Orophernes Nikephorus

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Orophernes Nikephorus

Orophernes Nikephoros (Greek Οροφέρνης Νικηφόρος) was between 158 and 157 BC. Ch. Sole ruler of Cappadocia , then co-regent of his brother Ariarathes V. Eusebes Philopator for a time .

Live and act

Orophernes was one of two - possibly - illegitimate sons that his mother Antiochis is said to have slipped on her husband Ariarathes IV of Cappadocia, as Diodorus reports. After the birth of an undoubtedly common son, Mithridates, who would later become Ariarathes , Orophernes was sent to Ionia to suppress his ambitions for the throne . After his brother, who had already ascended the throne as Ariarathes V, refused to marry the sister of the King of Syria, Demetrios I Soter , the latter supported him in asserting claims to the Cappadocian throne.

157 BC After Ariarathes was deposed and fled to Rome, Orophernes sent two ambassadors to Rome (Timotheus and Diogenes) to support the ambassadors of Demetrios against his brother. According to a report by the ancient historian Appian , the Romans decided to divide the rule between the two brothers. The rule of the orophernes was supposedly marked by moral decline and the introduction of systematic debauchery. For this purpose, he is said to have plundered and murdered his subordinates and confiscated their property. Diodorus reports that when his business deteriorated and he feared that his soldiers might mutiny over unpaid wages, he had the temple of Zeus ransacked in order to pay off the soldiers. Regardless of this, his rule probably did not last long, since after a short time Ariarathes V is again mentioned as the sole ruler.

Orophernes deposited 400 talents with the citizens of Priene as security in the event that fate would be more favorable to him again . These reimbursed the money later, however, after Ariarathes had used it as an occasion for a war against Priene, which was not ended thanks to the intervention of the Romans.

After Orophernes had been forced to return to Syria, he participated in a conspiracy against Demetrios, who then had him chained, but spared his life in order to be able to use him as a means against Ariarathes.

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ This article is essentially based on a translation of the article from the English language Wikipedia (2012) ( en: Orophernes of Cappadocia ), which in turn refers to William Smith (see literature). For the individual references, German sources were used as far as possible.
  2. ↑ Joachim Hopp: Investigations on the history of the last Attalids . Munich 1977, p. 66 books.google
  3. ↑ Hatto H. Schmitt, Ernst Vogt (ed.): Lexikon des Hellenismus , pp. 519-520 books.google
  4. ↑ Diodor, Bibliotheca , 31, 3 (English)
  5. ↑ Polybios 32, 25 (English)
  6. ↑ Appian, The Syrian Wars 47 (English)
  7. ↑ Titus Livius , Periochae , 47 (English)
  8. ↑ Justinus , 35, 1 (English)

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personal data
SURNAME Orophernes Nikephorus
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Ruler of Cappadocia
DATE OF BIRTH 2nd century BC Chr.
DATE OF DEATH 2nd century BC Chr.