Antiochus III Epiphanes (, flourished 1st century BC and 1st century AD) was the ruler of the Kingdom of Commagene from 12 BC to 17 AD. He was the son and successor of King Mithridates III of Commagene and Iotapa, and of mixed

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and

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descent – the last through his mother. His parents were first cousins. When Antiochus died in 17 AD, his death created major issues for the kingdom, which was in political turmoil at the time. The reasons for this situation are unclear, but it may have been the consequence of his children, Antiochus and Iotapa, being too young to succeed their father. This may have meant that there was no effective authority to prevent civil unrest and unite the citizens of Commagene. Very little is known on his life and his reign as King. After Antiochus' death, two factions appeared: One faction was led by noblemen, who wanted Commagene to be placed under the rule of the

Roman Empire The Roman Empire ruled the Mediterranean and much of Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. The Roman people, Romans conquered most of this during the Roman Republic, Republic, and it was ruled by emperors following Octavian's assumption of ...

; the other was led by citizens who wanted Commagene's independence to be retained under the rule of their own king. Both factions sent embassies to

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, seeking the advice and assistance of Emperor

Tiberius Tiberius Julius Caesar Augustus ( ; 16 November 42 BC – 16 March AD 37) was Roman emperor from AD 14 until 37. He succeeded his stepfather Augustus, the first Roman emperor. Tiberius was born in Rome in 42 BC to Roman politician Tiberius Cl ...

to decide the future of Commagene. Tiberius decided to make Commagene a part of the

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. That decision was welcomed by many of the citizens by Commagene, which remained under Roman rule until

Caligula Gaius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (31 August 12 – 24 January 41), also called Gaius and Caligula (), was Roman emperor from AD 37 until his assassination in 41. He was the son of the Roman general Germanicus and Augustus' granddaughter Ag ...

restored the kingdom to Antiochus’ children in 38 AD. Antiochus III and his son are honoured on the

Philopappos Monument The Philopappos Monument (, , ) is an ancient Roman mausoleum and monument dedicated to ''Gaius Julius Antiochus Epiphanes Philopappos'' or ''Philopappus'' (, 65–116 AD), a prince from the Kingdom of Commagene. It is located on Mouseion Hill in ...

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, dedicated to his great-grandson, Prince Gaius Julius Antiochus Epiphanes Philopappos, who was a prominent and respected citizen in Athens. In the left figure of the monument is a statue of Antiochus III's son, Antiochus IV. Below Antiochus IV is an inscription that states ''King Antiochus son of King Antiochus''.

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* * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Antiochus 03 of Commagene Kings of Commagene 17 deaths 1st-century BC monarchs in Asia 1st-century monarchs in Asia Year of birth unknown