An intense urbanization activity began in the region after Pompey defeated Mithridates VI the king of Pontus in 64 BC. Pompey has also built a large network of roads connecting the cities while building many new cities.
Keywords
Amaseia, Pontus, Comana, Strabo, Zela, Pompey