Ariobarzanes III. (Cappadocia)

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Ariobarzanes III. on the obverse of a drachma of Cappadocia, 52–42 BC. Chr.

Ariobarzanes III. Eusebes Philorhomaios was from 51 BC. BC to 42 BC BC King of Cappadocia . He was recognized by the Roman Senate as the successor to his father Ariobarzanes II Philopator . According to the Roman orator Cicero , who at that time administered Cilicia as proconsul , was Ariobarzanes III. Surrounded by enemies at court, including his mother. Already at the beginning of his rule, 51 BC. BC, a conspiracy broke out against him in which Archelaos , the powerful priestly prince of Komana , took part. This was the son of the eponymous short-term king of Egypt. But the intervention of Cicero saved Ariobarzanes III. his rule, as the speaker boasted. The situation of the Cappadocian king was made very difficult by his high debts to high-ranking Romans, particularly to Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus .

After the outbreak of the Roman Civil War (49 BC) between Pompey and Gaius Iulius Caesar , Ariobarzanes III belonged. to the eastern client princes who supported Pompey. Caesar was able to decisively defeat his opponent in the battle of Pharsalus . In the meantime Pharnakes II was looking for the great empire of his father, the feared enemy of the Romans Mithridates VI. from Pontus to restore. Also Ariobarzanes III. was affected by the attack and therefore supported Caesar's general Gnaeus Domitius Calvinus , who was defeated by Pharnakes. Only Caesar himself could rectify the situation. The dictator left the Cappadocian king in his position and expanded his empire to include part of Lesser Armenia , over which he probably installed Ariarathes X , the younger brother of Ariobarzanes III, as sub-king.

Gaius Cassius Longinus , who lived in 44 BC. Was significantly involved in the assassination of Caesar and then armored together with Marcus Junius Brutus in the east of the Roman Empire against the party of the Caesarians, had Ariobarzanes III. 42 BC Because of lack of support of the conspirators kill and loot his property. However, the sources differ somewhat in the details of this execution. On Ariobarzanes III. briefly followed by his younger brother Ariarathes X., however, Archelaus successfully contested the throne with the help of Marcus Antonius .

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Cicero , epistulae ad familiares 2, 17, 7 and 15, 2, 4.
  2. ↑ Cicero, epistulae ad familiares 15, 4, 6; Cicero, epistulae ad Atticum 5, 20, 6.
  3. ↑ Cicero, epistulae ad Atticum 6, 1, 3; 6, 2, 7; 6, 3, 5.
  4. ^ Caesar , Civil Wars 3, 4, 3; Florus 2, 13, 5.
  5. ↑ Alexandrian War 34, 1 and 4; 66, 5; Cassius Dio 41:63; 42, 45f.
  6. ↑ Appian , Civil Wars 4, 63; Cassius Dio 47, 33, 4.
predecessor Office successor
Ariobarzanes II. King of Cappadocia
51–42 BC Chr. 		Ariarathes X.
personal data
SURNAME Ariobarzanes III.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Ariobarzanes III. Eusebes Philorhomaios
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Ruler in Cappadocia
DATE OF BIRTH 2nd century BC BC or 1st century BC Chr.
DATE OF DEATH 42 BC Chr.