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{{Short description|Ancient Roman fortification in northern Mesopotamia}}
{{about||the modern city|Sinjar|the genus|Singara (moth)|the Indian snack|Samosa|topics related to the Italian word for "Gypsy"|Zingara (disambiguation){{!}}Zingara}}
[[File:Singara.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Singara in a detail from [[Tabula Peutingeriana|Peutinger's map]], a medieval copy of a 4th-century [[History of cartography|Roman]] original.]]
'''Singara''' ({{Langx|grc|τὰ Σίγγαρα}}, ''tà Síngara''; [[Syriac language| Syriac]]: ܫܝܓܪ)<ref>[[Cassius Dio]], XVIII.22.</ref> was a strongly fortified post at the northern extremity of [[Mesopotamia]], which for a while, as it appears from coins minted there, was occupied by the [[Roman Empire|Romans]] as an advanced colony against the [[Persia]]ns. It was the camp of [[legio I Parthica|''legio'' I ''Parthica'']].<ref>[https://www.livius.org/le-lh/legio/i_parthica.html Account of Legio I Parthica at ''livius.org'']</ref>

==Location==
{{main|Sinjar}}
Its position south-east of [[Nusaybin|Nisibis]] was indifferently defined by ancient writers, with [[Stephanus of Byzantium]] calling it a city of [[Arabia]] "near [[Edessa, Mesopotamia|Edessa]]" and [[Ptolemy]] placing it on the [[Tigris]].<ref>[[Claudius Ptolemaeus]], ''[[Geographia (Ptolemy)|Geographia]]'' V.18.9.</ref> There is no doubt, however, that it and its adjacent mountain ({{lang|grc|ὸ Σίγγαρας ὄρος}}, ''ò Síngaras óros'')<ref>[[Claudius Ptolemaeus]], ''[[Geographia (Ptolemy)|Geographia]]'' V.18.2.</ref> were the predecessors of the modern [[Sinjar]] and [[Mount Sinjar]] in modern [[Iraq]]'s [[Nineveh Plains]].

==History==
It was first taken by the Romans during [[Trajan]]'s eastern campaigns, when general [[Lusius Quietus]] captured the city without a fight in the winter of 114.<ref>[[Cassius Dio]], LXVIII.22.</ref>  Although it was abandoned following the Roman withdrawal from [[Mesopotamia]] in 117, the city became once again part of the Roman Empire with the [[Parthia]]n campaign of [[Septimius Severus]] in 197. The city was raised by Severus to the status of a [[Colonia (Roman)|Roman colony]], as is attested by the legend found on some of the coins minted there during the reign of [[Gordian III]]: {{lang|grc|ΑΥΡ. ϹΕΠ. ΚΟΛ. ϹΙΝΓΑΡΑ.}}, which is Greek script for the city's Latin name, ''Aurelia Septimia Colonia Singara''. It remained one of the easternmost outposts of the Roman Empire throughout the 3rd century. It was the scene of a celebrated nocturnal conflict during a [[Siege of Singara|siege]] of the city in 344 by [[Sassanid]] King [[Shapur II]], the result of which was so unsatisfactory that both sides claimed the victory.<ref>[[Ammianus Marcellinus]], XVIII.5.</ref><ref>[[Eutropius (historian)|Eutropius]], X.10.</ref><ref>[[Sextus Rufus]], Ch. 27.</ref> Still later, in 359/360, during the reign of [[Constantius II]], it is recorded that it underwent [[Siege of Singara (360)|a celebrated siege]], and at length was carried by the Persians by storm, though gallantly defended by the townspeople and two legions.<ref>[[Ammianus Marcellinus]], XX.6.</ref> The country around it is stated by [[Ammianus Marcellinus]] and [[Theophylact Simocatta]] to have been extremely arid, which rendered it equally difficult to take or to relieve from a distance.

==References==

{{reflist|30em}}

==Sources==
*{{SmithDGRG}}

==External links==
*{{Commonscatinline|Singara (Iraq)}}

[[Category:Populated places established in the 2nd century]]
[[Category:Populated places disestablished in the 4th century]]
[[Category:History of Mesopotamia]]
[[Category:Destroyed populated places]]
[[Category:Roman towns and cities in Iraq]]
[[Category:Coloniae (Roman)]]
[[Category:Former populated places in West Asia]]
[[Category:Mesopotamia (Roman province)]]