ὑπὲρ δὲ τῆς Φαναροίας ἐστὶ τὰ Κόμανα τὰ ἐν τῷ Πόντῳ, ὁμώνυμα τοῖς ἐν τῇ μεγάλῃ Καππαδοκίᾳ καὶ τῇ αὐτῇ θεῷ καθιερωμένα, ἀφιδρυθέντα ἐκεῖθεν, σχεδὸν δέ τι καὶ τῇ ἀγωγῇ παραπλησίᾳ κεχρημένα τῶν τε ἱερουργιῶν καὶ τῶν θεοφοριῶν καὶ τῆς περὶ τοὺς ἱερέας τιμῆς, καὶ μάλιστα ἐπὶ τῶν πρὸ τοῦ βασιλέων, ἡνίκα δὶς τοῦ ἔτους κατὰ τὰς ἐξόδους λεγομένας τῆς θεοῦ διάδημα φορῶν ἐτύγχανεν ὁ ἱερεύς, καὶ ἦν δεύτερος κατὰ τιμὴν μετὰ τὸν βασιλέα.
Above Phanaroea is Comana in Pontus, of the same name as that in the Greater Cappadocia, and dedicated to the same goddess. The temple is a copy of that in Cappadocia, and nearly the same course of religious rites is practised there; the mode of delivering the oracles is the same; the same respect is paid to the priests, as was more particularly the case in the time of the first kings, when twice a year, at what is called the Exodi of the goddess, (when her image is carried in procession,) the priest wore the diadem of the goddess and received the chief honours after the king.
ἐμνήσθημεν δὲ πρότερον Δορυλάου τε τοῦ τακτικοῦ, ὃς ἦν πρόπαππος τῆς μητρὸς ἡμῶν, καὶ ἄλλου Δορυλάου, ὃς ἦν ἐκείνου ἀδελφιδοῦς υἱὸς δὲ Φιλεταίρου, καὶ διότι ἐκεῖνος τῶν ἄλλων τιμῶν παρὰ τοῦ Εὐπάτορος τῶν μεγίστων τυχὼν καὶ δὴ καὶ τῆς ἐν Κομάνοις ἱερωσύνης ἐφωράθη τὴν βασιλείαν ἀφιστὰς Ῥωμαίοις· καταλυθέντος δʼ ἐκείνου συνδιεβλήθη καὶ τὸ γένος. ὀψὲ δὲ Μοαφέρνης ὁ θεῖος τῆς μητρὸς ἡμῶν εἰς ἐπιφάνειαν ἦλθεν ἤδη πρὸς καταλύσει τῆς βασιλείας, καὶ πάλιν τῷ βασιλεῖ συνητύχησαν καὶ αὐτὸς καὶ οἱ ἐκείνου φίλοι, πλὴν εἴ τινες ἔφθησαν προαποστάντες αὐτοῦ, καθάπερ ὁ πάππος ἡμῶν ὁ πρὸς αὐτῆς, ὃς ἰδὼν τὰ τοῦ βασιλέως κακῶς φερόμενα ἐν τῷ πρὸς Λεύκολλον πολέμῳ, καὶ ἅμα ἠλλοτριωμένος αὐτοῦ διʼ ὀργήν, ὅτι ἀνεψιὸν αὐτοῦ Τίβιον καὶ υἱὸν ἐκείνου Θεόφιλον ἐτύγχανεν ἀπεκτονὼς νεωστί, ὥρμησε τιμωρεῖν ἐκείνοις τε καὶ ἑαυτῷ, καὶ λαβὼν παρὰ τοῦ Λευκόλλου πίστεις ἀφίστησιν αὐτῷ πεντεκαίδεκα φρούρια· καὶ ἐπαγγελίαι μὲν ἐγένοντο ἀντὶ τούτων μεγάλαι, ἐπελθὼν δὲ Πομπήιος ὁ διαδεξάμενος τὸν πόλεμον πάντας τοὺς ἐκείνῳ τι χαρισαμένους ἐχθροὺς ὑπέλαβε διὰ τὴν γενομένην αὐτῷ πρὸς ἐκεῖνον ἀπέχθειαν, διαπολεμήσας δὲ καὶ ἐπανελθὼν οἴκαδε ἐξενίκησεν ὥστε τὰς τιμάς, ἃς ὑπέσχετο ὁ Λεύκολλος τῶν Ποντικῶν τισι, μὴ κυρῶσαι τὴν σύγκλητον· ἄδικον γὰρ εἶναι κατορθώσαντος ἑτέρου τὸν πόλεμον τὰ βραβεῖα ἐπʼ ἄλλῳ γενέσθαι καὶ τὴν τῶν ἀριστείων διανομήν.
We have formerly mentioned Dorylaus the Tactician, who was my mother’s great grandfather; and another Dorylaus, who was the nephew of the former, and the son of Philetaerus; I said that, although he had obtained from Mithridates the highest dignities and even the priesthood of Comana, he was detected in the fact of attempting the revolt of the kingdom to the Romans. Upon his fall the family also was disgraced. At a later period however Moaphernes, my mother’s uncle, rose to distinction near upon the dissolution of the kingdom. But a second time he and his friends shared in the misfortunes of the king, except those persons who had anticipated the calamity and deserted him early. This was the case with my maternal grandfather, who, perceiving the unfortunate progress of the affairs of the king in the war with Lucullus, and at the same time being alienated from him by resentment for having lately put to death his nephew Tibius, and his son Theophilus. undertook to avenge their wrongs and his own. He obtained pledges of security from Lucullus, and caused fifteen fortresses to revolt; in return he received magnificent promises. On the arrival of Pompey, who succeeded Lucullus in the conduct of the war, he regarded as enemies (in consequence of the enmity which subsisted between himself and that general) all those persons who had performed any services that were acceptable to Lucullus. On his return home at the conclusion of the war he prevailed upon the senate not to confirm those honours which Lucullus had promised to some persons of Pontus, maintaining it to be unjust towards a general who had brought the war to a successful issue, that the rewards and distribution of honours should be placed in the hands of another.
ἐπὶ μὲν οὖν τῶν βασιλέων οὕτω τὰ Κόμανα διῳκεῖτο ὡς εἴρηται, παραλαβὼν δὲ Πομπήιος τὴν ἐξουσίαν Ἀρχέλαον ἐπέστησεν ἱερέα καὶ προσώρισεν αὐτῷ χώραν δίσχοινον κύκλῳ (τοῦτο δʼ ἔστιν ἑξήκοντα στάδιοι) πρὸς τῇ ἱερᾷ, προστάξας τοῖς ἐνοικοῦσι πειθαρχεῖν αὐτῷ· τούτων μὲν οὖν ἡγεμὼν ἦν καὶ τῶν τὴν πόλιν οἰκούντων ἱεροδούλων κύριος πλὴν τοῦ πιπράσκειν· ἦσαν δὲ οὐκ ἐλάττους οὐδʼ ἐνταῦθα τῶν ἑξακισχιλίων. ἦν δʼ οὗτος Ἀρχέλαος υἱὸς μὲν τοῦ ὑπὸ Σύλλα καὶ τῆς συγκλήτου τιμηθέντος, φίλος δὲ Γαβινίου τῶν ὑπατικῶν τινος. ἐκείνου δὲ πεμφθέντος εἰς Συρίαν ἧκε καὶ αὐτὸς ἐπʼ ἐλπίδι τοῦ κοινωνήσειν αὐτῷ παρασκευαζομένῳ πρὸς τὸν Παρθικὸν πόλεμον, οὐκ ἐπιτρεπούσης δὲ τῆς συγκλήτου ταύτην ἀφεὶς τὴν ἐλπίδα ἄλλην εὕρατο μείζω. ἐτύγχανε γὰρ Πτολεμαῖος ὁ τῆς Κλεοπάτρας πατὴρ ὑπὸ τῶν Αἰγυπτίων ἐκβεβλημένος, θυγάτηρ δʼ αὐτοῦ κατεῖχε τὴν βασιλείαν, ἀδελφὴ πρεσβυτέρα τῆς Κλεοπάτρας· ταύτῃ ζητουμένου ἀνδρὸς βασιλικοῦ γένους ἐνεχείρισεν ἑαυτὸν τοῖς συμπράττουσι, προσποιησάμενος Μιθριδάτου τοῦ Εὐπάτορος υἱὸς , καὶ παραδεχθεὶς ἐβασίλευσεν ἓξ μῆνας. τοῦτον μὲν οὖν ὁ Γαβίνιος ἀνεῖλεν ἐν παρατάξει κατάγων τὸν Πτολεμαῖον.
The affairs of Comana were administered as has been described in the time of the kings. Pompey, when he had obtained the power, appointed Archelaus priest, and assigned to him a district of two schoeni, or 60 stadia in circuit, in addition to the sacred territory, and gave orders to the inhabitants to obey Archelaus. He was their governor, and master of the sacred slaves who inhabited the city, but had not the power of selling them. The slaves amounted to no less than six thousand.
This Archelaus was the son of that Archelaus who received honours from Sylla and the senate; he was the friend of Gabinius, a person of consular rank. When the former was sent into Syria, he came with the expectation of accompanying in, when he was making preparations for the Parthian war, out the senate would not permit him to do so, and he abandoned this, and conceived a greater design.
Ptolemy, the father of Cleopatra, happened at this time to be ejected from his kingdom by the Aegyptians. His daughter however, the elder sister of Cleopatra, was in possession of the throne. When inquiries were making in order to marry her to a husband of royal descent, Archelaus presented himself to those who were negotiating the affair, and pretended to be the son of Mithridates Eupator. He was accepted, but reigned only six months. He was killed by Gabinius in a pitched battle, in his attempt to restore Ptolemy.
υἱὸς δʼ αὐτοῦ τὴν ἱερωσύνην παρέλαβεν· εἶθʼ ὕστερον Λυκομήδης, ᾧ καὶ τετράσχοινος ἄλλη προσετέθη· καταλυθέντος δὲ καὶ τούτου νῦν ἔχει Δύτευτος υἱὸς Ἀδιατόριγος, ὃς δοκεῖ ταύτης τυγχάνειν τῆς τιμῆς παρὰ Καίσαρος τοῦ Σεβαστοῦ διʼ ἀρετήν. ὁ μὲν γὰρ Καῖσαρ θριαμβεύσας τὸν Ἀδιατόριγα μετὰ παίδων καὶ γυναικὸς ἔγνω ἀναιρεῖν μετὰ τοῦ πρεσβυτάτου τῶν παίδων (ἦν δὲ πρεσβύτατος οὗτος), τοῦ δὲ δευτέρου τῶν ἀδελφῶν αὐτοῦ φήσαντος εἶναι πρεσβυτάτου πρὸς τοὺς ἀπάγοντας στρατιώτας, ἔρις ἦν ἀμφοτέροις πολὺν χρόνον ἕως οἱ γονεῖς ἔπεισαν τὸν Δύτευτον παραχωρῆσαι τῷ νεωτέρῳ τῆς νίκης· αὐτὸν γὰρ ἐν ἡλικίᾳ μᾶλλον ὄντα ἐπιτηδειότερον κηδεμόνα τῇ μητρὶ ἔσεσθαι καὶ τῷ λειπομένῳ ἀδελφῷ· οὕτω δὲ τὸν μὲν συναποθανεῖν τῷ πατρί, τοῦτον δὲ σωθῆναι καὶ τυχεῖν τῆς τιμῆς ταύτης. αἰσθόμενος γάρ, ὡς ἔοικε, Καῖσαρ ἤδη τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἀνῃρημένων ἠχθέσθη, καὶ τούς γε σωζομένους εὐεργεσίας καὶ ἐπιμελείας ἀξίους ὑπέλαβε δοὺς αὐτοῖς ταύτην τὴν τιμήν.
His son however succeeded to the priesthood, and Lycomedes succeeded him, to whom was assigned an additional district of four schoeni (or 120 stadia) in extent. When Lycomedes was dispossessed he was succeeded by Dyteutus, the son of Adiatorix, who still occupies the post, and appears to have obtained this honour from Caesar Augustus on account of his good conduct on the following occasion.
Caesar, after leading in triumph Adiatorix, with his wife and children, had resolved to put him to death together with the eldest of his sons. Dyteutus was the eldest; but when the second of his brothers told the soldiers who were leading them away to execution that he was the eldest, there was a contest between the two brothers, which continued for some time, till the parents prevailed upon Dyteutus to yield to the younger, assigning as a reason, that the eldest would be a better person to protect his mother and his remaining brother. The younger was put to death together with his father; the elder was saved, and obtained this office. When Caesar was informed of the execution of these persons, he regretted it, and, considering the survivors worthy of his favour and protection, bestowed upon them this honourable appointment.
τὰ μὲν οὖν Κόμανα εὐανδρεῖ καὶ ἔστιν ἐμπόριον τοῖς ἀπὸ τῆς Ἀρμενίας ἀξιόλογον· συνέρχονται δὲ κατὰ τὰς ἐξόδους τῆς θεοῦ πανταχόθεν ἔκ τε τῶν πόλεων καὶ τῆς χώρας ἄνδρες ὁμοῦ γυναιξὶν ἐπὶ τὴν ἑορτήν· καὶ ἄλλοι δὲ κατʼ εὐχὴν ἀεί τινες ἐπιδημοῦσι θυσίας ἐπιτελοῦντες τῇ θεῷ. καί εἰσιν ἁβροδίαιτοι οἱ ἐνοικοῦντες, καὶ οἰνόφυτα τὰ κτήματα αὐτῶν ἐστι πάντα, καὶ πλῆθος γυναικῶν τῶν ἐργαζομένων ἀπὸ τοῦ σώματος, ὧν αἱ πλείους εἰσὶν ἱεραί. τρόπον γὰρ δή τινα μικρὰ Κόρινθός ἐστιν ἡ πόλις· καὶ γὰρ ἐκεῖ διὰ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν ἑταιρῶν, αἳ τῆς Ἀφροδίτης ἦσαν ἱεραί, πολὺς ἦν ὁ ἐπιδημῶν καὶ ἐνεορτάζων τῷ τόπῳ· οἱ δʼ ἐμπορικοὶ καὶ στρατιωτικοὶ τελέως ἐξανηλίσκοντο, ὥστʼ ἐπʼ αὐτῶν καὶ παροιμίαν ἐκπεσεῖν τοιαύτην / οὐ παντὸς ἀνδρὸς εἰς Κόρινθόν ἐσθʼ ὁ πλοῦς. / τὰ μὲν δὴ Κόμανα τοιαῦτα.
Comana is populous, and is a considerable mart, frequented by persons coming from Armenia. Men and women assemble there from all quarters from the cities and the country to celebrate the festival at the time of the exodi or processions of the goddess. Some persons under the obligation of a vow are always residing there, and perform sacrifices in honour of the goddess.
The inhabitants are voluptuous in their mode of life. All their property is planted with vines, and there is a multitude of women, who make a gain of their persons, most of whom are dedicated to the goddess. The city is almost a little Corinth. On account of the multitude of harlots at Corinth, who are dedicated to Venus, and attracted by the festivities of the place, strangers resorted thither in great numbers. Merchants and soldiers were quite ruined, so that hence the proverb originated, every man cannot go to Corinth. Such is the character of Comana.
τὴν δὲ κύκλῳ πᾶσαν ἔχει Πυθοδωρίς, ἧς ἥ τε Φανάροια ἔστι καὶ ἡ Ζηλῖτις καὶ ἡ Μεγαλοπολῖτις. περὶ μὲν Φαναροίας εἴρηται· ἡ δὲ Ζηλῖτις ἔχει πόλιν Ζῆλα ἐπὶ χώματι Σεμιράμιδος τετειχισμένην, ἔχουσαν τὸ ἱερὸν τῆς Ἀναΐτιδος, ἥνπερ καὶ οἱ Ἀρμένιοι σέβονται. αἱ μὲν οὖν ἱεροποιίαι μετὰ μείζονος ἁγιστείας ἐνταῦθα συντελοῦνται, καὶ τοὺς ὅρκους περὶ τῶν μεγίστων ἐνταῦθα Ποντικοὶ πάντες ποιοῦνται· τὸ δὲ πλῆθος τῶν ἱεροδούλων καὶ αἱ τῶν ἱερέων τιμαὶ παρὰ μὲν τοῖς βασιλεῦσι τὸν αὐτὸν εἶχον τύπον ὅνπερ προείπομεν, νυνὶ δὲ ἐπὶ τῇ Πυθοδωρίδι πάντʼ ἐστίν. ἐκάκωσαν δὲ πολλοὶ καὶ ἐμείωσαν τό τε πλῆθος τῶν ἱεροδούλων καὶ τὴν ἄλλην εὐπορίαν. ἐμειώθη δὲ καὶ ἡ παρακειμένη χώρα μερισθεῖσα εἰς πλείους δυναστείας. ἡ λεγομένη Ζηλῖτις. τὸ παλαιὸν μὲν γὰρ οἱ βασιλεῖς οὐχ ὡς πόλιν ἀλλʼ ὡς ἱερὸν διῴκουν τῶν Περσικῶν θεῶν τὰ Ζῆλα, καὶ ἦν ὁ ἱερεὺς κύριος τῶν πάντων· ᾠκεῖτο δʼ ὑπὸ τοῦ πλήθους τῶν ἱεροδούλων καὶ τοῦ ἱερέως ὄντος ἐν περιουσίᾳ μεγάλῃ, καὶ τοῖς περὶ αὐτὸν οὐκ ὀλίγοις χώρα τε ὑπέκειτο ἱερὰ καὶ ἦν τοῦ ἱερέως. Πομπήιος δὲ πολλὰς ἐπαρχίας προσώρισε τῷ τόπῳ καὶ πόλιν ὠνόμασε καὶ ταύτην καὶ τὴν Μεγαλόπολιν, συνθεὶς ταύτην τε εἰς ἓν τήν τε Κουλουπηνὴν καὶ τὴν Καμισηνήν, ὁμόρους οὔσας τῇ τε μικρᾷ Ἀρμενίᾳ καὶ τῇ Λαουιανσηνῇ, ἐχούσας ὀρυκτοὺς ἅλας καὶ ἔρυμα ἀρχαῖον τὰ Κάμισα νῦν κατεσπασμένον· οἱ δὲ μετὰ ταῦτα ἡγεμόνες τῶν Ῥωμαίων τῶν δυεῖν πολιτευμάτων τούτων τὰ μὲν τοῖς Κομάνων ἱερεῦσι προσένειμαν, τὰ δὲ τῷ Ζήλων ἱερεῖ, τὰ δʼ Ἀτεπόριγι, δυνάστῃ τινὶ τοῦ τετραρχικοῦ γένους τῶν Γαλατῶν ἀνδρί· τελευτήσαντος δʼ ἐκείνου ταύτην μὲν τὴν μερίδα οὐ πολλὴν οὖσαν ὑπὸ Ῥωμαίοις εἶναι συμβαίνει καλουμένην ἐπαρχίαν (καὶ ἔστι σύστημα καθʼ αὑτὸ τὸ πολίχνιον συνοικισάντων τὰ Κάρανα, ἀφʼ οὗ καὶ ἡ χώρα Καρανῖτις λέγεται), τὰ δὲ λοιπὰ ἔχει Πυθοδωρὶς καὶ ὁ Δύτευτος.
All the country around is subject to Pythodoris, a .d she possesses also Phanaroea, the Zelitis, and the Megalopolitis.
We have already spoken of Phanaroea.
In the district Zelitis is the city Zela, built upon the mound of Semiramis. It contains the temple of Anaitis, whom the Armenians also worship. Sacrifices are performed with more pomp than in other places, and all the people of Pontus take oaths here in affairs of highest concern. The multitude of the sacred menials, and the honours conferred upon the priests, were in the time of the kings, upon the plan which I have before described. At present, however, everything is under the power of Pythodoris, but many persons had previously reduced the number of the sacred attendants, injured the property and diminished the revenue belonging to the temple. The adjacent district of Zelitis, (in which is the city Zela, on the mound of Semiramis,) was reduced by being divided into several governments. Anciently, the kings did not govern Zela as a city, but regarded it as a temple of the Persian gods; the priest was the director of everything relating to its administration. It was inhabited by a multitude of sacred menials, by the priest, who possessed great wealth, and by his numerous attendants; the sacred territory was under the authority of the priest, and it was his own property. Pompey added many provinces to Zelitis, and gave the name of city to Zela, as well as to Megalopolis. He formed Zelitis, Culupene, and Camisene, into one district. The two latter bordered upon the Lesser Armenia, and upon Laviansene. Fossile salt was found in them, and there was an ancient fortress called Camisa, at present in ruins. The Roman governors who next succeeded assigned one portion of these two governments to the priests of Comana, another to the priest of Zela, and another to Ateporix, a chief of the family of the tetrarchs of Galatia; upon his death, this portion, which was not large, became subject to the Romans under the name of a province. This little state is a political body of itself, Carana being united with it as a colony, and hence the district has the name of Caranitis. The other parts are in the possession of Pythodoris, and Dyteutus.
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