Kingdom of Sophene: Map & History
The Kingdom of Sophene was a Hellenistic-era political entity situated between ancient Armenia and Syria.
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The Kingdom of Sophene was a Hellenistic-era political entity situated between ancient Armenia and Syria. Its territory was once a part of the Satrapy of Armenia, which was ruled by the Orontid dynasty, and it emerged as a separate kingdom in the 3rd century BCE under a branch of that dynasty. The kingdom maintained independence until c. 95 BCE when the Artaxiad king Tigranes the Great conquered the territories as part of his empire. The kingdom was culturally mixed with Greek, Armenian, Iranian, Syrian, Anatolian and Roman influences.
Modern Countries Once Part of Kingdom of Sophene
At its mapped extent, Kingdom of Sophene covered territory in 1 present-day country. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Kingdom of Sophene's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Kingdom of Sophene in Depth
History
The Kingdom of Sophene was ruled by the Orontids, a dynasty of Iranian origin which ruled the Satrapy of Armenia under the Achaemenid Empire. They were descended from Orontes I, a Bactrian nobleman who was the son-in-law of the Achaemenid King of Kings Artaxerxes II (r. 404–358 BCE). The Orontids maintained their control over Armenia following the conquest of the Achaemenid Empire by Alexander the Great in 330 BCE, effectively ruling Armenia as kings. Most scholars concur that Sophene formed part of the Satrapy of Armenia in the Achaemenid period. In the Hellenistic period, the western regions of Armenia may have been more under the control of the Seleucids while the Orontids maintained control over the eastern regions of Armenia.
Religion and culture
The Orontid dynasty in Sophene practiced Zoroastrianism. According to modern historian Michał Marciak, the well-attested existence of Iranian culture in Sophene could be understood, as it was by Nina Garsoïan, as a derivation of Greater Armenia and indirectly from Iran. He also considers it possible that the strong existence of Iranian culture might have influenced Roman and Greek writers to regard the region as Armenian. The Orontids of Sophene "engaged or reinvigorated certain regional traditions of their Persian satrapal ancestors to give their fledgling kingdom the perception of depth."
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Kingdom of Sophene (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Kingdom of Sophene: Key Facts
| Capitals | Arsamosata, Carcathiocerta |
|---|---|
| Official language | Imperial Aramaic |
| Form of government | monarchy |
| Founded | 3rd century BCE |
| Dissolved | 94 BCE |
Facts from Wikidata Q2626105 (CC0).
Kingdom of Sophene Map Over Time
Dated world maps on which Kingdom of Sophene appears, with the other states of the time.
Kingdom of Sophene Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 23,785 km² in 32 CE.
Kingdom of Sophene: Frequently Asked Questions
When did the Kingdom of Sophene exist?
The Kingdom of Sophene is dated to 256 BCE – 113 CE, in the Classical Antiquity era.
What was the capital of the Kingdom of Sophene?
The capital of the Kingdom of Sophene was Karkathiokerta, Arsamosata.
How large was the Kingdom of Sophene at its peak?
At its peak in 32 AD the Kingdom of Sophene covered about 23,785 km².
How did the map of the Kingdom of Sophene change over time?
The Kingdom of Sophene appears on 3 dated world maps in the atlas, from 200 BCE to 1 CE. Each shows its borders in that year next to the other states of the time.