The Yeşilırmak ( tr, Yeşilırmak 'Green River'; classical grc, Ἶρις, Iris) is a river in northern
Turkey. From its source northeast of
Sivas, it flows past
Tokat and
Amasya
Amasya () is a city in northern Turkey and is the capital of Amasya Province, in the Black Sea Region. It was called Amaseia or Amasia in antiquity."Amasya" in '' The New Encyclopædia Britannica''. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 15th ...
, crosses the
Pontic Mountains and the
Çarşamba Plain, reaching the
Black Sea east of
Samsun
Samsun, historically known as Sampsounta ( gr, Σαμψούντα) and Amisos ( Ancient Greek: Αμισός), is a city on the north coast of Turkey and is a major Black Sea port. In 2021, Samsun recorded a population of 710,000 people. The ci ...
after .
Its tributaries include the
Çekerek
Çekerek is a town and district of Yozgat Province in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly ...
(ancient Scylax) and the
Kelkit
Kelkit is a town and district of Gümüşhane Province in the Black Sea region of Turkey. According to the 2010 census, population of the district is 39,547 of which 13,784 live in the town of Kelkit. The district covers an area of , and the town l ...
(ancient Lycus).
It was mentioned by
Menippus of Pergamon
Menippus of Gadara (; el, Μένιππος ὁ Γαδαρεύς ''Menippos ho Gadareus''; fl. 3rd century BC) was a Cynic satirist. The Menippean satire genre is named after him. His works, all of which are lost, were an important influence o ...
in the 1st century BC.
Strabo's ''
Geographica'' describes it as flowing through
Comana Pontica
Comana Pontica ( grc, Κόμανα Ποντική, translit=Komana Pontika), was an ancient city located in ancient Pontus, now in modern Turkey.
History
Comana Pontica was located in the region of Pontus (now part of modern Turkey). It was ...
, the plain of
Dazimonitis (Kaşova) (), and
Gaziura
Gaziura (Greek: ), was a town in Pontus, on the river Iris, near the point where its course turns northwards. Some scholars equate Gaziura with Talaura, others with Ibora, and others with modern Turhal.
E.g.,
It was the ancient residence of ...
(probably modern
Turhal
Turhal is a town and a district of Tokat Province in the Black Sea region of Turkey. It is 48 km in the west of Tokat Province. Turhal is situated on a fertile plain fragmented by the Yeşil Irmak river. It has an elevation of approximately ...
) before receiving the waters () of the
Scylax
Scylax of Caryanda ( el, Σκύλαξ ὁ Καρυανδεύς) was a Greek explorer and writer of the late 6th and early 5th centuries BCE. His own writings are lost, though occasionally cited or quoted by later Greek and Roman authors. The peri ...
, then flowing through
Amaseia (Amasya) before reaching the valley of
Phanaroea
The Phanaroea plain (Φανάροια), the modern Erbaa Plain (), is a plain lying mostly in the Erbaa district of Tokat Province in the Black Sea region of Turkey. It runs east-west for about , along the Kelkit River (ancient ''Lykos'') in a v ...
.
Starting with
Dionysius Periegetes, in his ''
Periegesis A periegesis ( Ancient Greek περιήγησις 'leading around') is a geographical survey or travelogue, sometimes also called a ''periodos'' ' journey around' 'sc.'' the world
It is the name of several books:
* Pausanias's Ἑλλάδος π� ...
of the World'', the Iris is often confused with the Thermodon (modern
Terme
Terme (formerly spelled ''Termeh''; Ancient Greek: Thèrmae, Θέρμαι) is the seat of Terme District, Samsun Province, Turkey. Terme is located on Terme River, about 5 km from its mouth, on the eastern end of the Çarşamba Plain.
Te ...
), which also crosses the Themiscyra Plain (modern Çarşamba Plain), with its mouth about 40 km further east; the Thermodon is much smaller and clearer.
[Tønnes Bekker-Nielsen, Marit Jensen, "Two Pontic Rivers", ''Cedrus: The Journal of MCRI'' 3:231-2142 (2015), ]
Notes
Rivers of Turkey
Black Sea Region
Landforms of Sivas Province
Landforms of Tokat Province
Landforms of Amasya Province
Landforms of Samsun Province
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