Antiochus I Theos of Commagene

Antiochus I Theos Dikaios Epiphanes Philorhomaios Philhellen (Armenian: Անտիոքոս Երվանդունի, Ancient Greek: Ἀντίοχος ὁ Θεὸς Δίκαιος Ἐπιφανὴς Φιλορωμαῖος Φιλέλλην, meaning Antiochos, a just, eminent god, friend of Romans and friend of Greeks, c. 86 BC – 38 BC, ruled 70 BC – 38 BC) was an Armenian king from the Kingdom of Commagene and the most famous king of that kingdom.^[1]

The ruins of the tomb-sanctuary of Antiochus atop Mount Nemrut in Turkey were named to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1987. Several sandstone bas reliefs discovered at the site contain some of the oldest known images of two figures shaking hands.^[2]

Family, ancestry and early life

Antiochus I was the son and probably the only child of King Mithridates I Callinicus and Queen Laodice VII Thea of Commagene. Antiochus was half Armenian, a distant member of the Orontid Dynasty^[3] and half Greek. Antiochus’ father Mithridates was the son of King of Commagene Sames II Theosebes Dikaios and an unidentified woman. Mithridates was possibly related to the kings of Parthia and, in the light of archaeological discoveries at Mount Nemrut, even claimed descent from the Achaemenid family of King Darius I the Great of Persia.

More certain are his dynastic connections to the Diadochi. Antiochus’ mother, Laodice VII Thea, was a Greek princess of the Seleucid Empire. Laodice’s father was the Seleucid King Antiochus VIII Grypus, while her mother was a Ptolemaic princess and later Seleucid Queen Tryphaena (see Cleopatra VI of Egypt). Thus, Antiochus was a direct descendant of Seleucus I Nicator of the Seleucid Empire, Ptolemy I Soter of Egypt, Antigonus I Monophthalmus of Macedonia and Asia, Lysimachus of Thrace and the Macedonian regent, Antipater. These five men, the Diadochi 'successors', had served as generals under Macedonian King, Alexander the Great. Antiochus’ parents had married as part of a peace alliance between their kingdoms. Little is known of his early life and education, aside from its philhellenic aspect; however, it seems that when his father died in 70 BC, Antiochus succeeded his father as king.

Antiochus married Princess Isias Philostorgos of Cappadocia, daughter of King Ariobarzanes I of Cappadocia and his wife Athenais Philostorgos I. They had five children:

Mithridates II of Commagene, succeeded Antiochus as King of Commagene after his death in 38 BC
Laodice, who married King Orodes II of Parthia
Prince Antiochus II of Commagene
Antiochis of Commagene
Athenais, who married King Artavasdes I of Media Atropatene

Relations with the Romans

While the Roman Republic was annexing territories in Anatolia, Antiochus, through skilled diplomacy, was able to keep Commagene independent from the Romans. Antiochus is first mentioned in the ancient sources in 69 BC, when Lucullus campaigned against the Armenian King Tigranes the Great. Antiochus made peace with the general Pompey in 64 BC, when Pompey successfully invaded Syria. Antiochus and Pompey then became allies. Antiochus in 59 BC was granted the toga praetexta and given official recognition from the Roman Senate as an ally to Rome. Antiochus received an ivory sceptre and an embroidered triumphal robe, and he was greeted as "king, ally and friend". This recognition was a traditional way of recognising and rewarding the allies to Rome. From his reign onwards, monarchs from Commagene proved to be the most loyal Roman allies. When Marcus Tullius Cicero was Roman governor of Cilicia in 51 BC, Antiochus provided Cicero with intelligence of the movements of the Parthians. During the civil war between Julius Caesar and Pompey, Antiochus provided troops for Pompey.

In 38 BC, a legate of Triumvir Mark Antony, Publius Ventidius Bassus, after campaigning against the Parthians, wanted to attack Antiochus and his kingdom. Antony and Bassus were attracted by Commagene's wealth. Yet as they were preparing to march against Commagene and its capital Samosata, Antiochus negotiated a peaceful settlement with them.

Mount Nemrut

Statues of gods and the pyramid-like tomb-sanctuary of King Antiochus Theos of Commagene rising behind, atop Mount Nemrut

Head of Antiochus atop Mount Nemrut

Antiochus is famous for building the impressive religious sanctuary of Nemrud Dagi or Mount Nemrut. When Antiochus reigned as king he was creating a royal cult for himself and preparing to be worshipped after his death. Antiochus was inspired to create his own cult in the Greek form of the religion Zoroastrianism. Antiochus left many Greek inscriptions revealing many aspects of his religion and explaining his purpose of action. In one inscription, Antiochus directed that his tomb should be built in a high and holy place, remote from people and close to the gods, among whom he would be numbered. Antiochus wanted his body to be preserved for eternity. The gods he worshipped were a syncretism of Greek, Armenian, and Iranian gods, such as Hercules-Vahagn, Zeus-Aramazd or Oromasdes (associated with the Iranian god Ahura Mazda), Tyche, and Apollo-Mithras. The monumental effigies at the site show both Persian and Greek iconographic influences: Persian influences can be seen in the clothes, headgear and the colossal size of the images, while the depiction of their physical features derives from Greek artistic style.

Antiochus practised astrology of a very esoteric kind, and laid the basis for a calendrical reform, by linking the Commagenian year, which till then had been based on the movements of the Moon, to the Sothic (Star of Sirius) cycle used by the Egyptians as the basis of their calendar. This would suggest that Antiochus was knowledgeable about, if not fully initiated into Hermeticism.

Antiochus’ tomb complex was constructed in a way that religious festivities could occur there. Every month there were two feast-days for Antiochus: his birthday, which was celebrated on the 16th of each month, and his coronation, which was celebrated on the 10th of each month. He allocated funds for these events from properties legally bound to the site. He also appointed families of priests and hierodules to conduct the rituals, and their descendants were intended to continue the ritual service in perpetuity. The priests wore traditional Persian robes and adorned the images of the gods and Antiochus' ancestors with gold crowns. The priests offered incense, herbs, and other unspecified "splendid sacrifices" on altars set before each image. All the citizens and military were invited to the banquets in honor of the illustrious deceased. During the feasts, grudging attitudes were forbidden and Antiochus decreed that the people should enjoy themselves, eat and drink wine, and listen to the sacred music performed by the temple musicians.

Antiochus’ tomb was forgotten for centuries, until 1883 when archaeologists from Germany excavated it. According to the inscriptions found, Antiochus appears to have been a pious person and had a generous spirit. The ruins of the royal palace have been found in another city of the kingdom, Arsameia. This palace is known as Eski Kale or 'Old Castle'. In Arsameia, Antiochus has left many inscriptions in Greek of his public works program and how he glorified the city.

Ancestry

Ancestors of Antiochus I Theos of Commagene

16. King Orontes IV of Armenia

8. King Ptolemaeus of Commagene

4. King Sames II Theosebes Dikaios of Commagene

2. King Mithridates I Callinicus of Commagene

5. Princess Pythodoris of Pontus

1. Antiochus I Theos of Commagene

24. King Demetrius I Soter of the Seleucid Empire

12. King Demetrius II Nicator of the Seleucid Empire

25. Laodice V of the Seleucid Empire

6. King Antiochus VIII Grypus of the Seleucid Empire

26. (=30.)Ptolemy VI Philometor of Egypt

13. Princess Cleopatra Thea of Egypt

27. (=31.)Cleopatra II of Egypt

3. Princess Laodice VII Thea of the Seleucid Empire

28. Ptolemy V Epiphanes of Egypt

14. Ptolemy VIII Physcon of Egypt

29. Cleopatra I Syra of Egypt

7. Princess Tryphaena of Egypt

30. (=26.)Ptolemy VI Philometor of Egypt

15. Cleopatra III of Egypt

31. (=27.)Cleopatra II of Egypt

Footnotes

↑ Michael Blömer / Religious Life of Commagene in the Late Hellenistic and Early Roman Period pp.95-129/The Letter of Mara bar Sarapion in Context. Proceedings of the Symposium Held at Utrecht University, 10–12 December 2009 /BRILL 2012
Beyond the line connecting the cities of Seleuceia on the Euphrates, Doliche and Nicopolis, traces of Greek culture are minimal until we reach the Roman period. Instead, the country was for a long time exposed to Armenian influence, a tradition probably rooted in the Persian period. This Armenian supremacy saw the creation of an elite with Iranian traditions, and the slow recovery of the country. The Armenian nobles eventually became independent kings, and Antiochos I was recognised as a regional power broker by the Romans and their Parthian opponents in the troublesome period following the fĳinal demise of Seleucid rule
↑ Downey, Susan B.; Sanders, Donald B. (1997). "Nemrud Dagi: the Hierothesion of Antiochus I of Commagene". Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research (307): 94–95. JSTOR 1357708. doi:10.2307/1357708.
↑ Chahin, Mark (2001). The Kingdom of Armenia. Routledge. pp. 190–191. ISBN 0-7007-1452-9.

References

"Travel Guide To Turkey, Guide de la Turquie, GUIDE MARTINE, Guide to Turkey, Guide de Turquie, Travel, Turkey, Voyage, Turquie, Istanbul, Turkey Photos, Photos de la Turquie,". guide-martine.com. Retrieved 2015-11-03.
Michael Alexander Speidel (24 August 2005). "Early Roman Rule in Commagene" (PDF). Mavors-Institut. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 December 2015. Retrieved 2015-11-03.
"Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, page 193 (v. 1)". Archived from the original on 2006-01-01. Retrieved 2015-11-03.
http://www.tyndale.cam.ac.uk/Egypt/ptolemies/tryphaena.htm#Tryphaena.12
Campbell-Scott, Roger. "Nimrud Dagh - A Sacred Mountain in Anatolia", in Vanished Civilizations: The Hidden Secrets of Lost Cities and Forgotten Peoples, pp. 194–197. Reader’s Digest Services P/L, Hong Kong, 1988. ISBN 0-276-42658-4.
Beck, R. (2004). Beck on Mithraism: Collected Works with New Essays. Ashgate Pub. p. 297. ISBN 9780754640813. Retrieved 2015-11-03.

Hellenistic rulers
Argeads	Philip II Alexander III the Great Philip III Arrhidaeus Alexander IV
Antigonids	Antigonus I Monophthalmus Demetrius I Poliorcetes Antigonus II Gonatas Demetrius II Aetolicus Antigonus III Doson Philip V Perseus Philip VI (pretender)
Ptolemies	Ptolemy I Soter Ptolemy II Philadelphus Ptolemy III Euergetes Ptolemy IV Philopator Ptolemy V Epiphanes Cleopatra I Syra (regent) Ptolemy VI Philometor Ptolemy VII Neos Philopator Cleopatra II Philometor Soter Ptolemy VIII Physcon Cleopatra III Ptolemy IX Lathyros Ptolemy X Alexander Berenice III Ptolemy XI Alexander Ptolemy XII Auletes Cleopatra VI Tryphaena Berenice IV Epiphanea Ptolemy XIII Ptolemy XIV Cleopatra VII Philopator Ptolemy XV Caesarion
Kings of Cyrene	Magas Demetrius the Fair Ptolemy VIII Physcon Ptolemy Apion
Seleucids	Seleucus I Nicator Antiochus I Soter Antiochus II Theos Seleucus II Callinicus Seleucus III Ceraunus Antiochus III the Great Seleucus IV Philopator Antiochus IV Epiphanes Antiochus V Eupator Demetrius I Soter Alexander I Balas Demetrius II Nicator Antiochus VI Dionysus Diodotus Tryphon Antiochus VII Sidetes Alexander II Zabinas Seleucus V Philometor Antiochus VIII Grypus Antiochus IX Cyzicenus Seleucus VI Epiphanes Antiochus X Eusebes Antiochus XI Epiphanes Demetrius III Eucaerus Philip I Philadelphus Antiochus XII Dionysus Antiochus XIII Asiaticus Philip II Philoromaeus
Lysimachids	Lysimachus
Antipatrids	Cassander Philip IV Alexander V Antipater II Antipater Etesias Sosthenes
Attalids	Philetaerus Eumenes I Attalus I Eumenes II Attalus II Attalus III Eumenes III
Greco-Bactrians	Diodotus I Diodotus II Euthydemus I Demetrius I Euthydemus II Antimachus I Pantaleon Agathocles Demetrius II Eucratides I Plato Eucratides II Heliocles I
Indo-Greeks	Demetrius I Antimachus I Pantaleon Agathocles Apollodotus I Demetrius II Antimachus II Menander I Zoilos I Agathokleia Lysias Strato I Antialcidas Heliokles II Polyxenos Demetrius III Philoxenus Diomedes Amyntas Epander Theophilos Peukolaos Thraso Nicias Menander II Artemidoros Hermaeus Archebius Telephos Apollodotus II Hippostratos Dionysios Zoilos II Apollophanes Strato II Strato III
Kings of Bithynia	Boteiras Bas Zipoetes I Nicomedes I Zipoetes II Etazeta (regent) Ziaelas Prusias I Prusias II Nicomedes II Nicomedes III Nicomedes IV Socrates Chrestus
Kings of Pontus	Mithridates I Ctistes Ariobarzanes Mithridates II Mithridates III Pharnaces I Mithridates IV Philopator Philadephos Mithridates V Euergetes Mithridates VI Eupator Pharnaces II Darius Arsaces Polemon I Pythodorida Polemon II
Kings of Commagene	Ptolemaeus Sames II Mithridates I Antiochus I Mithridates II Antiochus II Mithridates III Antiochus III Antiochus IV
Kings of Cappadocia	Ariarathes I Ariarathes II Ariamnes II Ariarathes III Ariarathes IV Ariarathes V Orophernes Ariarathes VI Ariarathes VII Ariarathes VIII Ariarathes IX Ariobarzanes I Ariobarzanes II Ariobarzanes III Ariarathes X Archelaus
Kings of the Cimmerian Bosporus	Mithridates I Pharnaces Asander with Dynamis Mithridates II Asander with Dynamis Scribonius’ attempted rule with Dynamis Dynamis with Polemon Polemon with Pythodorida Aspurgus Mithridates III with Gepaepyris Mithridates III Cotys I

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