Roma

Rome (Roman Empire) is one of the main political powers in which pre-Islamic Kurdish history took place. Due to its eastern campaigns and relations with Iranian empires, Latin and Greek sources constitute an important group of sources that shed light on the ancient period of the Kurdish geography.

Sources and Geography

Although Greek and Latin sources often repeat each other in terms of content as they are mostly concerned with political events, these sources should be consulted not only for historical information but also for historical geography (Cilt 1, s. 21). The relations between Roma and Persler/Sasaniler, along with church histories and records of Christian martyrs, directly concern ancient Kurdish historiography. Indeed, local communities such as the Zap people mentioned by Ammianus Marcellinus, who refers to the Sasani-Roma struggle in the fourth century, can be identified through these sources (Cilt 1, s. 19). In this context, historical geographies such as Mardia, Media, Kardukhia (Corduene), Adiyabene, and Armenia concern Kürtler both historically and socio-culturally (Cilt 1, s. 20).

Roma's rise as a world power is detailed in Polybios's work titled Historíai, which describes the period of MÖ 264-146, along with events such as the fall of Kartaca and the subjugation of Yunanistan by Roma (Cilt 1, s. 28). Titus Livius's comprehensive work titled Ab Urbe Condita (Roma Tarihi), extending from MÖ 753 to his own time, contains important information about Persler, Armenia, and Mezopotamya, as well as the local peoples of these geographies (Cilt 1, s. 45).

Expansion to the East

Roma's expansion eastward directly encompassed the geography where Kürtler live densely today. Dio Cassius recounts that the geography west of the Dicle, extending from the Fırat to the borders of Corduene, was subjected to Roma occupation (Cilt 1, s. 35). According to Cornelius Tacitus's Annales, while the Roma empire was fighting against the Parthlar in MS 59, general Corbulo captured Artaxata in Armenia, planned the occupation of Tigranokert, and used violence against local elements in his path; the people took refuge in the high parts of the mountains and in caves, and the Mardiler, whom Tacitus said were committing "banditry," suffered a similar fate (Cilt 1, s. 48). Eutropius records that Traianus brought Corduene, Mardia, and Media along with Armenia, and many regions in Mezopotamya, under Roma's domination in 114; and that the Adiyabeneliler and Araplar were defeated during the Septimius Severus period (Cilt 1, s. 50).

Roma-Sasani Struggle

The Roma-Pers/Sasani struggle deeply and continuously affected the region. With the treaty reached between the Persler and Romalılar in MS 298/99, places like Zabdikene were annexed to Roma, the Zintha fortress was accepted as a border between Media and Armenia, and through this, information about Corduene's political position could be obtained (Cilt 1, s. 40). In contrast, with the peace treaty made by Jovian, who ascended to the throne upon the death of emperor Julian, with II. Şapur, Roma was forced to cede the regions of Zabdicena, Carduena, Rhemena, and Zelena and 15 castles in these areas to the Persler, and also to consent to a large part of Armenia falling into the hands of the Persler (Cilt 1, s. 37).

Procopius vividly described the Sasani-Roma wars, especially during the reigns of Sasani shahs I. Kawad and his son I. Hüsrev, and provided detailed information about the situation of the people who remained in the border regions during these wars and were subjected to the wrath of both empires (Cilt 1, s. 39). The accounts of Theophylact Simocatta complete this picture: the inhabitants of the Arzanene, Corduene, and Armenia geographies, where the Pers-Roma wars took place, were caught between the two empires (Cilt 1, s. 41). Strabon, as an example of population movements towards this geography, mentions that the Eretrialılar were deported by the Persler and settled in Gordyene (Cilt 1, s. 31).