Charax Spasinu, or Charax Pasinu, Charax Spasinou (Greek: Χάρακα του Σπασίνου), Alexandria (Greek: Αλεξανδρία), and Antiochia in Susiana (Greek: Αντιόχεια της Σουσιανής) was an ancient port at the head of the Persian Gulf (Abadan in today's Iran), and the capital of the ancient kingdom of Characene. Map of the Persian Gulf. ... Characene was a kingdom within the Parthian empire at the Persian Gulf. ...

Hyspaosines (209-124 BCE), founder and king of Characene, had his capital in Charax.

Although the exact location is still to be determined it appears that it was at the site of the large mound known as Jabal Khuyabir or Naisan near the confluence of the Eulaios/Karkheh and the Tigris Rivers. Characene was a kingdom within the Parthian empire at the Persian Gulf. ... The Tigris is the eastern member of the pair of great rivers that define Mesopotamia, along with the Euphrates, which flows from the mountains of Anatolia through Iraq. ...

It was originally built by Alexander the Great and named Alexandria, like many other towns, after him. After destruction by floods, it was rebuilt by Antiochus IV (175-164 BCE) and renamed Antiochia. It was provided with a massive antiflood embankment almost 4½ km long by Antiochus's governor, Hyspaosines, and renamed "Charax of Hyspaosines." Alexander the Great (Greek: ,[1] Megas Alexandros; July 356 BC–June 11, 323 BC), also known as Alexander III, king of Macedon (336–323 BC), was one of the most successful military commanders in history. ... ---- Alexandria (Greek: , Coptic: , Arabic: , Egyptian Arabic: Iskindireyya), (population of 3. ... There are several monarchs known by the title of Antiochus IV: Antiochus IV of Syria, who ruled during the time of Caligula; Antiochus Epiphanes, the Seleucid oppressor of the Jews who provoked the revolt of the Maccabees. ... BCE is a TLA that may stand for: Before the Common Era, date notation equivalent to BC (e. ... Embankment can be: An artificial slope which can be made out of earth, stones or bricks, or a combination of these. ...

The name Charax derives from Greek Χάραξ 'palisaded fort' - related to Aramaic karkhā "fortified settlement, town". It was used for a number of fortified towns in the Seleucid Empire. Charax is a Roman fortress close to the town of Gaspra, Ukraine. ... Aramaic is a Semitic language with a four-thousand year history. ... The Seleucid Empire was a Hellenistic successor state of Alexander the Greats dominion. ...

"The town of Charax is situated in the innermost recess of the Persian Gulf, from which projects the country called Arabia Felix. It stands on an artificial elevation between the Tigris on the right and the Karún on the left, at the point where these two rivers unite, and the site measures two [Roman] miles [3 km] in breadth. . . . It was originally at a distance of 1¼ miles [1.9 km] from the coast, and had a harbour of its own, but when Juba Juba II (born c. 50 BCE – died c. CE 24) published his work it was 50 miles [74 km] inland ; its present distance from the coast is stated by Arab envoys and our own traders who have come from the place to be 120 miles [178 km]. There is no part of the world where earth carried down by rivers has encroached on the sea further or more rapidly. . . ." Pliny NH (77 CE), VI. xxxi.

Although it was nominally a vassal of the Seleucids and, later, the Parthians, it seemed to retain a considerable degree of autonomy at times. It became a centre for Arab trade, largely controlled by the Nabataeans, at least until they became assimilated by the Romans in 106 CE. Juba II Juba II (Iuba in Latin; Ιóβας (Ιóβα) or Ιουβας in Greek)[1] or Juba II of Numidia (52-50 BC - 23 AD) was a king of Numidia and then later moved to Mauretania. ... There are two famous persons named Pliny: Pliny the Elder, a Roman nobleman, scientist and historian who died in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD The great-nephew of the former, Pliny the Younger, a statesman, orator, and writer who lived between 62 AD and 113 AD. This... Look up vassal in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Seleucus I Nicator (Nicator, the Victor) (around 358–281 BC) was one of Alexander the Greats generals who, after Alexanders death in 323 BC, founded the Seleucid Empire. ...

Charax was a rich port with ships arriving regularly from Gerrha, Egypt, India, and beyond. It was also the beginning of the overland trade route from the Persian Gulf to Petra and Palmyra. Gerrha (Arabic al-Jar?a), was an ancient city of Arabia, on the west side of the Persian Gulf. ... The current version of this article or section is written in an informal style and with a personally invested tone. ... A general view of the site Palmyra was in the ancient times an important city of central Syria, located in an oasis 215 km northeast of Damascus and 120 km southwest of the Euphrates. ...

It was visited in 97 CE by the Chinese envoy, Gan Ying 甘英, who referred to it as 于羅 (Pinyin: Yuluo; reconstructed ancient pronunciation *ka-ra), who was trying to reach the Roman Empire via Egypt but, after reaching the Persian Gulf was convinced to turn back by the Parthians. Gan Ying (Chinese:甘英; Wade-Giles:Kan Ying), was a Chinese military ambassador who was sent on a mission to Rome in AD 97 by the Chinese general Ban Chao. ... Motto: Senatus Populusque Romanus (SPQR) The Roman Empire at its greatest extent, c. ... Reproduction of a Parthian warrior as depicted on Trajans Column The Parthian Empire was the dominating force on the Iranian plateau beginning in the late 3rd century BCE, and intermittently controlled Mesopotamia between ca 190 BCE and 224 CE. Origins Bust of Parthian soldier, Esgh-abad Museum, Turkmenia. ...

In 116 CE the Roman Emperor Trajan visited Charax Spasinu – his most recent, easternmost and shortest-lived possession. He saw the many ships setting sail for India, and wished he were younger, like Alexander had been, so that he could go there himself. This article is about the Roman Emperor. ...

It was enlarged by an Arabian chieftain, Spasines and afterward named Spasines and Charax Spasinou after him. [1] It was a major trading center of late antiquity as evidenced by the hoards of Greek coins recovered during excavations there. [2] The Arabian Peninsula The Arabian Peninsula is a mainly desert peninsula in Southwest Asia at the junction of Africa and Asia and an important part of the greater Middle East. ...

Isidore of Charax

Isidore of Charax was a 1st century geographer from the city of Charax (Abadan in today's Iran). He is mentionned by Pliny the Elder (23-79) as one of his sources. He wrote several books of which a few fragments are known "Parthian Stations", "Journey Around Parthia", "Description of the World". Isidore of Charax (fl. ... Pliny the Elder: an imaginative 19c portrait. ...

References

• Casson, Lionel. 1989. The Periplus Maris Erythraei. (Translation by H. Frisk, 1927, with updates and improvements and detailed notes). Princeton, Princeton University Press.
• Hill, John E. 2003. "Annotated Translation of the Chapter on the Western Regions according to the Hou Hanshu." 2nd Draft Edition. Charax Spasinu is described as the Kingdom of Yuluo. [3]
• Nodelman, S. A. 1960. "A preliminary history of Characene." S. A. Nodelman. Berytus 13 (1960), pp. 83-123.
• Potts, D. J. 1988. "Arabia and the Kingdom of Characene." In: Araby the Blest: Studies in Arabian Archaeology. Edited by D. T. Potts. The Carsten Niebuhr Istitute of Ancient Near Eastern Studies, University of Copenhagen. 1988. Museum Tusculanum Press, pp. 137-167.
• Schoff, Wilfred H. 1914. Parthian Stations by Isidore of Charax: An account of the overland trade route between the Levant and India in the first century B.C. The Greek text, with a translation and commentary. Reprint by Ares Publishers Chicago. 1989.
• O. Mørkholm, "A Greek coin hoard from Susiana", in Acta Archæologica, 1965, vol. 36, p. 127-156.

External links

• Annotated translation of the 'Chapter on the Western Regions' of the Hou Hanshu by John E. Hill. See Section 10, note 12.