Kingdom of Cappadocia
Kingdom of Cappadocia | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 331 BC–17 AD | |||||||||
Kingdom of Cappadocia at its peak during the reign of Ariarathes V (163-130 BC) | |||||||||
| Status | Subject of the Kingdom of Pontus and Seleucid Empire Client kingdom of the Roman Republic and Roman Empire (95 BCE–17 AD) | ||||||||
| Capital | Mazaca (modern-day Kayseri, Turkey) | ||||||||
| Common languages | Greek (official) Old Persian (native and regional) Aramaic (initially used on coinage) | ||||||||
| Religion | Syncretic, (Greek polytheism, Anatolian, and Persian gods) Zoroastrianism Judaism | ||||||||
| Government | Monarchy | ||||||||
| Basileus | |||||||||
• 331 – 322 BC (First Ariarathid king) | Ariarathes I | ||||||||
• 96 – c. 63 BC (First Ariobarzanid king) | Ariobarzanes | ||||||||
• 36 BC – 17 AD (last king) | Archelaus | ||||||||
| History | |||||||||
• Founded by Ariarathes I | 331 BC | ||||||||
• Ariarathes IX deposed, Ariobarzanes I installed with military support from Sulla | 95 BC | ||||||||
• Ariarathes X deposed, Archelaus installed by Marc Antony | 36 BC | ||||||||
• Annexed by the Roman Empire under Emperor Tiberius. | 17 AD | ||||||||
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Cappadocia (Greek: Καππαδοκία) was a Hellenistic-era Iranian kingdom centered in the historical region of Cappadocia in Asia Minor (present-day Turkey). It developed from the former Achaemenid satrapy of Cappadocia, and it was founded by its last satrap, Ariarathes (later Ariarathes I). Throughout its history, it was ruled by three families in succession: the House of Ariarathes (331–96 BC), the House of Ariobarzanes (96–36 BC), and lastly that of Archelaus (36 BC–17 AD). In 17 AD, following the death of Archelaus, during the reign of Roman emperor Tiberius (14–37 AD), the kingdom was incorporated as a Roman province.