Case Study I Dura Europos The Pompeii of

Case Study I: Dura Europos (“The Pompeii of the East”)

Coin of Queen Boran (Daughter of Khosrow II), r. 629 -630 CE Hatshepsut, Metropolitan Museum of Art, c. 1503 -1482 BCE Coin of Queen Azarmidhkt, (Daughter of Khosrow II), r. 630 -631 CE

Coin of Constantine, c. 313 CE Coin of Heraclius, c. 628 CE

San Vitale, Ravenna, 6 th c. CE Hosios Loukas, Greece, 11 th c. CE Ardashir’s palace, Firuzabad, 3 rd c. CE

Hagia Sophia, Istanbul (Constantinople), 6 th c. CE Pendentive

Why Dura Europos? • A diachronic slice (Seleucid, Parthian, Roman, Sasanian) • Non-imperial city—art IN the empire vs. art OF the empire (Colburn) • Uncommon glimpse into lives of regular individuals – Mingling of religions: Christian, Jewish, Pagan – At least 9 different languages attested (including Middle Persian, Aramaic, Greek, Palmyrene, Latin) – Difficulties of reconstructing ancient identity

The Problem of Defining ‘Parthian Art’: Parthian Art OF Empire/Art IN Empire

City’s Chronology • Seleucid city: founded by Seleucus Nicator c. 300 BCE (named Europos) • 2 nd c. BCE Parthians capture the city (made into fortress—Dura=“the fortress”) • mid 2 nd c. CE captured by Romans—frontier town: most preserved remains from this last phase of occupation • Destroyed by Sasanian siege in 256 CE— evidence for chemical warfare near Tower 19: Sasanians attempting to breach wall

Wall Paintings preserved by ramparts

The Gad (Fortune) of Dura, Temple of the Gad, c. 159 CE, Palmyrene limestone Palmyrene text below (center) reads: "The Gad of Dura; made by Hairan bar Mliku bar Nasor, in the month Nisan, the year 470 (AD 159)". Below (right): "Selecus Nicator"

Second commandment: “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness [of any thing] that [is] in heaven above, or that [is] in the earth beneath, or that [is] in the water under the earth…”

This house was built in the year 556 (in the Seleucid Era), this corresponding to the second year of Philip Julius Caesar (AD 244/245); in the eldership of the priest Samuel son of Yeda'ya, the Archon. Now those who stood in charge of this work were: Abram the Treasurer, and Samuel son of Sapharah, and. . . the proselyte. With a willing spirit they (began to build) in the fify-sixth year; and they sent. . . and they made hast. . and they labored in. . a blessing from the elders and from all the children of. . . they labored and toiled. . Peace to them, and to their wives and children all.

Exodus and Crossing the Red Sea Elijah revives the widow’s child Middle Persian Graffito: “When Hormizd the scribe came and he looked at the pictures…living…the dead…”

Earliest/best preserved domus ecclesiae (House of the Church)

Drawings after the paintings on the north wall of the baptistery: New Testament scenes

Temple of the Palmyrene Gods/Temple of Bel

Fresco of Julius Terentius performing sacrifice abecedaria