Archelaus of Cappadocia
Encyclopedia
Archelaus was a Roman Client Prince and the last King of Cappadocia
.
n Greek nobleman
, possibly of Macedonian descent
. His full name was Archelaus Sisines. He was the first born son, namesake of the Roman Client and High Priest Ruler Archelaus
, of the temple state of Comana, Cappadocia and Glaphyra
. Archelaus’ father served as the High Priest of the Roman Goddess of War, Bellona
. Archelaus had a sibling a brother called Sisines.
The paternal grandfather of Archelaus, also known as Archelaus
, was the first in his family to be High Priest and Roman Client Ruler of the temple state of Comana, Cappadocia. His paternal grandfather claimed to be descended from King Mithridates VI of Pontus
. Chronologically his paternal grandfather, may have been a maternal grandson of the Pontic King, who his father Archelaus
, was the favorite high-ranking general of Mithridates VI, who may had married one of the daughters of Mithridates VI.
In 47 BC the Roman Dictator Gaius Julius Caesar
after the conclusion of his military victory
against the Triumvir Pompey
, deprived and deposed his father of his office of high priest and rule over Comana. His father was replaced by another Greek nobleman called Lycomedes
. Pompey was their family patron and it was he that appointed his paternal grandfather as High Priest Ruler of the temple state of Comana. Sometime after his father died.
After the death of his father; Archelaus, his mother and his brother remained in Cappadocia
. His mother could be seen as the widow of the dynast of Comana. Little is known of the early life of Archelaus. Prior to be becoming King, Archelaus served as a Priest at Comana.
Mark Antony
. Glaphyra was a Hetaera
, which is an ancient Greek word for Courtesan
. His mother was famed and celebrated in antiquity for her beauty, charm as well as she had a reputation for being seductive.
The triumvir had fallen in love with the mother of Archelaus. Through her beauty, Glaphyra had influenced and induced Antony to designate and install her son Archelaus as King of Cappadocia. In 36 BC, Antony removed and executed then Cappadocian King Ariarathes X from his throne and installed Archelaus as the successor of Ariarathes X. His mother appeared to be a powerful lady at the Royal Court and internal politics in Cappadocia. Glaphyra’s powerful influence can be demonstrated by contemporary invective about the time of the Battle of Actium
in 30 BC, by certain frank and famous verses which Triumvir Octavian
composed about Antony.
In his early reign Archelaus married his first wife, whom through her marriage to him became Queen of Cappadocia. The identity of an earlier wife or wives hasn’t been recorded. His first wife was an unnamed Princess from Armenia, who died by 8 BC. There is a possibility that his first wife may have been a distant relative of his. His first wife may have been a daughter of King Artavasdes II of Armenia
(reigned 53 BC-34 BC) of the Artaxiad Dynasty
, who was of Armenian
, Persian
and Greek Macedonian descent
. Artavasdes II was the father of the future Armenian Kings Artaxias II
and Tigranes III
. The father of Artavasdes II was Tigranes the Great
, who married Cleopatra of Pontus
a daughter of Mithridates VI from his first wife, his sister Laodice
, thus Artavasdes II was a maternal grandson to Mithridates VI and Laodice. With his first wife he had two children: a daughter called Glaphyra
through whom he had further descendants and a son called Archelaus of Cilicia
.
Archelaus was an ally to Antony, until his defeat at the Battle of Actium
in 31 BC, where Archelaus had deserted him and became an ally to Triumvir Octavian
. Before Archelaus became an ally to Octavian, he was Antony’s beneficiary. By Archelaus making peace with Octavian, he was able to retain his crown.
When Octavian became the first Roman Emperor
Augustus, Archelaus became an important client monarch to Rome. Augustus considered Archelaus as a loyal ruler to him and of Cappadocia. Augustus had no commitment to provincialization as a matter of policy. In 25 BC, Augustus assigned to Archelaus to rule Cilicia Trachea
, the harbor city of Elaiussa Sebaste
, parts of the surrounding Cilician coast and Armenia Minor
. Augustus giving Archelaus all these extra territories to govern he was able to eliminate piracy and able to move to build a more solid shield against Parthia
.
On the Galatia
n border Archelaus possessed crystal and onyx mines. Archelaus transferred his palace from the mainland to Elaiussa Sebaste. After he and his family settled there, Archelaus developed the city. He built a royal residence, built a palace on the island in the harbor and he renamed the city in honor of Augustus. Sebaste is the Greek equivalent word of the Latin word Augusta. Archelaus renamed another city bearing his own name Archelaïs
. Archelaïs was originally a village town named Garsaura. He turned the village into an administrative centre, which later became a colony under the Roman Emperor Claudius
.
Archelaus was an author of a geographical work and had written treaties called On Stones and Rivers. At some point during the reign of Augustus, Archelaus had a temporary mental illness which resulted in the appointment of a guardian in his realm until he recovered.
In 18/17 BC, his daughter Glaphyra married prince Alexander of Judea
in an arranged ceremony. Archelaus began to have friendly relations with the Herodian Dynasty
. Archelaus on occasions acted as a mediator in sorting quarrels with members of the dynasty. Archelaus travelled to Jerusalem to visit Herod the Great
in order to reconcile him with his son Alexander. For Herod’s appreciation to Archelaus, Herod reconciled him to the Roman Governor of Syria
.
In 8 BC, Archelaus married for a second time to the Greek Client Monarch Pythodorida of Pontus
, who was previously widowed. Pythodorida had two sons and a daughter from her first husband Polemon I of Pontus
. When Archelaus married Pythodorida, she moved her and her family from the Black Sea
to Elaiussa Sebaste. Pythodorida remained with Archelaus until he died and they had no children. Archelaus wedding Pythodorida linked their kingdoms together, thus both monarchs had indirect control of their spouses’ realms. Their marriage arrangement too was doubtless orchestrated by Augustus, thereby to bind together the royal houses of Anatolia as surrogates for Roman suzerainty.
. Future Roman Emperor Tiberius
, beginning his civil career defended Archelaus from these accusations which ended to no avail.
Archelaus gave greater attention to Gaius Caesar
, one of Augustus’ grandsons, instead of Tiberius who was one of Augustus’ stepsons. This caused Tiberius to become jealous in time leading to his hatred of him. Between 2 BC-6, Tiberius
was living on the Greek island of Rhodes
, while Gaius Caesar was in the Eastern Mediterranean doing various political and military duties on behalf of Augustus. Archelaus showed more attention to Gaius Caesar over Tiberius because; Gaius Caesar was in an ascendant to the throne instead of Tiberius.
In 14 Augustus died and Tiberius succeeded his adoptive father as Roman Emperor. By this time, Archelaus’ health had failed. In 17, Archelaus had reigned over Cappadocia for fifty years and had lived to an advanced age.
In Archelaus’ final year in the Roman Empire, there was a shortage of funds for military pay and Tiberius wanted to integrate Archelaus’ kingdom into a Roman province
. Tiberius enticed Archelaus to come to Rome. When he arrived in Rome he was accused by the Roman Senate
of harboring revolutionary schemes. Tiberius hoped Archelaus would be condemned to death by the Senate. However Archelaus was obliged to remain in Rome, where he died of natural causes. Cappadocia became a Roman province and his widow with her family returned to Pontus. The Romans gave Armenia Minor to his step-son Artaxias III
to rule as Roman Client King, while the Cilician and the remaining territories of his former dominion were given to his son to rule as Roman Client King.
Cappadocia
Cappadocia is a historical region in Central Anatolia, largely in Nevşehir Province.In the time of Herodotus, the Cappadocians were reported as occupying the whole region from Mount Taurus to the vicinity of the Euxine...
.
Family & Early Life
Archelaus was a CappadociaCappadocia
Cappadocia is a historical region in Central Anatolia, largely in Nevşehir Province.In the time of Herodotus, the Cappadocians were reported as occupying the whole region from Mount Taurus to the vicinity of the Euxine...
n Greek nobleman
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
, possibly of Macedonian descent
Macedonia (Greece)
Macedonia is a geographical and historical region of Greece in Southern Europe. Macedonia is the largest and second most populous Greek region...
. His full name was Archelaus Sisines. He was the first born son, namesake of the Roman Client and High Priest Ruler Archelaus
Archelaus (father of Archelaus of Cappadocia)
Archelaus was a High priest of the temple-state of Comana, Cappadocia.Archelaus was a Cappadocian Greek nobleman, possibly of Macedonian descent. He was the son and namesake of the Roman Client Ruler and High Priest of Comana, Cappadocia, Archelaus by an unnamed Greek woman...
, of the temple state of Comana, Cappadocia and Glaphyra
Glaphyra (hetaera)
Glaphyra was a Hetaera that lived in the 1st century BC.Glaphyra was a Greek woman from Cappadocia from obscure origins. Glaphyra was famed and celebrated in antiquity for her beauty, charm as well as she had a reputation for being seductive...
. Archelaus’ father served as the High Priest of the Roman Goddess of War, Bellona
Bellona (goddess)
Bellona was an Ancient Roman goddess of war, similar to the Ancient Greek Enyo. Bellona's attribute is a sword and she is depicted wearing a helmet and armed with a spear and a torch....
. Archelaus had a sibling a brother called Sisines.
The paternal grandfather of Archelaus, also known as Archelaus
Archelaus (high priest of Comana Cappadocia)
Archelaus was a high priest of the temple-state of Comana, Cappadocia.-Family background:Archelaus was a Cappadocian Greek nobleman, possibly of Macedonian descent...
, was the first in his family to be High Priest and Roman Client Ruler of the temple state of Comana, Cappadocia. His paternal grandfather claimed to be descended from King Mithridates VI of Pontus
Mithridates VI of Pontus
Mithridates VI or Mithradates VI Mithradates , from Old Persian Mithradatha, "gift of Mithra"; 134 BC – 63 BC, also known as Mithradates the Great and Eupator Dionysius, was king of Pontus and Armenia Minor in northern Anatolia from about 120 BC to 63 BC...
. Chronologically his paternal grandfather, may have been a maternal grandson of the Pontic King, who his father Archelaus
Archelaus (general)
Archelaus was a leading military general of the King Mithridates VI of Pontus. Archelaus was the greatest general that had served under Mithridates VI and was also his favorite general....
, was the favorite high-ranking general of Mithridates VI, who may had married one of the daughters of Mithridates VI.
In 47 BC the Roman Dictator Gaius Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman and a distinguished writer of Latin prose. He played a critical role in the gradual transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire....
after the conclusion of his military victory
Caesar's civil war
The Great Roman Civil War , also known as Caesar's Civil War, was one of the last politico-military conflicts in the Roman Republic before the establishment of the Roman Empire...
against the Triumvir Pompey
Pompey
Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, also known as Pompey or Pompey the Great , was a military and political leader of the late Roman Republic...
, deprived and deposed his father of his office of high priest and rule over Comana. His father was replaced by another Greek nobleman called Lycomedes
Lycomedes of Comana
Lycomedes of Comana was a Bithynian nobleman of Cappadocian Greek descent who ruled Comana, Cappadocia in the second half of the 1st century BC. In 47 BC Lycomedes was probably about 50 years old, when he was named by Roman Dictator Gaius Julius Caesar the priest of the goddess Bellona in the...
. Pompey was their family patron and it was he that appointed his paternal grandfather as High Priest Ruler of the temple state of Comana. Sometime after his father died.
After the death of his father; Archelaus, his mother and his brother remained in Cappadocia
Cappadocia
Cappadocia is a historical region in Central Anatolia, largely in Nevşehir Province.In the time of Herodotus, the Cappadocians were reported as occupying the whole region from Mount Taurus to the vicinity of the Euxine...
. His mother could be seen as the widow of the dynast of Comana. Little is known of the early life of Archelaus. Prior to be becoming King, Archelaus served as a Priest at Comana.
Glaphyra, Mark Antony & Accession to the Throne
Years later the mother of Archelaus, Glaphyra became one of the mistresses to the Roman TriumvirRoman Republic
The Roman Republic was the period of the ancient Roman civilization where the government operated as a republic. It began with the overthrow of the Roman monarchy, traditionally dated around 508 BC, and its replacement by a government headed by two consuls, elected annually by the citizens and...
Mark Antony
Mark Antony
Marcus Antonius , known in English as Mark Antony, was a Roman politician and general. As a military commander and administrator, he was an important supporter and loyal friend of his mother's cousin Julius Caesar...
. Glaphyra was a Hetaera
Hetaera
In ancient Greece, hetaerae were courtesans, that is to say, highly educated, sophisticated companions...
, which is an ancient Greek word for Courtesan
Courtesan
A courtesan was originally a female courtier, which means a person who attends the court of a monarch or other powerful person.In feudal society, the court was the centre of government as well as the residence of the monarch, and social and political life were often completely mixed together...
. His mother was famed and celebrated in antiquity for her beauty, charm as well as she had a reputation for being seductive.
The triumvir had fallen in love with the mother of Archelaus. Through her beauty, Glaphyra had influenced and induced Antony to designate and install her son Archelaus as King of Cappadocia. In 36 BC, Antony removed and executed then Cappadocian King Ariarathes X from his throne and installed Archelaus as the successor of Ariarathes X. His mother appeared to be a powerful lady at the Royal Court and internal politics in Cappadocia. Glaphyra’s powerful influence can be demonstrated by contemporary invective about the time of the Battle of Actium
Battle of Actium
The Battle of Actium was the decisive confrontation of the Final War of the Roman Republic. It was fought between the forces of Octavian and the combined forces of Mark Antony and Cleopatra VII. The battle took place on 2 September 31 BC, on the Ionian Sea near the city of Actium, at the Roman...
in 30 BC, by certain frank and famous verses which Triumvir Octavian
Augustus
Augustus ;23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14) is considered the first emperor of the Roman Empire, which he ruled alone from 27 BC until his death in 14 AD.The dates of his rule are contemporary dates; Augustus lived under two calendars, the Roman Republican until 45 BC, and the Julian...
composed about Antony.
Reign as King
After Archelaus assumed the Cappadocian throne, his royal title was in Greek: Άρχέλαος Φιλοπατρίς Κτίστης, Archelaus Philopatris Ktistes. Philopatris Ktistes, means in Greek lover and founder of his country. His royal title is known from surviving inscriptions in particular from coinage.In his early reign Archelaus married his first wife, whom through her marriage to him became Queen of Cappadocia. The identity of an earlier wife or wives hasn’t been recorded. His first wife was an unnamed Princess from Armenia, who died by 8 BC. There is a possibility that his first wife may have been a distant relative of his. His first wife may have been a daughter of King Artavasdes II of Armenia
Artavasdes II of Armenia
King Artavasdes II ruled Armenia from 53 to 34 BC. He succeeded his father, Tigranes the Great. Artavasdes was an ally of Rome, but when Orodes II of Parthia invaded Armenia following his victory over the Roman general Marcus Licinius Crassus at the Battle of Carrhae in 53 BC, he was forced to...
(reigned 53 BC-34 BC) of the Artaxiad Dynasty
Artaxiad Dynasty
The Artaxiad Dynasty or Ardaxiad Dynasty ruled the Kingdom of Armenia from 189 BC until their overthrow by the Romans in AD 12. Their realm included Greater Armenia, Sophene and intermittently Lesser Armenia and parts of Mesopotamia...
, who was of 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....
, Persian
Persian people
The Persian people are part of the Iranian peoples who speak the modern Persian language and closely akin Iranian dialects and languages. The origin of the ethnic Iranian/Persian peoples are traced to the Ancient Iranian peoples, who were part of the ancient Indo-Iranians and themselves part of...
and Greek Macedonian descent
Macedonia (Greece)
Macedonia is a geographical and historical region of Greece in Southern Europe. Macedonia is the largest and second most populous Greek region...
. Artavasdes II was the father of the future Armenian Kings Artaxias II
Artaxias II
Artaxias II was a king of Armenia, the eldest son of Artavasdes II. He ascended the throne when his father was taken prisoner and executed by Triumvir Mark Antony, and after his own skirmish with the Romans was forced to flee to Parthia...
and Tigranes III
Tigranes III
Tigranes III was king of Armenia from 20 BC until 8 BC. He was the son of Artavasdes II and brother of Artaxias II.Tacitus says that in 20 BC, the Armenians sent messengers to Roman Emperor Augustus to tell him that they no longer wanted Artaxias II as their king, and asked that his brother...
. The father of Artavasdes II was Tigranes the Great
Tigranes the Great
Tigranes the Great was emperor of Armenia under whom the country became, for a short time, the strongest state east of the Roman Republic. He was a member of the Artaxiad Royal House...
, who married Cleopatra of Pontus
Cleopatra of Pontus
Cleopatra of Pontus was a Pontian Princess, who was one of the daughters of King Mithridates VI of Pontus and Queen Laodice. Cleopatra is sometimes known as Cleopatra the Elder, to distinguish her from her sister of the same name and was born and raised in the Kingdom of Pontus...
a daughter of Mithridates VI from his first wife, his sister Laodice
Laodice (sister-wife of Mithridates VI of Pontus)
Laodice was a beautiful Pontian Princess and Queen who was first wife and sister-wife to King Mithridates VI of Pontus.She was a monarch of Persian and Greek Macedonian ancestry...
, thus Artavasdes II was a maternal grandson to Mithridates VI and Laodice. With his first wife he had two children: a daughter called Glaphyra
Glaphyra
Glaphyra was an Anatolian Princess from Cappadocia and through marriage was related to the Herodian Dynasty. -Family and early life:Glaphyra was a royal princess of Greek, Armenian and Persian descent. Her father was the Roman ally king Archelaus of Cappadocia, her only natural sibling was her...
through whom he had further descendants and a son called Archelaus of Cilicia
Archelaus of Cilicia
Archelaus was a Cappadocian Prince from Anatolia and was as a Roman Client King of Cilicia Trachea and Eastern Lycaonia. He is sometimes known as Archelaus Minor and Archelaus II to distinguished him from his father Archelaus of Cappadocia.Archelaus was a Monarch of Greek, Armenian and Persian...
.
Archelaus was an ally to Antony, until his defeat at the Battle of Actium
Battle of Actium
The Battle of Actium was the decisive confrontation of the Final War of the Roman Republic. It was fought between the forces of Octavian and the combined forces of Mark Antony and Cleopatra VII. The battle took place on 2 September 31 BC, on the Ionian Sea near the city of Actium, at the Roman...
in 31 BC, where Archelaus had deserted him and became an ally to Triumvir Octavian
Augustus
Augustus ;23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14) is considered the first emperor of the Roman Empire, which he ruled alone from 27 BC until his death in 14 AD.The dates of his rule are contemporary dates; Augustus lived under two calendars, the Roman Republican until 45 BC, and the Julian...
. Before Archelaus became an ally to Octavian, he was Antony’s beneficiary. By Archelaus making peace with Octavian, he was able to retain his crown.
When Octavian became the first Roman Emperor
Roman Emperor
The Roman emperor was the ruler of the Roman State during the imperial period . The Romans had no single term for the office although at any given time, a given title was associated with the emperor...
Augustus, Archelaus became an important client monarch to Rome. Augustus considered Archelaus as a loyal ruler to him and of Cappadocia. Augustus had no commitment to provincialization as a matter of policy. In 25 BC, Augustus assigned to Archelaus to rule Cilicia Trachea
Cilicia
In antiquity, Cilicia was the south coastal region of Asia Minor, south of the central Anatolian plateau. It existed as a political entity from Hittite times into the Byzantine empire...
, the harbor city of Elaiussa Sebaste
Elaiussa Sebaste
Elaiussa Sebaste or Elaeousa Sebaste was an ancient Roman town located from Mersin in the direction of Silifke in Cilicia on the southern coast of Anatolia . Elaiussa, meaning olive, was founded in the 2nd century B.C...
, parts of the surrounding Cilician coast and Armenia Minor
Lesser Armenia
Lesser Armenia , also known as Armenia Minor and Armenia Inferior, refers to the Armenian populated regions, primarily to the West and North-West of the ancient Armenian Kingdom...
. Augustus giving Archelaus all these extra territories to govern he was able to eliminate piracy and able to move to build a more solid shield against Parthia
Parthia
Parthia is a region of north-eastern Iran, best known for having been the political and cultural base of the Arsacid dynasty, rulers of the Parthian Empire....
.
On the Galatia
Galatia
Ancient Galatia was an area in the highlands of central Anatolia in modern Turkey. Galatia was named for the immigrant Gauls from Thrace , who settled here and became its ruling caste in the 3rd century BC, following the Gallic invasion of the Balkans in 279 BC. It has been called the "Gallia" of...
n border Archelaus possessed crystal and onyx mines. Archelaus transferred his palace from the mainland to Elaiussa Sebaste. After he and his family settled there, Archelaus developed the city. He built a royal residence, built a palace on the island in the harbor and he renamed the city in honor of Augustus. Sebaste is the Greek equivalent word of the Latin word Augusta. Archelaus renamed another city bearing his own name Archelaïs
Aksaray
Aksaray is a city in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey and the capital district of Aksaray Province. According to 2009 census, population of the province is 376 907 of which 171,423 live in the city of Aksaray. The district covers an area of , and the average elevation is , with the highest...
. Archelaïs was originally a village town named Garsaura. He turned the village into an administrative centre, which later became a colony under the Roman Emperor Claudius
Claudius
Claudius , was Roman Emperor from 41 to 54. A member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, he was the son of Drusus and Antonia Minor. He was born at Lugdunum in Gaul and was the first Roman Emperor to be born outside Italy...
.
Archelaus was an author of a geographical work and had written treaties called On Stones and Rivers. At some point during the reign of Augustus, Archelaus had a temporary mental illness which resulted in the appointment of a guardian in his realm until he recovered.
In 18/17 BC, his daughter Glaphyra married prince Alexander of Judea
Alexander, son of Herod
Alexander, son of Herod was born about 35 BC; died about 7 BC. His mother was the Hasmonean princess Mariamne.The unfortunate fate which persistently pursued the Hasmonean house overtook this prince also. As heir presumptive to the throne by right of descent on his mother's side, he was sent to...
in an arranged ceremony. Archelaus began to have friendly relations with the Herodian Dynasty
Herodian Dynasty
The Herodian Dynasty was a Jewish dynasty of Idumean descent, client Kings of Roman Judaea Province between 37 BCE and 92 CE.- Origin :During the time of the Hasmonean ruler John Hyrcanus 134-104 BCE, Israel conquered Edom and forced the Edomites to convert to Judaism.The Edomites were integrated...
. Archelaus on occasions acted as a mediator in sorting quarrels with members of the dynasty. Archelaus travelled to Jerusalem to visit Herod the Great
Herod the Great
Herod , also known as Herod the Great , was a Roman client king of Judea. His epithet of "the Great" is widely disputed as he is described as "a madman who murdered his own family and a great many rabbis." He is also known for his colossal building projects in Jerusalem and elsewhere, including his...
in order to reconcile him with his son Alexander. For Herod’s appreciation to Archelaus, Herod reconciled him to the Roman Governor of Syria
Syria (Roman province)
Syria was a Roman province, annexed in 64 BC by Pompey, as a consequence of his military presence after pursuing victory in the Third Mithridatic War. It remained under Roman, and subsequently Byzantine, rule for seven centuries, until 637 when it fell to the Islamic conquests.- Principate :The...
.
In 8 BC, Archelaus married for a second time to the Greek Client Monarch Pythodorida of Pontus
Pythodorida of Pontus
Pythodorida or Pythodoris of Pontus was a Roman Client Queen of Pontus, Bosporan, Cilicia and Cappadocia.-Origins & Early Life:Pythodorida is also known as Pythodoris I and Pantos Pythodorida. According to an honorific inscription dedicated to her in Athens Greece in the late 1st century BC, her...
, who was previously widowed. Pythodorida had two sons and a daughter from her first husband Polemon I of Pontus
Polemon I of Pontus
Polemon Pythodoros, also known as Polemon I or Polemon I of Pontus was the Roman Client King of Cilicia, Pontus, Colchis and the Bosporan Kingdom....
. When Archelaus married Pythodorida, she moved her and her family from the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
to Elaiussa Sebaste. Pythodorida remained with Archelaus until he died and they had no children. Archelaus wedding Pythodorida linked their kingdoms together, thus both monarchs had indirect control of their spouses’ realms. Their marriage arrangement too was doubtless orchestrated by Augustus, thereby to bind together the royal houses of Anatolia as surrogates for Roman suzerainty.
Tiberius
Although Archelaus was liked by the Romans, he experienced less success with his subjects. On one occasion during the reign of Augustus, some Cappadocian citizens lodged an accusation against Archelaus in RomeRome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. Future Roman Emperor Tiberius
Tiberius
Tiberius , was Roman Emperor from 14 AD to 37 AD. Tiberius was by birth a Claudian, son of Tiberius Claudius Nero and Livia Drusilla. His mother divorced Nero and married Augustus in 39 BC, making him a step-son of Octavian...
, beginning his civil career defended Archelaus from these accusations which ended to no avail.
Archelaus gave greater attention to Gaius Caesar
Gaius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar , most commonly known as Gaius Caesar or Caius Caesar, was the oldest son of Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa and Julia the Elder...
, one of Augustus’ grandsons, instead of Tiberius who was one of Augustus’ stepsons. This caused Tiberius to become jealous in time leading to his hatred of him. Between 2 BC-6, Tiberius
Tiberius
Tiberius , was Roman Emperor from 14 AD to 37 AD. Tiberius was by birth a Claudian, son of Tiberius Claudius Nero and Livia Drusilla. His mother divorced Nero and married Augustus in 39 BC, making him a step-son of Octavian...
was living on the Greek island of Rhodes
Rhodes
Rhodes is an island in Greece, located in the eastern Aegean Sea. It is the largest of the Dodecanese islands in terms of both land area and population, with a population of 117,007, and also the island group's historical capital. Administratively the island forms a separate municipality within...
, while Gaius Caesar was in the Eastern Mediterranean doing various political and military duties on behalf of Augustus. Archelaus showed more attention to Gaius Caesar over Tiberius because; Gaius Caesar was in an ascendant to the throne instead of Tiberius.
In 14 Augustus died and Tiberius succeeded his adoptive father as Roman Emperor. By this time, Archelaus’ health had failed. In 17, Archelaus had reigned over Cappadocia for fifty years and had lived to an advanced age.
In Archelaus’ final year in the Roman Empire, there was a shortage of funds for military pay and Tiberius wanted to integrate Archelaus’ kingdom into a Roman province
Roman province
In Ancient Rome, a province was the basic, and, until the Tetrarchy , largest territorial and administrative unit of the empire's territorial possessions outside of Italy...
. Tiberius enticed Archelaus to come to Rome. When he arrived in Rome he was accused by the Roman Senate
Roman Senate
The Senate of the Roman Republic was a political institution in the ancient Roman Republic, however, it was not an elected body, but one whose members were appointed by the consuls, and later by the censors. After a magistrate served his term in office, it usually was followed with automatic...
of harboring revolutionary schemes. Tiberius hoped Archelaus would be condemned to death by the Senate. However Archelaus was obliged to remain in Rome, where he died of natural causes. Cappadocia became a Roman province and his widow with her family returned to Pontus. The Romans gave Armenia Minor to his step-son Artaxias III
Artaxias III
Artaxias III, also known as Zeno-Artaxias, Artaxes or Artashes was a prince of the Bosporan, Pontus, Cilicia, Cappadocia and Roman Client King of Armenia....
to rule as Roman Client King, while the Cilician and the remaining territories of his former dominion were given to his son to rule as Roman Client King.
Sources
- Cassius Dio, xlix. 32-51
- StraboStraboStrabo, also written Strabon was a Greek historian, geographer and philosopher.-Life:Strabo was born to an affluent family from Amaseia in Pontus , a city which he said was situated the approximate equivalent of 75 km from the Black Sea...
, xii. p. 540 - SuetoniusSuetoniusGaius Suetonius Tranquillus, commonly known as Suetonius , was a Roman historian belonging to the equestrian order in the early Imperial era....
, TiberiusTiberiusTiberius , was Roman Emperor from 14 AD to 37 AD. Tiberius was by birth a Claudian, son of Tiberius Claudius Nero and Livia Drusilla. His mother divorced Nero and married Augustus in 39 BC, making him a step-son of Octavian...
, 37, CaligulaCaligulaCaligula , also known as Gaius, was Roman Emperor from 37 AD to 41 AD. Caligula was a member of the house of rulers conventionally known as the Julio-Claudian dynasty. Caligula's father Germanicus, the nephew and adopted son of Emperor Tiberius, was a very successful general and one of Rome's most...
, 1 - TacitusTacitusPublius Cornelius Tacitus was a senator and a historian of the Roman Empire. The surviving portions of his two major works—the Annals and the Histories—examine the reigns of the Roman Emperors Tiberius, Claudius, Nero and those who reigned in the Year of the Four Emperors...
, Ann. ii. 42 - Egyptian Royal Genealogy - Ptolemaic Dynasty, 2005 by Chris Bennett
- Ancient Library Articles
- http://www.livius.org/ap-ark/archelaus/archelaus.html
- http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/32710/Archelaus
- http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/judaica/ejud_0002_0004_0_03938.html
- http://www.apologetics.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=101896&page=1
- Millar, Fergus, Schürer, Emil & Vermes, The History of the Jewish People in the Age of Jesus Christ (175 B.C. - A.D. 135), Geza Continuum International Publishing Group, 1973
- A. WagnerAnthony WagnerSir Anthony Richard Wagner, KCB, KCVO, FSA was a long-serving officer of arms at the College of Arms in London. He served as Garter Principal King of Arms before retiring to the post of Clarenceux King of Arms...
, Pedigree and Progress, Essays in the Genealogical Interpretation of History, London, Philmore, 1975. Rutgers Alex CS4.W33. - H. Temporini and W. Haase, Aufstieg und Niedergang der römischen Welt: Geschichte und Kultur Roms im Spiegel der neueren Forschung, Walter de Gruyter, 1980
- R. Syme and A.R. Birley, Anatolica: studies in Strabo, Oxford University Press, 1995
- K.J. Rigsby, Asylia: territorial inviolability in the Hellenistic world, University of California Press, 1996
- A.K. Bowman, E. Champlin & A. Lintott, The Augustan Empire, 43 B.C.-A.D. 69, Cambridge University Press, 1996
- S. Sandler, Ground warfare: an international encyclopedia, Volume 1, ABC-CLIO, 2002
- A. Dodson and D. Hilton, Complete Royal Families of Ancient Egypt, London: Thames & Hudson, 2004. MCL 932 Dod
- D. Dueck, H. Lindsay and S. Pothecary, Strabo’s cultural geography: the making of a kolossourgia, Cambridge University Press, 2005
- A. Mayor. The Poison King: the life and legend of Mithradates, Rome’s deadliest enemy, Princeton University Press, 2009