Orontes I
Encyclopedia
Orontes I Armenian
King of Orontid Dynasty
reigning in the period between 401 BC
– 344 BC
. The Persian version of the name is Auruand which meant "Great Warrior" in the Avestan language.
It is likely this was a special title given by the Persian king to a chosen Armenian
man, though this seems to have become a hereditary title in that family.
According to the Greek sources (Herodotus
, Strabo
) Orontes was made Satrap
of Sophene
and Matiene
(Mitanni
), these comprised western and eastern Armenia
.
He was given these Satrapies after the Battle of Cunaxa
in 401 BC for supporting Artaxerxes II against Cyrus the Younger
.
It is likely he ruled from Armavir
as the previous the previous Satrap of Armenia, Hydarnes
, had ruled from there.
He also married Rodogoune, the daughter of king Artaxerxes II by one of his concubines.
He is next recorded in 381 BC for the campaign to recapture Cyprus from its rebel leader, King Evagoras
, commanding the army, whilst the navy was under the command of Tiribazus
. They managed to lay siege to the city of Salamis, however Orontes then impeached Tiribazus to king Artaxerxes II. Before three Persian noble judges, Orontes was found guilty.
In 362 BC a great rebellion occurred in Anatolia
, led by Datames
, Satrap of Cappadocia
. Some sources say that it was Orontes who was chosen by the rebels as their leader. However Orontes stayed loyal to king Artaxerxes II and aided in the collapse of the rebellion.
Apparently he wanted to rule Anatolia and Armenia alone.
He captured the city of Pergamon
and sent bribe money to Athens
, where a decree records his name for an alliance.
He had enough funds to plot such things as he is recorded to have had a personal fortune of 3,000 talents of silver.
In 355 BC he rebelled against the new king of the Achaemenid Empire
, Artaxerxes III. He still had possession of parts of western Anatolia, he fought a battle against the satrap of Daskyleion and minted his own coins in Ionia, such as the one displayed in the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris. He handed back Pergamon to the king and subsequently died.
The kings of the Kingdom of Commagene
claimed descent from Orontes with Darius I of Persia
as their ancestor, by his marriage to Rodogoune, daughter of Artaxerxes II who had a family descent from king Darius I.
Some ancient Greek sources called Orontes a "Bactrian", though it was because his father, Artasyrus
(Artaxerxes), had been the Satrap of Bactria
in the reign of king Artaxerxes II.
It is interesting that during the Achaemenid Empire
Bactria
was ruled by the heir to the throne. It is possible that Artasyrus is the same person as king Artaxerxes II.
This king had seven known children and eleven children whose names are not known in western historical records.
Xenophon
's Anabasis mentions the region near the river Centrites was defended by the satrap of Armenia for Artaxerxes II, named Orontes son of Artasyras who had Armenian
contingents. Xenophon mentioned that he had a son called Tigranes
. His successor was was Codomannus (Darius III) and after Codomannus these Satrapies were ruled by Orontes II
. Whether he was the same person as Tigranes but had adopted the name Orontes or that they were brothers is not known.
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....
King of Orontid Dynasty
Orontid Dynasty
The Orontid Dynasty The Orontid Dynasty The Orontid Dynasty (also known by their native name, Yervanduni was a hereditary Armenian dynasty and the rulers of the successor state to the Iron Age kingdom of Ararat...
reigning in the period between 401 BC
401 BC
Year 401 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Tribunate of Potitus, Cossus, Camillus, Ambustus, Mamercinus and Iullus...
– 344 BC
344 BC
Year 344 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Rutilus and Torquatus...
. The Persian version of the name is Auruand which meant "Great Warrior" in the Avestan language.
It is likely this was a special title given by the Persian king to a chosen 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....
man, though this seems to have become a hereditary title in that family.
According to the Greek sources (Herodotus
Herodotus
Herodotus was an ancient Greek historian who was born in Halicarnassus, Caria and lived in the 5th century BC . He has been called the "Father of History", and was the first historian known to collect his materials systematically, test their accuracy to a certain extent and arrange them in a...
, Strabo
Strabo
Strabo, 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...
) Orontes was made Satrap
Satrap
Satrap was the name given to the governors of the provinces of the ancient Median and Achaemenid Empires and in several of their successors, such as the Sassanid Empire and the Hellenistic empires....
of Sophene
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....
and Matiene
Matiene
Matiene was the name of a kingdom in northwestern Iran which overran the kingdom of the Mannae. The Mannaeans were non-Indo-European, probably speaking either an Hurro-Urartian language like the Nairi or a Northeast Caucasian language like the Albanians to the north...
(Mitanni
Mitanni
Mitanni or Hanigalbat was a loosely organized Hurrian-speaking state in northern Syria and south-east Anatolia from ca. 1500 BC–1300 BC...
), these comprised western and eastern Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
.
He was given these Satrapies after the Battle of Cunaxa
Battle of Cunaxa
The Battle of Cunaxa was fought in 401 BC between Cyrus the Younger and his elder brother Arsaces, who had inherited the Persian throne as Artaxerxes II in 404 BC. The great battle of the revolt of Cyrus took place 70 km north of Babylon, at Cunaxa , on the left bank of the Euphrates River...
in 401 BC for supporting Artaxerxes II against Cyrus the Younger
Cyrus the Younger
Cyrus the Younger, son of Darius II of Persia and Parysatis, was a Persian prince and general. The time of his birth is unknown, but he died in 401 B.C. The history of Cyrus and of the retreat of the Greeks is told by Xenophon in his Anabasis. Another account, probably from Sophaenetus of...
.
It is likely he ruled from Armavir
Armavir, Armenia
Armavir is a city located in western Armenia. The 1989 census reported that the city had a total population of 46,900, but this has declined considerably: the 2001 census counted 32,034; estimate for 2008 is 26,387. It is the capital of the Armavir province . The city of Armavir in Russia, founded...
as the previous the previous Satrap of Armenia, Hydarnes
Hydarnes
Hydarnes was an eminent Persian, the commander of the "Ten Thousand Immortals" during the time of king Xerxes invasion of Greece.Perhaps the most famous episode involving Satrap Hydarnes and his Immortals came at the Thermopylae in 480 BC, when they came into contact with Leonidas of...
, had ruled from there.
He also married Rodogoune, the daughter of king Artaxerxes II by one of his concubines.
He is next recorded in 381 BC for the campaign to recapture Cyprus from its rebel leader, King Evagoras
Evagoras
Evagoras was the king of Salamis in Cyprus. The son of Nicocles, a previous king of Salamis, he claimed descent from Teucer, the son of Telamon and half-brother of Ajax, and his family had long been rulers of Salamis, although during his childhood Salamis came under Phoenician control, which...
, commanding the army, whilst the navy was under the command of Tiribazus
Tiribazus
Tiribazus or Teribazus, a Persian general and Persian satrap of Western Armenia and later Lydia in western Anatolia.He was highly regarded by the Persian King Artaxerxes II, and when he was present, so Xenophon tells us, no one else had the honour of helping the sovereign to mount his horse.At the...
. They managed to lay siege to the city of Salamis, however Orontes then impeached Tiribazus to king Artaxerxes II. Before three Persian noble judges, Orontes was found guilty.
In 362 BC a great rebellion occurred in Anatolia
Anatolia
Anatolia is a geographic and historical term denoting the westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey...
, led by Datames
Datames
Datames was a general and satrap of Cappadocia under the Persian empire. A Carian by birth, he was the son of Camissares by a Scythian or Paphlagonian mother...
, Satrap of 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...
. Some sources say that it was Orontes who was chosen by the rebels as their leader. However Orontes stayed loyal to king Artaxerxes II and aided in the collapse of the rebellion.
Apparently he wanted to rule Anatolia and Armenia alone.
He captured the city of Pergamon
Pergamon
Pergamon , or Pergamum, was an ancient Greek city in modern-day Turkey, in Mysia, today located from the Aegean Sea on a promontory on the north side of the river Caicus , that became the capital of the Kingdom of Pergamon during the Hellenistic period, under the Attalid dynasty, 281–133 BC...
and sent bribe money to Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, where a decree records his name for an alliance.
He had enough funds to plot such things as he is recorded to have had a personal fortune of 3,000 talents of silver.
In 355 BC he rebelled against the new king of the Achaemenid Empire
Achaemenid Empire
The Achaemenid Empire , sometimes known as First Persian Empire and/or Persian Empire, was founded in the 6th century BCE by Cyrus the Great who overthrew the Median confederation...
, Artaxerxes III. He still had possession of parts of western Anatolia, he fought a battle against the satrap of Daskyleion and minted his own coins in Ionia, such as the one displayed in the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris. He handed back Pergamon to the king and subsequently died.
The kings of the Kingdom of Commagene
Kingdom of Commagene
The Kingdom of Commagene was an ancient kingdom of the Hellenistic Age.Little is known of the region of Commagene prior to the beginning of the 2nd century BC. However, it seems that, from what little evidence remains, Commagene formed part of a larger state that also included Sophene...
claimed descent from Orontes with Darius I of Persia
Darius I of Persia
Darius I , also known as Darius the Great, was the third king of kings of the Achaemenid Empire...
as their ancestor, by his marriage to Rodogoune, daughter of Artaxerxes II who had a family descent from king Darius I.
Some ancient Greek sources called Orontes a "Bactrian", though it was because his father, Artasyrus
Artasyrus
Artasyrus an Armenian recorded as being the Satrap of Armenia during the reign of king Artaxerxes II. His son Orontes was already Satrap of Matiene during the reign of the same king, so it appears there is confusion in the historical records, which is understandable in that western sources about...
(Artaxerxes), had been the Satrap of Bactria
Bactria
Bactria and also appears in the Zend Avesta as Bukhdi. It is the ancient name of a historical region located between south of the Amu Darya and west of the Indus River...
in the reign of king Artaxerxes II.
It is interesting that during the Achaemenid Empire
Achaemenid Empire
The Achaemenid Empire , sometimes known as First Persian Empire and/or Persian Empire, was founded in the 6th century BCE by Cyrus the Great who overthrew the Median confederation...
Bactria
Bactria
Bactria and also appears in the Zend Avesta as Bukhdi. It is the ancient name of a historical region located between south of the Amu Darya and west of the Indus River...
was ruled by the heir to the throne. It is possible that Artasyrus is the same person as king Artaxerxes II.
This king had seven known children and eleven children whose names are not known in western historical records.
Xenophon
Xenophon
Xenophon , son of Gryllus, of the deme Erchia of Athens, also known as Xenophon of Athens, was a Greek historian, soldier, mercenary, philosopher and a contemporary and admirer of Socrates...
's Anabasis mentions the region near the river Centrites was defended by the satrap of Armenia for Artaxerxes II, named Orontes son of Artasyras who had 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....
contingents. Xenophon mentioned that he had a son called Tigranes
Tigranes Orontid
Tigranes I Orontid the Great Armenian King of Orontid Dynasty reigning in the period between 560 BC – 535 BC.According to Moses of Khorene during the reign of Tigran I Yervanduni the territory of Armenia spread for about 400 sq. km....
. His successor was was Codomannus (Darius III) and after Codomannus these Satrapies were ruled by Orontes II
Orontes II
Orontes II was the son of Orontes I.After Codomannus ascended the throne of Persia as Darius III in 336 BC Orontes was given the Satrapy of Armenia to rule....
. Whether he was the same person as Tigranes but had adopted the name Orontes or that they were brothers is not known.