Abdissares
Encyclopedia
Abdissares ruled the kingdom of Sophene
after the assassination of his father, Xerxes
in 212 BC.
There are no known western sources for this king, only numismatic. His coins are almost similar to those of his father.
His name seems to include the Aramaic prefix "Abd" which means slave. Aramaic was widely used in that region, and yet why would he have such a name, compared to his Armenian
father Xerxes or brother Orontes IV?
This may have seem as a slur by the local Aramaic people, yet it is borne on his coins.
"Ssares" sounds like Zareh (known in Greek sources as Zariadres
), and it was Zareh who overthrew Abdissares in 200 BC.
These coups were the workings of king Antiochus III which also saw Zareh's son Artaxias
(Artaxerxes) overthrow Orontes IV
to become King of Armenia
.
Sophene
Sophene , or ) was a province of the Armenian Kingdom and of the Roman Empire, located in the south-west of the kingdom. It currently lies in modern-day southeastern Turkey....
after the assassination of his father, Xerxes
Xerxes of Armenia
Xerxes .He succeeded his father Arsames I to rule both Sophene and Commagene in 228 BC, his brother Orontes IV ruled Armenia....
in 212 BC.
There are no known western sources for this king, only numismatic. His coins are almost similar to those of his father.
His name seems to include the Aramaic prefix "Abd" which means slave. Aramaic was widely used in that region, and yet why would he have such a name, compared to his Armenian
Armenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....
father Xerxes or brother Orontes IV?
This may have seem as a slur by the local Aramaic people, yet it is borne on his coins.
"Ssares" sounds like Zareh (known in Greek sources as Zariadres
Zariadres
Zariadres was a King of Sophene.Strabo cites Sophene being taken over by a "general" of king Antiochus III by 200 BC, called Zariadres.Following the defeat of Antiochus III by the Romans at the Battle of Magnesia in 190 BC, Zariadres and Artaxias* revolted and with Roman consent began to reign...
), and it was Zareh who overthrew Abdissares in 200 BC.
These coups were the workings of king Antiochus III which also saw Zareh's son Artaxias
Artaxias I
Artaxias I was the founder of the Artaxiad Dynasty whose members ruled the Kingdom of Armenia for nearly two centuries....
(Artaxerxes) overthrow Orontes IV
Orontes IV
Orontes IV was the son of King Arsames and is recorded as ruling Armenia from inscriptions found at the historic capital of the Orontid dynasty, Armavir.In his reign the religious site of Bagaran was founded...
to become King of Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
.