Comana Pontica

40.357436.6387Koordinaten: 40 ° 21 ' 27 " N, 36 ° 38' 19" E

Comana Pontika (Greek Κόμανα Ποντικά; Latin Comana pontica ) was an ancient city in Asia Minor, Pontos landscape. She lay in the valley of Yeşilırmak, 11 km upstream of Tokat on the road to Niksar the present village Gümenek.

Comana Pontika was like its sister city of Comana in Cappadocia seat of a temple state whose chief priest came immediately after the king of Pontus in rank. The city was a center of the orgiastic cult of the goddess Ma. According to Strabo, under whose ancestor was a high priest of Comana, there were more than 6,000 temple servants ( hierodules ), who worked for the priest of a vehicle equipped with wide lands temple.

Pompey awarded the lucrative office of high priest of Comana 63 BC to Archelaus, the son of romans friendly general Archelaus, and enlarged associated with an extensive political sovereignty temple state to a radius of 600 stadia, about 10 km. This High Priest Archelaus later married the Egyptian ruler Berenice IV, and thus became for six months Pharaoh of Egypt. He was succeeded in the office of high priest, his son of the same, which, however, was deposed by Gaius Julius Caesar as part of a reorganization of the political situation. His son, also named Archelaus was 36 appointed by Marcus Antonius BC king of Cappadocia.

Until the early Roman imperial period independently, Comana was 34/5 AD part of the province of Galatia with the addition Hierokaisareia name. In late antiquity was Comana Pontika seat of a bishopric. John Chrysostom died here on his way back from exile in Armenia to Constantinople Opel.

On the settlement mound, on which lay the temple of the goddess, except scanty remains of the ramparts little more buildings are identifiable.

The city was identified by Hugo Winckler with the Hittite Kummani, today we more apt to equate this with Comana in Cappadocia.

Today Comana pontica is a titular of the Catholic Church.