WHAT SETTLEMENTS HISTORIANS OF THE 5TH CENTURY DESIGNATED THE TERM PHROURION

References: 5th International Multidisciplinary Scientific Conference on Social Sciences and Arts SGEM 2018, www.sgemvienna.org, SGEM2018 Vienna ART Conference Proceedings, ISBN 978-619-7408-31-7 / ISSN 2367-5659, 19 - 21 March, 2018, Vol. 5, Issue 2.1; 165-172 pp, DOI: 10.5593/sgemsocial2018H/21/S05.021

ABSTRACT

In the modern humanities one of themes is interpretation of terms, which were used in antiquity for designation of various types of settlements of the Roman empire.
The choice of terms by ancient authors depended on many factors: extent of possession of relevant information, terminological tradition, character of the taking place events (in peace or wartime).
Article purpose – to study the nature of the of the term a phrourion use in texts the of authors of the 5th century.
Methods of research are comparative-historical, the analysis and synthesis.
Hypothesis – historians could apply designation phrourion (fortress) and in relation to the centers known as the cities, and fortresses in more narrow value of this word.
Research problems are to reveal the concrete centers designated phrourion; to analyse a context and how it could influence word usage of authors; compare to sources close to time, in which there are data toponyms.
Results of a research:
- the circle of the centers designated by this term is insignificant; it is Azemus, Bregetio, Kallinikos, Mursa, Neocaesarea, Pheno located in the territory of east provinces; Souma has been located in the territory of Iran;
- all authors of the 5th century (Sozomen, Socrates Scholasticus, Theodoret of Cyrus, Zosimus, Priscus of Panium) designate them only the term a phrourion;
- almost all points are called fortresses at the description of military events; only Kallinikos is mentioned as a geographical landmark, Neocaesarea – as the episcopal center;
- in all cases with the term a phrourion the value of these settlements as the strengthened places, despite certificates on bishops of the majority of the listed points is emphasized;
- when compared with other late-antique sources, it turns out that Kallinikos, Mursa, Neocaesarea and Azemus were urban centers, and Bregetio, Souma and Pheno – settlements with not city character.
Ancient authors did not always use attentively terms for designation of settlements. Researchers often come up against a situation when various terms were used for the same settlement, for example, polis and a phrourion. The study of the context of use and comparison with other sources helps find out the reasons to choose this or that term.

Keywords: Late Antiquity, historians, settlements, terminology, phrourion.