Kingdom of Sophene

Kingdom of Sophene
3rd century BC–95 BC
Map of Sophene as a vassal state of the Kingdom of Armenia
Map of Sophene as a vassal state of the Kingdom of Armenia
CapitalKarkathiokerta
Arsamosata
Common languagesImperial Aramaic (government, court)[1][2]
Armenian (lingua franca)[2]
Religion
Zoroastrianism[3]
GovernmentMonarchy
King 
• c. 260 BC
Sames I
• c. 95 BC
Artanes
Historical eraHellenistic Age
• Established
3rd century BC
• Conquered by Tigranes the Great
95 BC
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Satrapy of Armenia
Kingdom of Armenia (Antiquity)
Kingdom of Commagene

The Kingdom of Sophene (Armenian: Ծոփք, romanizedTsop’k’, Ancient Greek: Σωφηνή, romanizedSōphēnḗ),[4] was a Hellenistic-era political entity situated between ancient Armenia and Syria.[5] Ruled by the Orontid dynasty, the kingdom was culturally mixed with Greek, Armenian, Iranian, Syrian, Anatolian and Roman influences.[4] Founded around the 3rd century BCE, the kingdom maintained independence until c. 95 BCE when the Artaxiad king Tigranes the Great conquered the territories as part of his empire.[6] Sophene laid near medieval Kharput, which is present day Elazığ.[7]

  1. ^ Marciak 2017, p. 117–118.
  2. ^ a b Chaumont 1986, pp. 418–438.
  3. ^ Boyce & Grenet 1991, p. 320.
  4. ^ a b Marciak 2017, p. 77.
  5. ^ Marciak 2017, p. 61.
  6. ^ Marciak 2017, p. 95.
  7. ^ Lacey 2016, p. 109.