A Controversial Centre in Metropolitanate of Smyrna: New evidence on Bishopric of Arkhangelos
Arkhangelos was one of the new episcopal centres which came under the authority of Smyrna when it became a metropolis. The bishopric of Arkhangelos, which is rarely mentioned in historical sources, appears for the first time in an episcopal list dating from the 10th century. In addition, the name of the bishopric is found among the lists of cities listed under the Metropolis of Smyrna. Researchers have put forward various hypotheses about the bishopric of Arkhangelos, emphasising the possibility that the city may have been converted from an ancient Pagan city. The most precise statements about the location of the bishopric are mentioned in the Historia Byzantina written by the historian Doukas in the 15th century. The uncertainty about the location of the bishopric of Arkhangelos has been the subject of research for over a century. The most important clues to the location of Arkhangelos are the traces of the Hermos (Gediz) River and its environs, since the Metropolis of Smyrna was mainly located in the northern part of the Province of Asia. In light of Doukas’ statements, the existence of a fortress called Arkhangelos in the Mainamenou (Menemen) Plain clearly shows that the city was one of the strategic centres of the region. In this context, the Bishopric of Arkhangelos should be searched for in the Mainamenou (Menemen) Plain by analysing the traces of the Middle Byzantine period, considering strategic roads and junctions. Within the scope of this study, the data on the location and architectural structure of the bishopric centre are evaluated in the light of the ecclesiastical historical texts mentioning the bishopric of Arkhangelos and the archaeological evidence, and some suggestions are presented.
Smyrna Metropolitliğinde Tartışmalı Bir Merkez: Arkhangelos Piskoposluğu Üzerine Yeni Bulgular
Arkhangelos piskoposluğu Smyrna’nın 9. yüzyılda metropolitlik unvanı almasıyla birlikte idaresine geçen yeni piskoposluk merkezlerinden biridir. Tarihi kaynaklarda adından çok az söz edilen Arkhangelos Piskoposluğu, ilk kez 10. yüzyıldaki bir piskoposluk listesinde görülmektedir. Bunun yanı sıra piskoposluğun adına, Smyrna Metropolitliği’nin altında sıralanan kent listeleri arasında rastlanmaktadır. Araştırmacılar, Arkhangelos Piskoposluğu’nun lokasyonuna yönelik çeşitli hipotezler ileri sürmüş, merkezin eski bir pagan kentinden dönüşmüş olabileceği gibi ihtimaller üzerinde durmuşlardır. Piskoposluğun konumuna ilişkin en belirgin ifadeler ise sadece tarihçi Doukas tarafından 15. yüzyılda kaleme alınan Historia Byzantina adlı eserdedir. Arkhangelos Piskoposluğu’na dair belirsizlikler yüz yılı aşkın süre boyunca araştırmacıları meşgul etmiştir. Smyrna Metropolitliği’nin Asia Eyaleti’nin daha çok kuzey kesiminde yayılım göstermesi nedeniyle Arkhangelos’un konumuna ilişkin en önemli ipuçları Hermos (Gediz) Nehri ve çevresindeki izler olmuştur. Doukas’ın ifadeleri ışığında ise Mainamenou (Menemen) Ovası’nda Arkhangelos adında bir tahkimatın varlığına işaret edilmesi, kentin bölgedeki stratejik merkezlerden biri olduğunu açıkça göstermektedir. Bu bağlamda Arkhangelos Piskoposluğunun Mainomenos (Menemen) Ovası’nda, stratejik yol ve geçitler gözetilerek Orta Bizans Dönemi sınırlarında aranması gerekmektedir. Bu çalışma kapsamında Arkhangelos Piskoposluğu’ndan söz eden dinî tarihî metinler ve arkeolojik bulgular eşliğinde, piskoposluk merkezinin lokalizasyonuna ve mimari yapısına yönelik veriler değerlendirilerek yeni öneriler sunulmuştur.
The city of Ephesos was a prominent religious and administrative centre in the Roman province of Asia. From the 6th century onwards, the city began to lose its commercial potential. This resulted in the destabilisation of Ephesos’ political authority, which in turn altered the regional power dynamics. The Sassanid and Arab raids that Anatolia was exposed to starting in the 7th century also resulted in significant population displacement within the region. A significant proportion of the population of the province of Asia was compelled to relocate to more secure locations. The destructive factors previously outlined resulted in a significant loss of power for the Metropolitanate of Ephesos, accompanied by substantial damage to the administrative structure of the centre. The decline of the ecclesiastical administrative centre of the region facilitated the religious and administrative ascendance of Smyrna, another significant city and episcopal centre of Asia. As Smyrna acquired the designation of metropolitanate akin to Ephesos, it also gained its own administrative boundaries. Some bishopric cities of Ephesos were relocated to Smyrna. Conversely, new episcopal centres were established and linked to Smyrna.
The establishment of the new metropolitan centre of the Province of Asia resulted in a rebalancing of the regional power dynamics. While the predominantly southern parts of the province remained under the metropolitan authority of Ephesos, the northern part of the province, extending from the Hermos (Gediz) Valley towards Phokaia, came under the administration of Smyrna. Furthermore, the cities of Klazomenai, Phokaia and Magnesia (Aneliou/Sipylou), which had previously been under Ephesos, were also transferred to Smyrna. Furthermore, new episcopal centres, Arkhangelos, Petra and Sosandra, were established and linked to the Metropolis of Smyrna. Because of its long standing religious organisation and hierarchy since early Christianity, Smyrna thus assumed an important position as a religious and political centre, situated alongside Ephesos.
The earliest extant record of the Metropolitanate of Smyrna’s position and significance within the ecclesiastical hierarchy is Notitiae No. 7, as set forth in the lists compiled by Darrouzès. The document is preceded by a speech delivered by Nicholas I Mystikos, who served as the Patriarch of Constantinople from 901 to 907. From this introduction, it can be surmised that the lists reflect the circumstances prevailing in the early 10th century. The Metropolitanate of Smyrna, which is ranked 43rd in the list, is associated with six episcopal centres. These centres are Phokaia, Magnesia (Aneliou/Sipylou), Klazomenai, Arkhangelos, Petra and Sosandra. There is little debate regarding the location of the cities transferred from Ephesos to Smyrna. However, there is controversy surrounding the question of whether the newly established centres were transformed from an old settlement or established in a new location. As a result, there is considerable debate about the location of the bishoprics of Arkhangelos, Petra and Sosandra.
In the initial phase of this study, a boundary was delineated for the geographical area within which the bishopric of Arkhangelos was to be searched. In consideration of the data presented in the ecclesiastical records and primary sources, it can be reasonably inferred that the northern regions of Smyrna fall within the defined scope of this study. As evidenced by the historian Doukas in his Historia Byzantina, the Hermos (Gediz) Valley and its environs constituted a significant region with regard to the religious boundaries associated with Smyrna. A detailed examination of the period between the 10th and 13th centuries, which marks the end of the Middle Byzantine period, is essential from a chronological perspective. In accordance with the aforementioned information, significant regions in terms of road networks and that can provide adequate security for a religious centre have been identified. In these areas, settlements reflecting the architectural style and surface finds of the Middle Byzantine period were concentrated. The reasons for the prominent location of settlements such as Temnos and Neonteikhos, previously identified by other researchers, were evaluated and a new hypothesis was proposed, which was considered more suitable for the bishopric of Arkhangelos.
