Orontids

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Kingdom of Armenia under the Orontids

The Orontids (also known by the Armenian name Երվանդունիների հարստություն , Yervanduni ) are the first known Armenian dynasty of Iranian origin. The Orontids established their supremacy over Armenia at the time of the Scythian and Median invasions in the 6th century BC. Their descendants ruled over the Kingdom of Sophene and Commagene until the year 72.

Historical background

The name Orontes is the Hellenized form of the Armenian male name Yervand, which comes from Iranian. The name Orontes ( Ὀρόντης ) is only attested in Greek. The Avestan counterpart is Auruuant (courageous, hero) and Arwand in Middle Persian . Some suspected a continuity with the Hittite name Arnuwanda . Different Greek spellings in classical sources are Orontes, Aruandes or Ardoates. The existence of the dynasty is at least for 400 BC. And it can be shown that they ruled first from Armavir and then later from Jerwandashat . The exact founding date of the Orontids is still being debated among researchers, but there is consensus that the dynasty appeared after the destruction of Urartus by the Scythians and Medes (around 612 BC).

Orontid kings and satraps of Armenia

Xenophon mentions the Armenian king Tigranes in his work Cyropädie (Education of Cyrus). He was an ally of Cyrus II , with whom he went hunting. Tigranes paid tribute to Astyage's . His older son was also named Tigranes. After the outbreak of hostilities between the Medes and Babylon, Tigranes refused to make payments to the Medes. As a successor to Astyages, Cyrus II demanded this tribute for himself. Strabon processed this in his Geographika (Book XI, 13.5). With the turmoil that arose after the death of Cambyses II and the appointment of Smerdis as king, the Armenians revolted in 512 BC. Chr. Darius I sent Armenians Dâdarši to stifle the revolt and replaced him later by the Persian Vaumisa, the v the Armenians on May 20, the 521st Defeated BC. At the same time, another Armenian named Aracha, son of Chaldita, claimed that he was a son of the last king of Babylon, Nabonidus , and called himself Nabu-kudurri-usur IV. His uprising was short and was put down by General Intaphernes.

These events are mentioned in detail in the Behistun inscription . After the reorganization of the administration of the Persian Empire, Armenia was divided into several satrapies . The Armenian satraps usually married members of the Persian royal family. These satraps gave Xerxes I contingents for his invasion of Greece in 480 BC. Available. Herodotus says that the Armenians in Xerxes' armies were dressed like the Phrygians . 401 BC Xenophon marched through Armenia with a large army of Greek mercenaries. Xenophon mentions two people named Orontes, probably both Persians. One was a nobleman, a high army officer and belonged to the royal family; as commander of the citadel of Sardis he dared war against Cyrus the Younger and tried to betray him to Artaxerxes II shortly before the battle of Kunaxa , but was captured and executed. Xenophon's anabasis contains a detailed description of the land, stating that the region near the Kentrites River (now Botan ) was defended for Artaxerxes II by the satrap Orontes - son of Artasyras - and that he had Armenian and Alarod troops. Tiribazos , who later became the satrap of Lydia , is mentioned as Hipparchus of Armenia under Orontes.

401 BC Artaxerxes II gave his daughter Rhodogune Orontes I to wife. In two inscriptions by King Antiochus I on his monument at Nemrut Dağı , Aroandes / Orontes, son of Artasouras and husband of daughter Artaxerxes Rhodogoune, is mentioned as one of the ancestors of the Orontid ruling family von Kommagene, who derive their descent from Darius I. Diodorus mentions another Orontes, perhaps the same, who lived in 362 BC. He was the satrap of Armenia and his aristocratic origins and his hatred of the king because of the leader of the rebellious satraps of Asia Minor. Seduced by his love of power and deceit, he betrayed the satraps to the king. Orontes lost his office as satrap of Armenia and was transferred as a satrap to the lesser satrapy of Mysia . However, in 357 B.C. A second time, probably because of his dissatisfaction with the king's rewards, and began some attacks that continued into the reign of the new king Artaxerxes III. stopped. During this time he even conquered the city of Pergamon , but in the end he had to be reconciled with the king. In 349 BC During the conclusion of a trade agreement with Athens, he received Athenian citizenship and a golden wreath. During the satrap revolt, he had many coins minted in Klazomenai , Phocaea and Lampsakos . All later Orontids are his descendants. Dareios III. was his successor as satrap of Armenia in the years 344 to 336 BC. Chr.

An Armenian contingent, led by Orontes II and a certain Mithraustes, was present at the battle of Gaugamela . Diodorus mentions that Orontes II was a friend of the Macedonian general Peucestas. Armenia officially came under Macedonia's rule, when its ruler recognized Alexander the Great . Alexander appointed an Orontid named Mithranes to be administrator in Armenia after defeating Orontes II. After the death of Alexander in 323 BC With the consent of Babylon, Armenia was placed under General Neoptolemus and remained so until his death in a battle in 321 BC. Around 302 BC. BC Orontes moved the Armenian capital from Armavir to Yervandashat.

Since 301 BC Armenia was under the Seleucid sphere of influence, but retained a considerable degree of autonomy and retained its native rulers. After Polyainos the rebellious king of the Seleucids sought Antiochus Hierax v in 227th Refuge in Armenia of King Arsames , founder of the city of Arsamosata . Later the country was divided between two kings who were both vassals of the Seleucids: Greater Armenia and Sophene including Commagene and Lesser Armenia. Antiochus III. decided to overthrow the local dynasties and besieged in 212 BC. BC Arsamosata, which was then the capital of Xerxes , who ruled western Armenia . This surrendered, pleaded Antiochus III. for mercy and recognized him as his ruler. Antiochus III. gave Xerxes his sister Antiochis , who later murdered Xerxes, to wife. Greater Armenia was ruled by an Orontid descendant of Hydarnes and was also the last Orontid ruler of Greater Armenia; apparently he was of Antiochus III. defeated, who then divided the country between his generals Artaxias I and Zariadris .

Orontids in Commagene

On the Nemrut Dağı , opposite the statues of the gods, there is a long row of columns with the steles of the Greek ancestors of Antiochus I. At right angles to this row is another row of steles depicting his Orontid and Achaemenid ancestors. Of these, the steles Darius I and Xerxes I are well preserved. There is a small altar in front of each stele. Inscriptions have been found on both altars. Antiochus I made sure that everyone was aware that he was related to the Achaemenid dynasty through the marriage of his ancestor Orontes to the Rhodoguns, daughter of Artaxerxes II. Artaxerxes II defeated his brother Cyrus the Younger in 401, who wanted to remove him from the throne. Because of the military help of the satrap Orontes from Armenia, Artaxerxes II gave him his daughter to wife. Their descendant Mithridates I married the Seleucid princess Laodike Thea Philadelphos .

Orontid ruler

Orontid kings according to the traditional Armenian chronicle

  • Orontes I Sakavakyats (570-560 BC)
  • Tigranes (560-535 BC)
  • Vahagn (530-515 BC)
  • Hydarnes I. (late 6th century BC)
  • Hydarnes II (early 5th century BC)
  • Hydarnes III. (Middle of the 5th century BC)
  • Ardashir (2nd half of the 5th century BC)

Occupied kings and satraps of Armenia

Orontid dynasty of Greater Armenia

Orontid kings in Commagene

See also

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Tiratsyan, Gevork. «Երվանդունիներ» (Yerevanduniner). Soviet Armenian Encyclopedia. vol. iii. Yerevan, Armenian SSR: Armenian Academy of Sciences , 1977, p. 640.
  2. ↑ Polybios 8, 23.
  3. ↑ Strabon , Geographika Book XI, Chapter 14.15.

further reading

  • Cyril Toumanoff : A note on the Orontids
  • Hakop Manandyan: Analytical Study of the History of Armenian People , Yerevan

Web links