Anasartha
Encyclopedia
Anasartha was a large village enclosed within ramparts
in western Syria
. Malalas records that it was a kastron (fortified hilltop settlement) that was designated a polis
by the Byzantine
emperor Justinian I
.
Today, Anasartha is referred to as Khanasser, and is located in Syria's As-Safirah District
. It is one of 24 villages located in the Khanasser valley, an area with a total population of 11,000 people.
A qanat
dating back to Byzantine times that served as the water source for the village remained operational well into the 20th century. According to Robert L. France, Byzantine-era remains of Anasartha "are visible on the street, in newly built walls, and inside residential houses," in Khanasser today.
The bishop
of Anasartha built a 'refuge' in neighbouring Bûz al-Khanzír in 506-507 CE.
While the qanat ceased to supply water to the village after the construction of pump wells in the area west of the Khanasser valley in 1975, the 12 km (7.5 mi)-long structure was described by Hamidé in 1959 as discharging 8 litres per second, irrigating a land area of 0.15 km² (37.1 acre).
. For example, there is an inscription dated to 425 CE marking the burial place of Queen Mavia
, the leader of Tanukh tribal confederation who mounted a revolt against Roman rule
in the late 4th century. Inscriptions dating to the late 6th and early 7th centuries include one on a lintel which reads:
Geoffrey Greatrex and Samuel N. C. Lieu write that building work continued in Anasartha in the seventh century and that these epigraphs provide evidence of Roman resistance to Persian invasions.
in Khanasser falls between October and May with an average annual rainfall of 210 millimetres. Variability between years is high, with 50% of the years between 1929 and 2004 receiving over 200 mm (7.9 in), and 25% receiving over 250 mm (9.8 in).
July and August are the hottest months with an average daily maximum temperature of 37 °C (98.6 °F). The lowest average daily minimum temperature is 2.3 °C (36.1 °F) in January. While the temperature can fall below 0 °C (32 °F) at night in November and December, it hardly ever remains that low throughout the day.
, pastoralists
, or land-poor labourers. Agriculturalists make a per capita income of US$1.30 to $2 per day, supplementing their income from the growing of crops with the fattening of animals and waged labour. Some 40% of the residents of the Khanasser valley are agriculturalists and this sub-section of the population comprises the major land-owning group in the area. Pastoralists and herders migrate, earning a per capita income of $1 to 1.50 per day and often take up fattening to supplement their incomes. Land-poor labourers own some land, between 0.035 km² (8.6 acre) and 0.07 km² (17.3 acre), but make their income by working on the land of others, earning less than $1 per day.
Defensive wall
A defensive wall is a fortification used to protect a city or settlement from potential aggressors. In ancient to modern times, they were used to enclose settlements...
in western Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
. Malalas records that it was a kastron (fortified hilltop settlement) that was designated a polis
Polis
Polis , plural poleis , literally means city in Greek. It could also mean citizenship and body of citizens. In modern historiography "polis" is normally used to indicate the ancient Greek city-states, like Classical Athens and its contemporaries, so polis is often translated as "city-state."The...
by the Byzantine
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
emperor Justinian I
Justinian I
Justinian I ; , ; 483– 13 or 14 November 565), commonly known as Justinian the Great, was Byzantine Emperor from 527 to 565. During his reign, Justinian sought to revive the Empire's greatness and reconquer the lost western half of the classical Roman Empire.One of the most important figures of...
.
Today, Anasartha is referred to as Khanasser, and is located in Syria's As-Safirah District
As-Safirah District
As Safirah is a Syrian district administratively belonging to Aleppo Governorate. At the 2004 Census it had a population of 178,293. Its administrative centre is the city of As Safirah....
. It is one of 24 villages located in the Khanasser valley, an area with a total population of 11,000 people.
A qanat
Qanat
A qanāt is a water management system used to provide a reliable supply of water for human settlements and irrigation in hot, arid and semi-arid climates...
dating back to Byzantine times that served as the water source for the village remained operational well into the 20th century. According to Robert L. France, Byzantine-era remains of Anasartha "are visible on the street, in newly built walls, and inside residential houses," in Khanasser today.
History
Anasartha and its surrounding villages enjoyed a period of prosperity between the late 4th century and early 6th century, with the vast majority of the built houses and churches found in this region dating back to that period. The church in Anasartha itself dates back to 426 CE.The bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of Anasartha built a 'refuge' in neighbouring Bûz al-Khanzír in 506-507 CE.
While the qanat ceased to supply water to the village after the construction of pump wells in the area west of the Khanasser valley in 1975, the 12 km (7.5 mi)-long structure was described by Hamidé in 1959 as discharging 8 litres per second, irrigating a land area of 0.15 km² (37.1 acre).
Epigraphic artifacts
Anasartha is the site of a number of inscriptions into stone, or epigraphsEpigraphy
Epigraphy Epigraphy Epigraphy (from the , literally "on-writing", is the study of inscriptions or epigraphs as writing; that is, the science of identifying the graphemes and of classifying their use as to cultural context and date, elucidating their meaning and assessing what conclusions can be...
. For example, there is an inscription dated to 425 CE marking the burial place of Queen Mavia
Mavia (queen)
Mavia, was an Arab warrior-queen, who ruled over a confederation of semi-nomadic Arabs, in southern Syria, in the latter half of the fourth century. She led her troops in a rebellion against Roman rule, riding at the head of her army into Phoenicia and Palestine...
, the leader of Tanukh tribal confederation who mounted a revolt against Roman rule
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
in the late 4th century. Inscriptions dating to the late 6th and early 7th centuries include one on a lintel which reads:
By the gifts of (his) majesty (the) city, despising the inroad of the barbarians, set up at its gates its benefactors, (the) Saviour Christ, (her) gloriously victorious sovereigns, (the) renowned (commander), the prefects of the praetoriumAnother inscription found on the gate to the city, reads:Praetorium- Etemology :The praetorium, also spelled prœtorium or pretorium, was originally used to identify the general’s tent within a Roman Castra, Castellum, or encampment. The word originates from the name of the chief Roman magistrate, known as Praetor...
, also ? its most holy bishop, (and the?) most glorious engineer, in the month Gorpieos (September), in the 906th (?) year, indiction 13. + Jesus Christ, Emmanuel. + God over all.
+ (PhocasPhocasPhocas was Byzantine Emperor from 602 to 610. He usurped the throne from the Emperor Maurice, and was himself overthrown by Heraclius after losing a civil war.-Origins:...
) and LeontiaLeontiaLeontia was the Empress consort of Phocas of the Byzantine Empire.-Empress:Maurice reigned in the Byzantine Empire from 582 to 602. He led a series of Balkan campaigns and managed to successfully re-establish the Danube as a northern border for his state. By Winter 602, his strategic goals included...
, our most pious sovereigns, O Lord protect! + A pious branch that sprang from noble stock, GregoryPope Gregory IPope Gregory I , better known in English as Gregory the Great, was pope from 3 September 590 until his death...
, the renowned, and adorned with the fruits of his virtue, presented to God this wall also, in sparing his own country (the expense). Indiction 8, in the 916th year.
Geoffrey Greatrex and Samuel N. C. Lieu write that building work continued in Anasartha in the seventh century and that these epigraphs provide evidence of Roman resistance to Persian invasions.
Climate
A marginal dryland environment, the rainy seasonWet season
The the wet season, or rainy season, is the time of year, covering one or more months, when most of the average annual rainfall in a region occurs. The term green season is also sometimes used as a euphemism by tourist authorities. Areas with wet seasons are dispersed across portions of the...
in Khanasser falls between October and May with an average annual rainfall of 210 millimetres. Variability between years is high, with 50% of the years between 1929 and 2004 receiving over 200 mm (7.9 in), and 25% receiving over 250 mm (9.8 in).
July and August are the hottest months with an average daily maximum temperature of 37 °C (98.6 °F). The lowest average daily minimum temperature is 2.3 °C (36.1 °F) in January. While the temperature can fall below 0 °C (32 °F) at night in November and December, it hardly ever remains that low throughout the day.
Economy
Like most of the rest of the villagers of the Khanasser valley, those living in Anasartha derive their income from diverse sources, with the majority working either as agriculturalistsAgriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
, pastoralists
Pastoralism
Pastoralism or pastoral farming is the branch of agriculture concerned with the raising of livestock. It is animal husbandry: the care, tending and use of animals such as camels, goats, cattle, yaks, llamas, and sheep. It may have a mobile aspect, moving the herds in search of fresh pasture and...
, or land-poor labourers. Agriculturalists make a per capita income of US$1.30 to $2 per day, supplementing their income from the growing of crops with the fattening of animals and waged labour. Some 40% of the residents of the Khanasser valley are agriculturalists and this sub-section of the population comprises the major land-owning group in the area. Pastoralists and herders migrate, earning a per capita income of $1 to 1.50 per day and often take up fattening to supplement their incomes. Land-poor labourers own some land, between 0.035 km² (8.6 acre) and 0.07 km² (17.3 acre), but make their income by working on the land of others, earning less than $1 per day.