Abdsamiya (

Hatran Aramaic Aramaic of Hatra, Hatran Aramaic or Ashurian ( ') designates a Middle Aramaic dialect, that was used in the region of Hatra and Assur in northeastern parts of Mesopotamia (modern Iraq), approximately from the 3rd century BC to the 3rd century ...

: 𐣯𐣡𐣣𐣮𐣬𐣩𐣠) was a king of

Hatra Hatra ( ar, الحضر; syr, ‎ܚܛܪܐ) was an ancient city in Upper Mesopotamia located in present-day eastern Nineveh Governorate in northern Iraq. The city lies northwest of Baghdad and southwest of Mosul. Hatra was a strongly fortified ...

, an ancient city and kingdom in ancient

Mesopotamia Mesopotamia ''Mesopotamíā''; ar, بِلَاد ٱلرَّافِدَيْن or ; syc, ܐܪܡ ܢܗܪ̈ܝܢ, or , ) is a historical region of Western Asia situated within the Tigris–Euphrates river system, in the northern part of the F ...

(

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...

). He reigned from about AD 180 to 205. Abdsamiya was the son of king

Sanatruq I Sanatruq I (also spelled Sanatruk I; Aramaic of Hatra, Hatran Aramaic: 𐣮𐣭𐣨𐣣𐣥𐣲) was the first king of Hatra, an ancient city in northern Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq). He is known from more than 20 inscriptions found at Hatra a ...

and the father of

Sanatruq II , temple name = , house = , house-type = , father = Abdsamiya , mother = , religion = , occupation = , signature_type = , signature = , module = Sanatruq II (Hatran Aramaic: 𐣮𐣭𐣨𐣣 ...

. Abdsamiya is known from eight inscriptions found at Hatra. One of them reports the building of a porticus for the king and is dated to year 504 of the

Seleucid era The Seleucid era ("SE") or (literally "year of the Greeks" or "Greek year"), sometimes denoted "AG," was a system of numbering years in use by the Seleucid Empire and other countries among the ancient Hellenistic civilizations. It is sometimes r ...

(AD 192/93). Another inscription appears on a statue and is dated to AD 201/202. Abdsamiya is most likely also mentioned by

Herodian Herodian or Herodianus ( el, Ἡρωδιανός) of Syria, sometimes referred to as "Herodian of Antioch" (c. 170 – c. 240), was a minor Roman civil servant who wrote a colourful history in Greek titled ''History of the Empire from the Death o ...

(3.1.3).Hatra on Iranica.com
/ref> There he appears as ''Barsemias''. He supported in year AD 192

Pescennius Niger Gaius Pescennius Niger (c. 135 – 194) was Roman Emperor from 193 to 194 during the Year of the Five Emperors. He claimed the imperial throne in response to the murder of Pertinax and the elevation of Didius Julianus, but was defeated by a riva ...

against

Septimius Severus Lucius Septimius Severus (; 11 April 145 – 4 February 211) was Roman emperor from 193 to 211. He was born in Leptis Magna (present-day Al-Khums, Libya) in the Roman province of Africa (Roman province), Africa. As a young man he advanced thro ...

References

Literature

*Michael Sommer: ''Hatra. Geschichte und Kultur einer Karawanenstadt im römisch-parthischen Mesopotamien.'' von Zabern, Mainz 2003, {{ISBN, 3-8053-3252-1, p. 23-24. 2nd-century Arabs 3rd-century Arabs Hatra 2nd-century monarchs in the Middle East Vassal rulers of the Parthian Empire