Samosata

Samosata

Arshamasht (armenian Առշամաշատ)
Shown within Turkey
Location	Turkey
Region	Adıyaman Province
Coordinates	37°34′46″N 38°28′53″E / 37.57955°N 38.481317°E / 37.57955; 38.481317

Samosata (/səˈmɑːsətə/; Armenian: Շամուշատ, Ancient Greek: Σαμόσατα Samósata, Syriac: ܫܡܝܫܛ‎ šmīšaṭ) was an ancient city on the right (west) bank of the Euphrates, whose ruins exist at the previous location of the modern city of Samsat, Adıyaman Province, Turkey but are no longer accessible as the site was flooded by the newly constructed Atatürk Dam. Even though the city had a predominantly Syriac-speaking population, Hellenistic culture played an important role there. The city is sometimes confused with Arsamosata.

AΔPIANOΣ

ΦΛA / ΣAMO(ΣΑΤΩΝ), of Samosatans / MHTPO / KOM

The founder of the city was Sames, a king of Armenia.

Located in southeast Turkey on the upper Euphrates River, it was fortified so as to protect a major crossing point of the river on the east-west trade route. It also served as a station on another route running from Damascus, Palmyra, and Sura up to Armenia and the Euxine Sea. For a time, the city was called Antiochia in Commagene (Ancient Greek: Αντιόχεια τῆς Κομμαγηνῆς). As Antiochia in Commagene, it served as the capital for the Hellenistic kingdom of Commagene from c. 160 BC until it was surrendered to Rome in 72. A civil metropolis from the days of Emperor Hadrian, Samosata was the home of the Legio VI Ferrata and later Legio XVI Flavia Firma, and the terminus of several military roads.