Ariobarzanes I (Ancient Greek: Ἀριοβαρζάνης), surnamed Philoromaios (Ancient Greek: Φιλορωμαίος, romanized: Philorōmaíos, "Friend to the Romans"), was the first Ariobarzanid king of Cappadocia from 95 BC to 63/62 BC. Ariobarzanes I was a Cappadocian nobleman of obscure origins who was of Persian descent.
Name
"Ariobarzanes" is the Greek form of the Old Iranian name *Ārya-bṛzāna-, possibly meaning "exalting the Aryans".[1] It is uncertain whether Ariobarzanes had adopted this name at his accession or that it was a personal one.[2]
Biography
Ariobarzanes belonged to one of the Persian aristocratic families of Cappadocia.[3] Like the previous ruling Ariarathid dynasty, Ariobarzanes also claimed to be a direct descendant of the companions of Darius the Great (r. 522–486 BC), the king of the Achaemenid Empire (550–330 BC). Ariobarzanes continued to mint the same Greek-style coins as the Ariarathids, albeit with a new addition. As a demonstration of his political allegiance with the Romans, he adopted the Roman veristic style on his portraits.[2]
Ariobarzanes' queen was a Greek noblewoman, Athenais Philostorgos I. Athenais bore Ariobarzanes I two children: a son, Ariobarzanes II, who succeeded him, and a daughter, Isias, who married the King Antiochus I Theos of Commagene.
Dandamayev, M. A.; Shahbazi, A. Sh.; Lecoq, P. (1986). "Ariobarzanes". In Yarshater, Ehsan (ed.). Encyclopædia Iranica, Volume II/4: Architecture IV–Armenia and Iran IV. London and New York: Routledge & Kegan Paul. pp. 406–409. ISBN978-0-71009-104-8.
Miller, Margaret C. (2017). "Quoting 'Persia' in Athens". In Strootman, Rolf; Versluys, Miguel John (eds.). Persianism in Antiquity. Franz Steiner Verlag. pp. 49–69. ISBN978-3515113823.
Ariobarzanes Ariobarzanes of Phrygia Ariobarzanes I of Cappadocia Ariobarzanes III of Cappadocia Ariobarzanes of Persis Ariobarzanes II of Cappadocia Ariobarzanes of Pontus Ariobarzanes of Cappadocia Ariobarzanes II of Cius Ariobarzanes II of Atropatene Ariobarzanes I of Media Atropatene