Apamea (Babylonia)

Apamea was an ancient city in southern Babylonia, in the Charakene. It is therefore often referred to in ancient writers as Apamea, Mesene. It is a foundation of Seleucus I, who named the place after his wife Apame. The place was on the Tigris, at the point where the river divided into two branches, and was thus surrounded by water. Here, strong dams are said to have found that even military attacks against the Parthians served as Apamea was part of the Charakene. The city is perhaps identical with Harpanya and Neharpania, is mentioned in the Talmud. It is probably the Arabic Fam as- Silh. The city was close to another with the same name.

Ancient sources

• Pliny the Elder: Natural History, VI, 129, and 146
• Arrian: Parthica, XVI, 69-70