Arsames I ( Greek: ; peo, 𐎠𐎼𐏁𐎠𐎶) seems to have taken control of Commagene, Sophene and Armenia in the year 260 BC after the death of his grandfather

Orontes III Orontes III (Old Persian Old Persian is one of the two directly attested Old Iranian languages (the other being Avestan language, Avestan) and is the ancestor of Middle Persian (the language of Sasanian Empire). Like other Old Iranian languages, ...

, king of Armenia, and his father Sames, king of Commagene.

Name

"Arsames" is the Hellenized form of the

Old Persian Old Persian is one of the two directly attested Old Iranian languages (the other being Avestan language, Avestan) and is the ancestor of Middle Persian (the language of Sasanian Empire). Like other Old Iranian languages, it was known to its native ...

name ''Aršāma'' ("having a hero’s strength"), which was a common name within the Persian Achaemenid family as well as amongst the Persian elite of the

Achaemenid Empire The Achaemenid Empire or Achaemenian Empire (; peo, 𐎧𐏁𐏂, , ), also called the First Persian Empire, was an ancient Iranian empire founded by Cyrus the Great in 550 BC. Based in Western Asia, it was contemporarily the largest em ...

(550–330 BC). The name is a compound, composed of ''aršan'' ("male, hero") and ''ama'' ("strength"). The name is attested in Aramaic as ''ʾršm''. The feminine form of the name, ''*Aršāmā'' (Greek ''Arsamē''), is attested in the daughter of

Darius the Great Darius I ( peo, 𐎭𐎠𐎼𐎹𐎺𐎢𐏁 ; grc-gre, Δαρεῖος ; – 486 BCE), commonly known as Darius the Great, was a Persian ruler who served as the third King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire, reigning from 522 BCE until his d ...

(522–486 BC).

Reign

The

Seleucid Empire The Seleucid Empire (; grc, Βασιλεία τῶν Σελευκιδῶν, ''Basileía tōn Seleukidōn'') was a Greek state in West Asia that existed during the Hellenistic period from 312 BC to 63 BC. The Seleucid Empire was founded by the ...

was always trying to overthrow the Armenian dynasties who still ruled the lands their forebears had in the time of the

Ziaelas of Bithynia Ziaelas ( grc-gre, Ζιαήλας; lived c. 265 BC – 228 BC, reigned c. 254 BC – 228 BC), third king of Bithynia, was a son of Nicomedes I and Ditizele. Life Following the death of Nicomedes I, his second wife Etazeta of Bithynia acted ...

found refuge at the court of king Arsames, and upon the death of king Nicomedes I of

Bithynia Bithynia (; Koine Greek: , ''Bithynía'') was an ancient region, kingdom and Roman province in the northwest of Asia Minor (present-day Turkey), adjoining the Sea of Marmara, the Bosporus, and the Black Sea. It bordered Mysia to the southwest, Pa ...

Ziaelas returned to take the kingdom in 254 BC. Arsames also supported Antiochus Hierax against his brother, Seleucus II Callinicus, who was defeated at a battle against king Mithridates II of Pontus near Ankara in 239 BC, after which Seleucus lost control of any lands he had across the Taurus mountains. This was to the benefit of Arsames. Arsames then founded the cities of Arsamosata in Sophene and Arsameia (known today as Eski Kale) in Commagene in 235 BC. After his death his eldest son Xerxes became king of Commagene, Sophene and Armenia. Orontes IV would succeed Xerxes whilst another son known as "Mithras" (or Mithrenes II) is recorded as being the High Priest of the temple to the Sun and Moon at Armavir.

Children

* Xerxes, King of Armenia and Sophene 228 – 212 BC *

Orontes IV Orontes IV (Old Persian: ''*Arvanta-'') was the son of King Arsames and is recorded as ruling Armenia from inscriptions found at the historic capital of the Orontid dynasty, Armavir. He was the founder of the city of Yervandashat. In his reign ...

, King of Armenia 212 – 200 BC * Mithrenes II, High Priest of the temple to the Sun and Moon at Armavir.

Notes

References

3rd-century BC kings of Armenia Kings of Sophene Diadochi 3rd-century BC rulers 228 BC deaths Year of birth unknown {{Armenia-royal-stub

Name

Reign

Children

See also

Notes

References