View source for Arsames I

{{Short description|King of Armenia, Sophene and Commagene from 260 to 228 BC}}
{{other people|Arsames|Arsames (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox royalty
| name               = Arsames I 
| succession         = King of [[Kingdom of Armenia (antiquity)|Armenia]], [[Kingdom of Sophene|Sophene]] & [[Commagene]]
| image              = Arsames I coin 240 BC.jpg
| image_size = 250px
| caption            = Coinage of Arsames, King of Sophene.
| reign              = 260 – 228 BC
| coronation         = 260 BC
| full name          = Arsames I
| predecessor        = 
| successor          = Possibly [[Arsames II]]<br>[[Xerxes of Armenia|Xerxes]], King of Sophene & Commagene
| spouse             = 
| issue              = {{plain list|
*[[Xerxes of Armenia|Xerxes]]
*[[Orontes IV]]
*[[Mithrenes II]]
}}
| royal house        = 
| dynasty            = [[Orontid dynasty]]
| father             = [[Sames of Commagene|Sames]]
| mother             = 
| birth_date      = 
| birth_place     = 
| death_date      = 228 BC
| death_place     = 
| date of burial     = 
| place of burial    = [[:de:Arsameia am Nymphaios|Arsameia]]
}}
'''Arsames I''' ([[Greek language|Greek]]: {{lang|grc|Ἀρσάμης}}; {{langx|peo|𐎠𐎼𐏁𐎠𐎶}}) seems to have taken control of [[Commagene]], [[Sophene]] and [[Armenia]] in the year 260 BC after the death of his grandfather [[Orontes III]], king of Armenia, and his father [[Sames of Commagene|Sames]], king of [[Commagene]].

==Name==
"Arsames" is the [[Hellenization|Hellenized]] form of the [[Old Persian]] name ''Aršāma''{{efn|Also spelled ''Ṛšāma-''.<ref name="Iranica1">{{Encyclopædia Iranica Online | title = PERSONAL NAMES, IRANIAN iii. ACHAEMENID PERIOD | last = Schmitt | first = Rüdiger | author-link = Rüdiger Schmitt | url = https://iranicaonline.org/articles/personal-names-iranian-iii-achaemenid | year = 2005 | isbn = }}</ref>}} ("having a hero’s strength"), which was a common name within the [[Persians|Persian]] [[Achaemenid dynasty|Achaemenid family]] as well as amongst the Persian elite of the [[Achaemenid Empire]] (550–330 BC).<ref name="Iranica">{{Encyclopaedia Iranica | title = ARŠĀMA | last = Bresciani | first = E. | author-link = Edda Bresciani | url = https://iranicaonline.org/articles/arsama-greek-arsmes-aramaic-rsm-name-of-several-achaemenid-notables | editor-last = | editor-first =  | editor-link = | volume = 2 | fascicle = 5 | page = 546 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Canepa |first1=Matthew P. |author1-link=Matthew P. Canepa |title=The Iranian Expanse: Transforming Royal Identity through Architecture, Landscape, and the Built Environment, 550 BCE–642 CE |date=2018 |publisher=University of California Press |isbn=978-0520379206 |page=109 |chapter=Rival Visions and New Royal Identities in Post-Achaemenid Anatolia and the Caucasus}}</ref> The name is a compound, composed of ''aršan'' ("male, hero") and ''ama'' ("strength").<ref name="Iranica"/>{{efn|The compound words are spelled ''šršan-'' and ''ama-'' respectively if the spelling ''Ṛšāma-'' is used.<ref name="Iranica1"/>}} The name is attested in [[Aramaic language|Aramaic]] as ''ʾršm''.<ref name="Iranica"/> The feminine form of the name, ''*Aršāmā'' (Greek ''Arsamē''), is attested in the daughter of [[Darius the Great]] (522–486 BC).<ref name="Iranica"/>

==Reign==
The [[Seleucid Empire]] was always trying to overthrow the [[Armenians|Armenian]] dynasties who still ruled the lands their forebears had in the time of the [[Achaemenid Empire]].

[[Ziaelas of Bithynia]] found refuge at the court of king Arsames, and upon the death of king [[Nicomedes I]] of [[Bithynia]] Ziaelas returned to take the kingdom in 254 BC.

Arsames also supported [[Antiochus Hierax]] against his brother, [[Seleucus II Callinicus]], who was defeated at a battle against king [[Mithridates II of Pontus]] near Ankara in 239 BC, after which Seleucus lost control of any lands he had across the [[Taurus Mountains|Taurus]] mountains. This was to the benefit of Arsames.

Arsames then founded the cities of [[Arsamosata]] in Sophene and [[Arsameia]] (known today as Eski Kale) in [[Commagene]] in 235 BC.

After his death his eldest son [[Xerxes of Armenia|Xerxes]] became king of Commagene, Sophene and Armenia. Orontes IV would succeed Xerxes whilst another son known as "Mithras" (or Mithrenes II) is recorded as being the High Priest of the temple to the Sun and Moon at [[Armavir, Armenia#Antiquity|Armavir]].

==Children==
*[[Xerxes of Armenia|Xerxes]], King of Armenia and [[Sophene]] 228 – 212 BC
*[[Orontes IV]], King of Armenia 212 – 200 BC
*[[Mithrenes II]], High Priest of the temple to the Sun and Moon at [[Armavir, Armenia#Antiquity|Armavir]].

==See also==
* [[Commagene]]
* [[List of rulers of Commagene]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Armenian kings}}
{{Kingdom of Sophene}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:3rd-century BC kings of Armenia]]
[[Category:Kings of Sophene]]
[[Category:Diadochi]]
[[Category:228 BC deaths]]
[[Category:Year of birth unknown]]


{{AncientNearEast-bio-stub}}
{{Armenia-royal-stub}}