Gordyene or Corduene[nb 1] (Armenian: Կորդուք, romanized: Korduk’; Greek: Κορδυηνή, romanized: Kordyene; Hebrew: קרטיגיני, romanized: Kartigini[1]) was an ancient historical region, located south of Lake Van, present-day eastern Turkey.
According to the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica, Gordyene is the ancient name of the region of Bohtan, now Şırnak Province.[2] It is mentioned as Beth Qardu in Syriac sources and is described as a small vassal state between Armenia and Parthian Empire in the mountainous area south of Lake Van in what is now Turkey.[3] Corduene must also be sought on the left bank of the Tigris. Corduene is documented as a fertile mountainous district, rich in pasturage.[2][4]
The Kingdom of Gordyene emerged from the declining Seleucid Empire, and for most of its history it was a province of the Roman Empire[5] and acknowledged the sovereignty of Rome.[6] From 189 to 90 BCE, it enjoyed a period of independence.
The people of Gordyene were known to have worshiped the Hurrian chief deity and weather god Teshub.[7]
Cite error: There are <ref group=nb> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=nb}} template (see the help page).
- ^ Efraim Elimelech Urbach, I. Abrahams, The Sages, 1089 pp., Magnes Press, 1979, ISBN 965-223-319-6, p.552
- ^ a b Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 21 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 211–216.
- ^ Parthian City Index
- ^ "Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854), CA´BALEIS, CARAMBIS, CARDU´CHI". www.perseus.tufts.edu. Retrieved 2017-03-03.
- ^ Theodor Mommsen History of Rome – The Establishment of the Military Monarchy Page 24
- ^ The History of the Decline and Fall of The Roman Empire – Vol 2 – Chapter XXIV Part IV
- ^ Olaf A. Toffteen, Notes on Assyrian and Babylonian Geography, The American Journal of Semitic Languages and Literatures, pp.323-357, 1907, p.341