TABAL
/ TUBAL
This
was a Luwian-speaking neo-Hittite 'state' which emerged out of the
collapse of the Hittite empire. Tabal (the Biblical Tubal, and Thobeles
in Josephus), was situated in southern-central Anatolia, centred
around the ancient city of Kanesh in the heartland of former Hatti
territory. It was neighboured to the west by the Phrygians, to the
east by Que and Khilakku, and to the north first by the Kaskans
and then by the region of Paphlagonia. Some scholars associate Tabal
with the Sea Peoples, the Mouskis (or Moschoi in Greek), who ravaged
the Mediterranean coast, but other than a few inscriptions in the
Turkish villages of villages of Çalapverdi and Alisar there
are very few details recorded about the kingdom, other than that
it survived into Roman times.
The
few kings who are known may only have ruled areas of the state,
so perhaps it was instead governed as a confederation of states
in much the same way as Lycia. Increasing this likelihood is the
fact that different lists name different kings for the same periods,
and the state may have included a group of city states called the
Tyanitis, which encompassed Hupisna, Ishtunda, Shinukhtu, Tunna,
and Tuwana.
(Additional
information from Jewish War & Jewish Antiquities, Flavius Josephus,
and from External Links: University College London, and Encyclopaedia
Britannica.)
c.1200
BC :
The
Hittite empire collapses, and one of the neo-Hittite states which
forms in its place is Tabal. Possibly some elements of the new society
are descended from the Sea Peoples. At around the same time, elements
from Tabal migrate northwards into the area that becomes known as
Paphlagonia.
837
BC :
The
Assyrian king, Shalmaneser III, records that he receives gifts from
the twenty-four kings of Tabal.
c.780
BC :
List
A ( shown below in normal emboldened text) and List
B show different kings for the same period, suggesting that
they rule simultaneously but in different parts of the state.
![Luwian inscription](Tubal_LuwianInscription01_full.jpg)
Original
Luwian inscriptions from one of two bocks found at Çalapverdi in
modern Turkey
Early
700s BC :
Tuwatis
fl
c.770s BC :
Tuate
743
- 740 BC :
The Assyrians under Tiglath-Pileser III besiege Bit Agusi for three
years, thanks to the city being an ally of Urartu. Once captured,
the city is destroyed and its inhabitants are massacred. It is probably
around this period that the Urartuans also lose their domination
of the northern part of Syria. Their defeat also opens up Anatolia
to the Assyrians, and Tabal is almost instantly attacked.
Tabal is still divided into several independent principalities,
but all of them are sizeable enough to merit the use of the title
'king' for their rulers even though Assyrian vocabulary has now
extended beyond using it for every ruler they meet. While 'Tabal'
is used in conjunction with the capital of a specific kingdom
within
the region, it is also used to encompass all of the people of that
region who share the same cultural traditions and leave similar
Luwian inscriptions.
743
- 738 BC :
Tabal is employed as a blanket designation in an Assyrian administrative
note written at some point between 743 and 738 BC, which lists the
tribute payments of nine kings of Tabal (SAA 11 30). Three of those
kings can be identified with rulers who are known from Assyrian
inscriptions or local monuments written in the Luwian language and
script.
fl
740 BC :
Ašhittu
/ Ušhittu / Askwisis of Atuna : A king of Tabal
(one of many). Remained in 738 & 732 BC.
fl
740 BC :
Tuatti
/ Tuwatis of Bit-Purutaš / Tabal :
Bit-Purutaš may equal Burutash, mentioned
elsewhere.
Finds
of Luwian inscriptions suggest the region of Kayseri as the location
of Bit-Purutaš / Tabal. The site of Kululu, where monuments of a
number of kings of Tabal have been found, is the most likely to
correspond to Tabal's capital.
fl
740 BC :
Hanubuni
fl
740 BC :
Kalu
fl
740 BC :
Pulî
fl
740 BC :
Uluanda
fl
740 BC :
Hili
: Same
as Hidi, below? Remained in 730s.
c.738
- 713? BC :
Wasusurmas
of Tabal / Uassurme : Son of Tuwatis of of Bit-Purutaš.
Wasusurmas fails to pay the tribute owed to Sargon of Assyria and
as a result he and his royal clan are removed from power in Bit-Purutaš.
In his place, Hulli, the 'son of a nobody' replaces him.
732
BC :
?
of Ištunda : The king's name is not recorded, although
the city is.
732
BC :
?
of Hubišna : The king's name is not recorded, although
the city is.
fl
730s - 720s BC :
Warpalawas
of Tuhana / Urbala'a : Remained active into the reign of
Sargon II of Assyria.
Hulli
of Bit-Purutaš : Son of 'a nobody'. Raised by Sargon of
Assyria.
fl
c.720s? BC :
Tuhana is the best known of the Tabalean principalities. Its capital
of the same name can be safely identified with the Hellenistic,
Roman and Byzantine city of Tyana whose ruins lie in the modern
Turkish village of Kemerhisar, to the south of Niğde, where
a stela of King Warpalawas is uncovered in 1860.
715
BC :
Despite sharing culinary and aesthetic tastes, Assyria and Phrygia
are on bad terms. Although there are no relevant sources prior to
Sargon's reign, his own inscriptions describe Midas of Phrygia as
having long been a thorn in the empire's side, having never submitted
to Sargon's predecessors and refusing diplomatic contacts. Now,
Sargon's army conquers some fortresses in western Que that Midas
of Phrygia had taken 'very long ago', indicating that Midas must
have been in power for some time. This campaign results in an Assyrian
foray deep into Phrygia but does not stop Midas from his continuing
intervention in Que and Tabal.
?
- c.713 BC :
Ambaris
of Bit-Purutaš : Son of Hulli of Bit-Purutaš.
Ambaris continues his father's role as a protégé of Sargon of Assyria.
At his accession, Sargon gives his own daughter in marriage and
as her dowry he doubles the size of Bit-Purutaš.
714
- 713 BC :
Much to Sargon's shock, while the main Assyrian army is occupied
in the east, probably in Elamite lands, Ambaris allies himself with
Midas of Phrygia and Rusa of Urartu as well as the local Tabalean
rulers in an attempt to invade Que. Sargon reacts quickly, invading
Tabal and capturing Ambaris, his family and the nobles of his country,
all of whom are taken to Assyria. Tabal is annexed as an Assyrian
province. Sargon is noted for using Cimmerians within his army on
this campaign, possibly for their knowledge of the Urartuan hills
as much as their ability as mounted warriors. Cimmerians have been
raiding into Mesopotamia for decades.
![Cimmerian warriors](Cimmerians_Warriors01_full.jpg)
This
image shows Cimmerians battling early Greeks - prior to the advent
of accepted 'Classical' Greece - with the mounted Cimmerians warriors
apparently being accompanied by their dogs
711
BC :
The creation of the province of Tabal has only further escalated
the situation and Assyria now finds itself at war with assorted
Tabalean principalities and Phrygia, and moreover increasingly on
the losing side. Despite huge investments in the protection of the
new border, including the fortification of Til-Garimmu (modern Gürün)
and the construction of the so-called Cappadocian Wall, the province
of Tabal is now lost, never to be retaken.
705
BC :
Sargon
of Assyria dies on the battlefield while attempting to reconquer
Tabal. Not only does the attempt fail but Sargon's body cannot be
recovered for burial.
fl
c.690 BC :
Hidi
fl
c. 670 BC :
Mugallu
652
BC :
One
serious invasion of Anatolia by Cimmerians has already been repulsed,
with the states or regions of Hilakku, Lydia, and Tabal requesting
help from Assyria. Now the Cimmerians return (leader unknown). King
Gyges of Lydia is killed during a second attack. His capital of
Sardis is captured, all except the citadel which manages to hold
out. The fact that it does suggests either that either the Cimmerians
do not hang around for long after their victory or that (as before)
they are moved along by an Assyrian force. Excavations at the site
of Sardis later discover a destruction layer that appears to be
associated with this event.
fl
c.650 BC :
x-ussi
: An incomplete name.
641
- 640 BC :
After more than a decade of controlling a vast domain, Tugdamme
of the Cimmerians is now defeated. Unfortunately the details of
how this happens have failed to survive, so the manner of his defeat
and death are unknown. Either way, this would appear to be the point
at which the Cimmerians largely break up as a cohesive force. Elements
settle in Tabal and Thrace, and may well also contribute greatly
to the last great thrust of horse-borne warrior groups migrating
westwards along the Danube to influence the Celts (even if this
is only in terms of cultural and military influences upon Indo-European
elements which are already migrating in that direction). Scythian
culture takes over in the Caucuses and Pontic steppe, so it is clear
that whatever Cimmerians remain there are no longer at all dominant
or powerful.
609
- 546 BC :
Documentation of Tabal fades as the Assyrian empire fades, which
is to be expected as the empire has largely been the only source
of written information about Tabal. Now, Babylonia under the leadership
of Necho takes control of the region while the crown prince, Nebuchadnezzar,
leads the Babylonian forces in Syria as he inflicts a serious defeat
on the Egyptians at Carchemish in 605 BC.
549
- 546 BC :
The Persian defeat of the Medes opens the floodgates for Cyrus with
a wave of conquests, beginning with Cilicia in 549 BC. Harpagus,
a Median of the royal house and the main cause of the defeat of
the Medes, commands Cyrus' army in Anatolia, conquering it between
547-546 BC. Taken during this campaign are Caria, Lycia, Lydia,
Paphlagonia, Phrygia, and Tabal (Cappadocia), and Harpagus and his
descendants reign thereafter in Karkâ (Caria) and Lykia (Lycia)
as satraps of the empire, normally within the satrapy of Karkâ.
Persian
Satraps of Katpatuka (Cappadocia) :
Conquered by Cyrus the Great, the region of Tabal was added to the
Persian empire. Under the Persians, it was formed into an official
satrapy or province, and the satraps ruled the region in the name
of the Persian king. Unfortunately, there is no information about
the structure of the administrative hierarchy here until the time
of Datames in the mid-fourth century BC. He began his career as
satrap of Cappadocia-beside-the-Pontus (Katpatuka) and was promoted
to take over the minor satrapy of Cappadocia-beside-the-Taurus (Khilakku).
The River Halys separated these two very minor provinces.
Following the Persian invasion of Anatolia between 549-546 BC, the
new great satrapy of Sparda initially controlled not only the territory
of the former kingdom of Lydia, but also Katpatuka (Tabal) which
had been the initial target of Lydia's aggression, the reason that
Lydia had been conquered in the first place. More specifically,
the great satrapy of Sparda consisted of the central minor satrapy
of Lydia around its capital of Sardis, and the more peripheral minor
satrapies of Hellespontine Phrygia, Greater Phrygia, Karkâ, and
Skudra between 512-479 BC. The former kingdom and now-region of
Mysia was rarely important enough to warrant many further mentions
in history, but subsequent references to it are handled under the
satraps of Sparda. Katpatuka was presumably governed by a local
dynasty at the start of the Persian period (at least, Diodorus seems
to think so).
The central minor satrapy of Katpatuka, otherwise known as Cappadocia-beside-the-Pontus,
had western and southern borders that were formed by the bend of
the Halys, within which lived the Cappadocian natives, the Leucosyrians
(Leukosurioi or Surioi). The Halys not only separated Cappadocia-beside-the-Pontus
from Cappadocia-beside-the-Taurus, but also from Greater Phrygia
and Paphlagonia. The eastern border touched the sea immediately
to the west of Cotyora. The course of the frontier with (West) Armenia
cannot be determined precisely.
The name Katpatuka is of uncertain origin, first appearing in records
after the Persian conquest of the region (notably the Behistun inscription
of Darius the Great). Some modern writers ascribe 'Cappadocia' to
the Cimmerians who are thought to have settled here after their
great defeat around 641-640 BC. If the Cimmerians referred to their
homeland (either the original one or this potential new one) as
Cimmeria then Katpatuka is certainly not derived from it. However,
Katpatuka certainly does supply the Greek form of the name, Cappadocia.
Katpatuka softens the two 't' letters so that one vanishes and the
other becomes a 'd' in Cappadocia. And one may safely assume that
both of the 'c' letters in Cappadocia are pronounced as a 'k', but
then what if the 'kat-' of Katpatuka means 'battle'...? That would
mean an Indo-European word origin which has the same meaning as
the Celtic word for battle, 'cat'. Could the Cimmerians have been
responsible for that...?
(Information by Peter Kessler, with additional information by Edward
Dawson, from The Persian Empire, J M Cook (1983), from The
Histories, Herodotus (Penguin, 1996), from Ctesias' Persica
in its Near Eastern Context, Matt Waters, from Beiträge zur
Geschichte und Sage von Iran, J Markwart (Marquart) (ZDMG 49,
1895, in German), and from External Links: Encyclopaedia
Iranica, and Lives of Eminent Commanders, Cornelius Nepos (1886
Edition).)
547
- 546 BC :
The defeat of the Medes opens the floodgates for Cyrus the Great
with a wave of conquests, beginning with Cilicia in 549 BC. Harpagus,
a Median of the royal house and the main cause of the Median defeat,
commands Cyrus' army in Anatolia, conquering it between 547-546
BC. Taken during this campaign are Armenia, Caria, Lycia, Lydia,
Paphlagonia, Phrygia, and Tabal (Cappadocia), and Harpagus and his
descendants reign thereafter in Karkâ and Lykia (Lycia) (and apparently
Cilicia too) as satraps.
![](Persia_CyrusGreat_01_full.jpg)
Cyrus
the Great freed the Indo-Iranian Parsua people from Median domination
to establish a nation that is recognisable to this day, and an empire
that provided the basis for the vast territories that were later
ruled by Alexander the Great
Renamed
as the minor region of Katpatuka, Tabal is apparently governed by
Atrabates. The name is coincidentally the same as the Atrebates
tribe of Britons, and has an apparent meaning that would be inappropriate
for an individual. Could he instead be Atradates, also seemingly
known as Mitradates, foster-father of Cyrus?
fl
c.540s? BC :
Atrabates
: Satrap of Katpatuka? Not verified.
fl
c.520s? BC :
Ariaramnes
: Satrap of Katpatuka? Not verified.
513 BC :
Ariaramnes is claimed by the unreliable Ctesias as satrap of Katpatuka
while Herodotus, who is very reliable on Anatolia, does not mention
him. The claim is that Darius orders Ariaramnes to cross the Black
Sea to conduct a preliminary reconnaissance of the Scythian territories
there. Ariaramnes brings back prisoners which include the brother
of the Scythian king, and the resultant protests give Darius his
excuse to go to war in Scythia. It is possible that Ariaramnes is
instead based in Hellespontine Phrygia, as Katpatuka may not even
be a satrapy at this time.
fl 510s BC :
Ariamnes : First confirmed satrap.
The name Ariamnes looks very much like Aryaman, the Hindu deity,
with a nominative suffix added on. It's hard to be sure what the
Luwian suffix may be, but using a Greek/Celtic suffix the name would
read Ariamanos. Using the proto- Indo-European suffix it would be
Ariamanaz.
fl
480 BC :
Gobryas
: Half-brother of Xerxes of Persia.
480 BC :
Neighbouring
Paphlagonia with its still-independent princes contributes an important
contingent to the Persian army of Xerxes which invades Greece. The
Persians subdue the Thracian tribes and the Macedonians. Then the
vast army of Xerxes makes its way southwards and is swiftly engaged
by Athens and Sparta in the Vale of Tempe. The Persians are subsequently
stymied by a mixed force of Greeks - which includes Athenians, Corinthians,
Helots, Mycenaeans, Thebans, and Thespians - led by Sparta under
King Leonidas at Thermopylae. (These events are depicted somewhat
colourfully - but no less impressively for that - in the 2007 film,
300.) The Persian army is held up long enough for the Athenians
to prepare their navy for a seaborne engagement with the Persian
fleet.
![Katpatuka monuments](Tubal_Katpatuka01_full.jpg)
The
Persian satraps of Katpatuka found themselves in a land that was
filled with Hittite monuments that predated their arrival by at
least half a millennium
c.480 - 400? BC :
At some point in this period Katpatuka's northern coastal region
is divided from the satrapy to form a new province called Pontus.
The exact date at which this occurs is unknown, but it is an established
fact by the time of Xenophon of Athens in the first half of the
fourth century BC.
c.375
BC :
Mithridates of Chios : Possibly related to Ariobarzanus
of Phrygia.
c.375 - 362 BC :
Datames : Son of Camissares, satrap of Khilakku & Paphlagonia.
Killed.
367 BC :
Ariobarzanus, satrap of Phrygia, joins Datames, satrap of Khilakku
and Katpatuka and independent ruler of Paphlagonia, in revolt against
Artaxerxes II. Autophradates, satrap of Sparda, is ordered to suppress
the rebellion and he manages to expel Ariobarzanes from the greater
part of his satrapy. In 365 BC, Athens sends thirty ships and 8,000
mercenaries to aid Ariobarzanus. He rewards Athens with the gift
of Sestos and Crithote, cities on the Thracian Chersonesus.
fl 364 BC :
Aspis
: Satrap of Cataonia. Subjugated.
364
BC :
This seems to be the point at which the native princes of Paphlagonia
are finally removed from holding any kind of office. They are replaced
by various individuals from more powerful regions. By now the Greek
city of Sinope has also fallen under Persian domination. Datames
is the first outsider to take control there. Given the fact that
he is in revolt against Persia, it would seem that Paphlagonia has
been seized as part of this effort. He also subjugates the minor
satrap of Cataonia - a division of Katpatuka itself - the otherwise
unknown Aspis.
Soon
all of Asia Minor (Anatolia) revolts against Artaxerxes II and,
in 362 BC, even Autophradates is driven to join the rebels. Sparta,
and also Takhôs, pharaoh of Egypt, send substantial help to the
rebels. Two years later, in 360 BC, Ariobarzanes is betrayed by
his son, Mithridates, and is executed. The satrapal revolt is finally
suppressed in 359-358 BC, by which time Datames' son, Ariaramnes,
is satrap of Katpatuka.
362
- 350 BC :
Ariaramnes
I / Ariamnes : Son. Great uncle of Cyrus the Great of Persia.
350
- 334 BC :
Ariarathes
I : Son of Ariaramnes. Became satrap for Greek Cappadocia.
?
- 334 BC :
Mithrobouzanes
: Persian satrap of Katpatuka during the reign of Darius
III.
334 - 333 BC :
In 334 BC Alexander of Macedon launches his campaign into the Persian
empire by crossing the Dardanelles. The first battle is fought on
the River Graneikos (Granicus), eighty kilometres (fifty miles)
to the east. Dismayed at the Persian defeat, Satrap Arsites of Daskyleion
commits suicide. Sparda surrenders, but Karkâ's new satrap holds
out in the fortress of Halicarnassus with the Persian General Memnon.
![Alexander the Great crosses the River Graneikos](Macedonia_Alexander03_full.jpg)
Alexander
the Great crossed the River Graneikos (or Granicus) in 334 BC to
spark a direct face-off with the Persians that had been brewing
for generations, and his victory in battle near the river sent shockwaves
through the Persian empire
Mithrobouzanes,
perhaps only commanding briefly in Katpatuka, is killed at Graneikos
and Ariarathes is the one to benefit, becoming governor of northern
Cappadocia (Katpatuka) under Alexander. It has been put forward
(by Marquart at least) that Mithrobouzanes could be a son of Ariarathes,
which would certainly help to explain how the latter could be accounted
as governing Katpatuka at the same time as him. Cappadocia is also
easily divided into north and south regions (as demonstrated under
Greek rule), and Mithrobouzanes may command the south only, with
Ariarathes in the north.
Argead
Dynasty in Cappadocia :
The Argead were the ruling family and founders of Macedonia who
reached their greatest extent under Alexander the Great and his
two successors before the kingdom broke up into several Hellenic
sections. Following Alexander's conquest of the Persian holdings
in Anatolia and Syria between 334-331 BC, the Greek empire ruled
the region until Alexander's death in 323 BC and the subsequent
regency period which ended in 310 BC. Alexander's successors held
no real power, being mere figureheads for the generals who really
held control of Alexander's empire. Following that latter period
and during the course of several wars, Anatolia was divided between
Cassander of Macedonia, the Lysimachian empire, and the Antigonid
empire.
As Katpatuka, the region of Cappadocia had been a Persian satrapy
for some time (since 547-546 BC). Alexander the Great swept away
Persian power in Anatolia during his conquests of 334-331 BC, and
initially he attempted to impose his own commander in Cappadocia
whilst being entirely occupied with conquering Egypt and Babylonia.
In these early days of establishing his Greek empire he was less
successful in that attempt than he would later be. Cappadocia's
former satrap, Ariarathes, declared himself king in 331 BC and his
satrapy of Cappadocia became the kingdom of Cappadocia.
(Information by Peter Kessler, with additional information from
The Augustan Empire, 43 BC-AD 69, A K Bowman, E Champlin,
& A Lintott (1996), from The Persian Empire, J M Cook
(1983), from The Histories, Herodotus (Penguin, 1996), from
Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, William
Smith (Ed, Little, Brown & Company, 1849), and from External
Links: Encyclopćdia Britannica, and Appian's History of Rome:
The Syrian Wars at Livius.org, and Pera: Ancient Pergamum, and
Encyclopaedia Iranica, and Lives of Eminent Commanders, Cornelius
Nepos (1886 Edition).)
333
- 323 BC :
Alexander III the Great : King of Macedonia. Conquered
Persia.
323 - 317 BC :
Philip III Arrhidaeus : Feeble-minded half-brother of Alexander
the Great.
317 - 310 BC :
Alexander IV of Macedonia : Infant son of Alexander the
Great and Roxana.
334 - 333 BC :
In 334 BC Alexander of Macedon launches his campaign into the Persian
empire by crossing the Dardanelles. The first battle is fought on
the River Graneikos (Granicus), eighty kilometres (fifty miles)
to the east. The Persian defeat forces Satrap Arsites of Daskyleion
to commit suicide. Sparda surrenders but Karkâ's satrap holds out
in the fortress of Halicarnassus with the Persian General Memnon.
The fortress is blockaded and Alexander moves on to fight the Lykian
mountain folk during the winter when they cannot take refuge in
those mountains.
![Map of Central Asia & Eastern Mediterranean 334-323 BC](Map_Bactria-&-India-334-324BC_full.jpg)
The
route of Alexander's ongoing campaigns are shown in this map, with
them leading him from Europe to Egypt, into Persia, and across the
vastness of eastern Iran as far as the Pamir mountain range
The
campaigning season of 333 BC sees Darius III and Alexander miss
each other on the plain of Cilicia and instead fight the Battle
of Issos on the coast. Darius flees when the battle's outcome hangs
in the balance, gifting the Greeks Khilakku and Katpatuka (Cappadocia),
although pockets of Persian resistance remain in parts of Anatolia.
However, Greek control of Katpatuka is fleeting, and Satrap Ariarathes
remains in office throughout the period.
334
- 331 BC :
Ariarathes
: Former satrap of Katpatuka. Declared independent kingdom.
334
- 333 BC :
Abistamenes
: Greek satrap in southern Cappadocia only. Killed?
334/333 BC :
The hold by Abistamenes over his southern Cappadocian territories
seems loose at best. Cappadocians can still be found fighting for
Darius III at the subsequent Battle of Gaugamela in 331 BC. Abistamenes
himself seems to occupy his position only briefly, and already seems
to have disappeared by 333 BC, following the Battle of Issus.
333
- 332 BC :
Sabiktas
: Greek satrap in southern Cappadocia only.
332
- 321 BC :
?
: Unknown Greek satraps in southern Cappadocia only.
331 BC :
Despite the attempts by Alexander the Great's Greek empire to rule
the region through its own military commanders, the long-serving
Ariarathes seizes this opportunity to go it alone. He declares his
independence as king of Katpatuka, although it is far more recognisably
known by the Greek form of its name - Cappadocia.
Kingdom
of Cappadocia (Katpatuka) :
As Katpatuka, the region that formed the kingdom of Cappadocia had
been a Persian satrapy for some time (since 547-546 BC). Alexander
the Great swept away Persian power in Anatolia during his conquests
of 334-331 BC, and initially he attempted to impose his own commander
in Cappadocia (a Greek version of 'Katpatuka'), whilst being entirely
occupied with conquering Egypt and Babylonia. In these early days
of establishing his Greek empire he was less successful in that
attempt than he would later be. Katpatuka's former satrap, both
for the Persians and for Alexander as his satrap of Cappadocia,
Ariarathes, declared himself king in 331 BC. During the majority
of its existence the kingdom was neighboured to the north by Pontus
and Lesser Armenia, to the east by Armenia Sophene, to the south-east
by Commagene, to the south by Cilicia, and to the west by Phrygia.
Ariarathes himself managed to extend the kingdom's borders to the
Black Sea.
Initially, Ariarathes held onto his kingdom in northern Cappadocia,
subduing the region of Cataonia while Greek satraps governed the
south. But there were far more powerful forces at work in the region.
Upon the death of Alexander the Great, his generals began fighting
amongst themselves for control of his empire. Although Ariarathes
only ever held northern Cappadocia, even that was lost after his
murder in 322 BC, by which time he was aged eighty-two. For a time
the kingdom was a plaything of the Wars of the Diadochi. However,
Cappadocia did re-emerge as an independent kingdom in the third
century BC.
(Information by Peter Kessler, with additional information from
The Augustan Empire, 43 BC-AD 69, A K Bowman, E Champlin,
& A Lintott (1996), from The Persian Empire, J M Cook
(1983), from The Histories, Herodotus (Penguin, 1996), from
The Generalship of Alexander the Great, J F C Fuller, from
the Historical Dictionary of Ancient Greek Warfare, J Woronoff
& I Spence, and from External Links: Encyclopćdia Britannica,
and Appian's History of Rome: The Syrian Wars at Livius.org,
and Pera: Ancient Pergamum.)
331
- 323 BC :
Ariarathes
I Philádelphos : Former satrap of Greek Cappadocia. Killed
322 BC.
332
- 321 BC :
?
: Unknown Greek satraps in southern Cappadocia only.
323 BC :
The death of Alexander the Great ends the period of peace in Cappadocia.
Ariarathes' kingdom falls to the satraps as Alexander's generals
fight for control of his empire. He is captured and executed by
Perdiccas, while Eumenes of Cardia is the first to seize control
of the whole kingdom, but he faces opposition in the form of Nikanor.
323
- 319 BC :
Eumenes
of Cardia : Greek general. Ruled all of Cappadocia, but
not uncontested.
322 BC :
Alexander's former secretary, Eumenes, is confirmed as ruler of
Cappadocia by the Greek regent, Perdiccas. The regent underlines
his choice of ruler by defeating the deposed Ariarathes, and then
having him and many of his relations crucified. Eumenes soon finds
his rule opposed by Nikanor, a Macedonian officer who serves first
Cassander, would-be regent and king of Greece, and then Antigonus.
![Eumenes of Cardia](Macedonia_Eumenes01_full.jpg)
Eumenes
of Cardia, Macedonian general and one of Alexander the Great's 'successors'
between whom a series of wars were fought
322
- 316 BC :
Nikanor
/ Nicanor : Opponent of Eumenes. Transferred to Media by
Antigonus.
319/306
- 301 BC :
The death of Antipater of Greece leads to the Second War of the
Diadochi. He had passed over his son, Cassander, in favour of
Polyperchon as his successor (possibly to avoid claims of dynasticism)
but the two rivals go to war. In the resultant shifts in power and
control, Cappadocia and its surrounding regions (including Paphlagonia)
become part of the Antigonid empire and Eumenes is killed. The kingdom
of Cappadocia is subsumed within the Antigonid holdings until 301
BC with Nikanor as its satrap until 316 BC. Then he is transferred
to govern Media (and seemingly also Parthia from 317 BC, possibly
on a temporary basis at first which would explain his nominal continuance
in office in Cappadocia until the following year).
302
BC :
Once in the service of Antigonus, Mithradates takes control of Pontus
from the fragmenting Greek empire and creates his own kingdom. This
also encompasses part of Paphlagonia and removes Cappadocian access
to the Black Sea. It seems that, upon the death of Antigonus at
the Battle of Ipsus in the following year, 301 BC, Amyntas attempts
to seize control of the Cappadocian region.
301
BC :
Amyntas
: Briefly ruled the region. Died.
301 BC :
Amyntas is killed when Ariarathes II of Cappadocia and Ardoates
of Armenia invade. Ariarathes recovers his uncle's throne and restores
the native dynasty, but he is forced to accept the Seleucid empire
as his overlord.
301
- c.280 BC :
Ariarathes
II : Nephew & adopted son of Ariarathes I. Vassal of
the Seleucids.
c.280
- c.250 BC :
Ariaramnes
II : Son. Vassal of the Seleucids until c.260 BC.
273 BC :
The Galatian Celts invade Greece again, destroying the Thracian
kingdom and forcing the aristocracy to escape to the Greek colonies
bordering the Black Sea, Pontus included. The kingdom of Galatia
is created in Anatolia by the victorious Celts.
c.260
BC :
Cappadocia appears to gain independence from the Seleucid empire.
This probably occurs after the death of Antiochus I Soter in 261
BC and while the empire is occupied with Second Syrian War
against Ptolemy of Egypt. However, this doesn't prevent Ariarathes
III from marrying the daughter of the ruling Seleucid, Antiochus
II Theos.
![Ptolemy III Euergetes](Hellenic_PtolemyIII_Coin01_full.jpg)
Ptolemy
Euergetes increased Egyptian imperial borders at the expense of
Seleucid Syria, something that few of his successors were ever able
to manage, which also allowed Cappadocia some extra freedoms
c.250
- 220 BC :
Ariarathes
III : Son. Co-ruler during his father's lifetime.
220
- 163 BC :
Ariarathes
IV Eusebes : Son. Child at accession. m dau of Seleucid
Antiochus III.
216 - 213 BC :
Now strong enough to face his rebellious cousin, Antiochus III of
the Seleucid empire is able to march his forces into western Anatolia.
By 214 BC Achaeus has been driven back to Sardis where he is captured
and executed. The citadel itself is able to hold out until 213 BC
under Achaeus' widow Laodice. Central Anatolia has been recovered
but several regional dynasties persist in Bithynia, Cappadocia,
and Pergamon. Rather than try his hand against these, Antiochus
concentrates on the northern and eastern provinces of the empire.
Xerxes of Armenia is persuaded to acknowledge his supremacy in 212
BC, while in 209 BC Antiochus invades Parthia. Its capital, Hecatompylos,
is occupied and Antiochus forces his way into Hyrcania, with the
result that the Parthian king, Arsaces II, is forced to sue for
peace.
190
- 188 BC :
Rome defeats the Seleucids in the Seleucid War, taking Asia
Minor as a province in 188 BC. The Seleucid ally, Cappadocia, negotiates
friendly terms with Rome, notably because Stratonice, the king's
daughter, is about to marry the king of Pergamon, a Roman ally.
183
- 180 BC :
Further expansion of the kingdom of Pergamon takes place when the
Thracians are occupied with support from Cappadocia. However, this
tough mountainous terrain is too difficult to hold, and within three
years, Macedonian supremacy there has been restored.
163
- 130 BC :
Ariarathes
V Eusebes Philopator : Son. Killed in battle.
162? - 158 BC :
At the insistence of Rome, Ariarathes V refuses a marriage with
Laodice V, sister of Seleucid ruler Demetrius I Soter. Demetrius
goes to war and produces Orophernes as a rival claimant to the Cappadocian
throne. Ariarathes is temporarily forced to flee to Rome in 158
BC but is quickly restored, although Orophernes is allowed to reign
jointly. This arrangement is brief, however, as Ariarathes is soon
recorded as being the sole ruler.
163
- 157 BC :
Holophernes
/ Orophernes : Brother? Rival, sponsored by the Seleucids.
Later joint ruler.
131 - 130 BC :
The first Roman army to be sent against Eumenes of Pergamon is joined
by their allies from Cappadocia. The attempt meets with failure
when the combined armies are defeated. Both Proconsul Publius Licinius
Crassus Dives Mucianus and Ariarathes V are killed.
![Pergamon ruins](Pergamum_Ruins01_full.jpg)
Pergamon
rose to prominence during the years of division in the Greek empire
following the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC when his empire
was divided among his generals - now it worked in tandem with Cappadocia
130
- 116 BC :
Ariarathes
VI Epiphanes Philopator : Son of Ariarathes V. A child
upon succession. Murdered.
130
- 126 BC :
Nysa
: Mother and regent. Killed by nobles for murdering rivals.
c.121 - 88 BC :
Once he puts an end to the scheming of his mother (between 116-113
BC), Mithradates VI of Pontus proves to be a resourceful and powerful
regional authority. Over the course of the first thirty years of
his reign, he methodically captures and adds neighbouring kingdoms
and territories to his own realm, including Crimea, Paphlagonia,
and (areas of) Cappadocia, and makes Armenia an ally. Though opposed
by the Romans in theory, little is done due mainly to Roman wars
in Africa (Jugurtha), continuing social disorder, and the crisis
of the Germanic (Cimbri and Teuton) invasions.
116
BC :
Ariarathes VI is murdered by Gordius on the orders of Mithradates
VI Eupator of Pontus. The kingdom is ruled briefly by the former
king's widow (probably as regent for her son), and then seized by
Bithynia. Mithradates expels the Bithynian king and places Ariarathes
VII on the throne.
116
BC :
Laodike
/ Laodice : Wife of Ariarathes VI, dau. of Mithradates
of Pontus.
116
BC :
Nicomedes
III : King of Bithynia. m Laodike.
116
- 101 BC :
Ariarathes
VII Philometor : Son of Ariarathes VI. Installed and killed
by Pontus.
c.101
- c.96 BC :
Ariarathes
VIII Epiphanes : Brother.
c.96
BC :
Mithradates
VI of Pontus continues his domination of Cappadocia by replacing
the native king with his own son. The situation is only briefly
endured by the Cappadocian nobles.
c.95
BC :
Ariarathes
IX Eusebes Philopator : Son of the king of Pontus. Expelled.
c.95
BC :
Gordius
: Regent. Murdered Ariarathes VI.
95 BC :
Following Ariarathes IX being expelled, the kingdom is briefly governed
directly by Mithradates of Pontus. Control of Cappadocia is vital
both to Pontus and nearby Armenia as it serves as a buffer against
Roman encroachment.
![Tetradrachm of Pontus](Pontus_MithradatesVI_Coin01.jpg)
A
tetradrachm issued by Mithradates VI of Pontus and Bithynia around
86-85 BC, towards the end of his dominance in Anatolia and the beginning
of true Roman dominance
95
BC :
Ariarathes
VIII Epiphanes : Restored by the nobles and driven out
by Mithradates.
95
BC :
Ariarathes
IX Eusebes Philopator : Restored by Pontus.
95 BC :
The eight year-old Ariarathes IX is ordered to be deposed by the
Roman Senate, despite claims by Mithradates that he is in fact a
descendant of Ariarathes V of Cappadocia. Rome allows the people
to select their king, and they chose Ariobarzanes.
95
BC :
Ariobarzanes
I Philoromanus : Expelled by Tigranes the Great of Armenia.
95 - 89 BC :
Mithradates of Pontus refuses to be cowed by Roman interference
in Anatolia and retakes the kingdom after his ally in Armenia expels
Ariobarzanes. Again he places his own son on the Cappadocian throne.
95
- 89 BC :
Ariarathes
IX Eusebes Philopator : Restored again by Pontus.
89 BC :
On the even of the First Mithridatic War, the Roman Senate
restores Ariobarzanes to the Cappadocian throne. This permanently
ends Pontic interference in Cappadocian affairs but greatly increases
Roman influence to the extent that Cappadocia virtually becomes
a Roman client kingdom.
89
- 62 BC :
Arionarzanes
I Philoromanus : Restored. Abdicated.
69
- 67 BC :
The imperialistic ambitions of King Tigranes of Armenia lead to
war with Rome, and a defeated Armenia becomes tributary to the republic
following the campaigns of generals Lucullus (69 BC) and Pompey
(67 BC). Seleucid Syria is lost and the Romans distinguish between
Greater Armenia and Lesser Armenia, respectively east and west of
the Euphrates. The latter is governed by proxy through Rome's client
state, Cappadocia.
![Ariobarzanes II Philopator of Cappadocia](Cappadocia_AriobarzanesII_Coin01_full.jpg)
Shown
here are both sides of a coin that was issued during the reign of
Ariobarzanes II Philopator of Cappadocia
62
- 51 BC :
Ariobarzanes
II Philopator : Son. Relatively ineffectual.
51
- 42 BC :
Ariobarzanes
III Eusebes Philoromanos : Son. 'Friend of the Romans'.
Executed.
49 BC :
Upon Pompey's fall, Pharnaces of Pontus, newly resurgent king of
a reduced kingdom that also includes the Cimmerian Bosporus, takes
advantage of Julius Caesar being occupied in Egypt, and reduces
Kolkis, Armenia, and part of Cappadocia, defeating Domitius Calvinus
at Nicopolis, whom Caesar subsequently sends against him. Kolkis
becomes part of the kingdom of Pontus, along with Lesser Armenia.
42
- 36 BC :
Ariarathes
X Eusebes Philadelphos : Brother. Executed.
37
- 36 BC :
Following the execution in 42 BC of Ariobarzanes III by Cassius
Longinus, one of the plotters against Julius Caesar, his brother
Ariarathes X is removed from power and executed by Roman triumvir
Mark Antony. The Cappadocian kingship is now firmly in the hands
of Romans. Mark Antony first gifts the throne to Amintas of the
Galatians, and then raises the Cappadocian nobleman Sisines to the
rank of king in 36 BC, the latter adopting the name Archelaus. Archelaus
subsequently deserts Mark Antony at the Battle of Actium in 31 BC.
36
BC - AD 17 :
Archelaus
(Sisines) : Roman client. Died in confinement in Rome.
8 BC :
Now a widow of some power and standing, Pythodoria of Pontus marries
Archelaus, becoming co-ruler there too. She and her new husband
now govern a wide swathe of eastern Anatolia and the South Caucuses.
![Caesar Augustus](Emperor_Augustus01_full.jpg)
During
his long 'reign' as Rome's first citizen, Augustus brought peace
to the city and oversaw its transition from failing republic to
vigorous and expanding empire
AD 17 :
The aged Archelaus proves relatively popular with Rome but is less
liked by the Cappadocians. For angering the Emperor Tiberius after
favouring one of his rivals for the imperial diadem, Archelaus is
summoned to Rome where he dies, possibly of natural causes (or suicide).
Tributary Cappadocia now becomes a Roman province with Pythodoria
of Pontus having to return to her own lands, while Armenia and Lesser
Armenia are combined and handed to the elder son of Polemon I, Artaxias
III, who rules there as a client king. Cilicia is handed to Archelaus'
own son to rule as another client king.
Source
:
https://www.historyfiles.co.uk
/KingListsMiddEast/
AnatoliaTabal.htm