Matthew of Edessa
Matthew of Edessa (Armenian: Մատթեոս Ուռհայեցի, Matteos Uṛhayetsi; born in the second half of the 11th century – 1144) was an Armenian historian in the 12th century from the city of Edessa (Armenian: Ուռհա , Uṛha). Matthew was the superior abbot of Karmir Vank' (Red Convent), near the town of Kessoun, east of Marash (Germanicia), the former seat of Baldwin of Boulogne. He relates much about the Bagratuni Kingdom of Armenia, the early Crusades, and the battles between Byzantines and Arabs for the possession of parts of northern Syria and eastern Asia Minor.Byzantine authors such as John Zonaras and Anna Comnena were well versed in their particular spheres, but uninformed regarding Edessa and neighboring lands which are treated by Matthew.
Biography
A man of strong convictions, Matthew was born in Edessa sometime in the second half of the 11th century and was a member of the Armenian Apostolic Church. He was a determined opponent of the Greek church and as well as the Latin church. Matthew was especially bitter against Frankish settlers, whose avaricious and imperious rule and ingratitude he condemns in his work. He was probably slain during the siege of Edessa by Zengi, atabeg of Mosul in 1144.
Edessa
Edessa (/ɪˈdɛsə/; from Ancient Greek: Ἔδεσσα; Syriac: ܐܘܪܗܝ Urhāy, Armenian: Եդեսիա Yedesia or Armenian: Ուռհա Uṙha) was an ancient city in upper Mesopotamia, refounded on an earlier site by Seleucus I Nicator, and is now Şanlıurfa, Turkey.
Names
The earliest name of the city was Adma (Aramaic: אדמא also written Adme, Admi, Admum) which first appeared in Assyrian cuneiform sources in the 7th century BC. A Hellenistic settlement was founded on the location of the Syrian town by Seleucus I Nicator in 304 B.C. The new settlement was named "Edessa" after the ancient capital of Macedonia, perhaps due to its abundant water, just like its Macedonian eponym. The native Syriac name of the city, "Orhay" (Syriac: ܐܘܪܗܝ), appears to correspond with the toponym Antiochia Kallirhoe "Antioch by the Kallirhoe" (Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Καλλιρρόης), which is found on Edessan coins struck by Antiochus IV Epiphanes (175–164 BC). The same name appears also in Armenian as Ուռհա, transliterated Urha or Ourha, in Arabic it is الرُّهَا transliterated as Er Ruha or Ar-Ruha, commonly Urfa, and Riha in Kurdish, to the Frankish Crusaders Rohais, and in Turkish Urfa, Ourfa, Sanli Urfa, or Şanlıurfa ("Glorious Urfa"), its present name. During Byzantine rule it was named Justinopolis.
Edessa (disambiguation)
Edessa is the historical name of a city in Mesopotamia, now Şanlıurfa, Turkey.
Edessa may also refer to:
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