Introduction
The ruins of the ancient city of Dura-Europos in Syria offer scholars of classical studies deep insights into the Middle East as part of the Roman Empire. Located on the Euphrates just before the border with Iraq, Dura-Europos was initially a Greek military colony before it pᴀssed into the Roman sphere of influence in 165 AD, to which it belonged until its destruction by the Sᴀssanids in 256/257 AD. The ruins are well preserved not only because of the dry desert climate, but also because the city was no longer settled after its destruction and was left abandoned. After its rediscovery in 1920, about forty percent of the ruins and objects suspected of being at the site were recovered, including unusually well-preserved papyri. Outstanding among the finds are the oldest church in the world to date and the synagogue painted with figurative scenes.
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For this very reason, the archaeological site is particularly productive for classical studies. The archaeologist Dr. Simon James also dealt with it in his research project, concentrating on a hitherto little-noticed aspect of the history of Dura-Europos: the Roman military base. In a detailed English-language work, Dr. James presents the results of his research, which he collected as part of the excavation project from 2005 to 2010 together with the Mission Franco-Syrienne d’Europos-Doura and the Yale University Art Gallery. He places a special emphasis on the visual representation of the historical site, combined with archaeological and textual sources that Dura-Europos offers for the scientific interpretation of its military-civilian history. Thus, in addition to the old city ruins, the numerous papyri also form the basis for Dr. James’ analyses of the importance of the large military base that had been built by the Roman imperial garrison in the north of the city and occupied a quarter of the total area of the walled city. He comes to two key conclusions: He identified a demographic component in Roman Dura that had remained unknown until now, namely that the number of military personnel, which was mainly made up of servants and family members, is very high. Accordingly, the Roman military community was much more than just a group of soldiers, it was rather a city within the city. In addition, the military base is also much older than previously ᴀssumed. It is dated by Dr. James to the late second century, rather than the early third. These results imply that the Roman military presence had a greater impact on life in Dura-Europos than previously thought.
Zitadelle und archäologisches Expeditionshaus im inneren Wadi bei Sonnenaufgang, im Hintergrund der Euphrat, Dura-Europos 2005
Professor James zeichnet die architektonischen Besonderheiten des römischen Hauptgebäudes (Principia) auf, Dura-Europos 2010
Überreste eines Badehauses in der römischen Militärbasis in Dura-Europos, im Hintergrund das Gebiet der Zivilstadt und die Stadtmauer mit dem Palmyren-TorThis thesis describes Roman military science in detail against the background of imperial politics and wars and contributes to a better understanding of the Roman East. This is all the more necessary in view of the war in Syria, which has been going on since 2011, in the course of which the ruined city of Dura-Europos has been plundered and destroyed, the extent of which cannot yet be ᴀssessed. The existential threat to Syria’s cultural heritage makes it urgent to expand, publish and secure the knowledge that already exists for the future.
