Kingdom of Sophene facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kingdom of Sophene
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| 3rd century – 94 BC | |||||||||||
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| Capital | Karkathiokerta | ||||||||||
| Common languages | Armenian | ||||||||||
| Government | Monarchy | ||||||||||
| Historical era | Hellenistic Age | ||||||||||
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• gained independence from the Achaemenid Empire
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3rd century BC | ||||||||||
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• conquered (or reconquered) by Tigranes the Great
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94 BC | ||||||||||
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The Kingdom of Sophene was an ancient kingdom in the region of Armenia. It started around the 3rd century BC. This kingdom stayed independent for about 200 years. Around 90 BC, a powerful ruler named Tigranes the Great conquered Sophene. It then became part of his large empire. Later, a part of Sophene became a new kingdom called Kingdom of Commagene. This happened when the Seleucid Empire separated Commagene from Sophene.
The Kingdom's Beginnings
Sophene was once part of the ancient kingdom of Urartu. This was between the 8th and 7th centuries BC. A king of Urartu, Argishti I of Urartu, brought the region under his control. He moved many people from Sophene to his new city, Erebuni.
Later, around 600 BC, Sophene became a province of the Armenian Kingdom. This kingdom was ruled by the Orontid Dynasty.
After Alexander the Great's military campaigns in the 330s BC, the Achaemenid Empire fell apart. Sophene was one of the first parts of Armenia to be influenced by Greek culture. It adopted some Greek ways of life.
Sophene remained part of the larger, newly independent kingdom of Greater Armenia. However, around the 3rd century BC, the Seleucid Empire forced Sophene to split away. This is how the independent Kingdom of Sophene was formed. It was still ruled by a branch of the Armenian royal family, the Orontids.
Capital City and People
The capital city of the Kingdom of Sophene was Carcathiocerta. Today, this site is thought to be the abandoned town of Eğil. It is located on the Tigris river, north of Diyarbakır. Another important city was Arsamosata, founded in the 3rd century BC.
Even though the rulers of Sophene were Armenian, the people living there were a mix of different groups. There were people of Armenian background. There were also people of Semitic background, who came from the south. This mix of people continued for a long time.
See Also
