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ThePonticKingdom,ArsacidIranandArmenia...
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abride.21Allthesefactstestifytotheexistenceofaspecificstrategicplanning
onthepartoftheArsacidKingofKings,whostoodbehindTigranesandhis
Pontically.
ThefirstmilitaryactionofTigraneswasaimedatthesubjugationofSophene
inabout95b.C.22Atthistime,SophenewasruledbyArtanesorOrontes,23
adescendantofZariadres,aSeleukidgeneralwhomadehimselfindependent
about189b.C.SophenehadoftenbeenadisputedterritorybetweenArmenia
andCappadokia(Diod.31.22).TheSopheniandynastwasprobablynotdeposed
byTigranes,buthecontinuedtoruleasvassaloftheArmenianking.Itwas
onlyafterTigranes’sannexationofSophenethatArmeniaacquiredacommon
frontierwithCappadokiaandeasyaccesstotheEuphratescrossingatTomisa,
onthewayleadingtoMeliteneandCappadokianhinterland.24Significantly,the
nextmilitaryoperationofTigraneswasaninvasionofCappadokia.
Tigranes’sactivitiesinSophene,theninCappadokia,andhisclosecoopera-
tionwithEupatormusthavebeenaresultofParthianstrategicplans:theArsacid
king,apoliticianofbroaderhorizons,wassurelyawareofRomanpredominance
inAnatoliaandRomanmilitaryappetite.Withthenewallianceestablished,
EupatorwasabletochallengeRomanpowerinAnatolia.Atthesametime,the
ParthiansshowedtheirinterestincontrolofSyria,KilikiaandKommagene.It
isthusconceivablethatArsacidstrategyintendedtosecuretheParthiansphere
ofinterestbyannihilating1eitherwithPonticorArmenianhands1Roman
influenceinCappadokia,acountrystretchingalongtheEuphratesandbordering
withKommagene,Armenia,andKilikiaPedias,i.e.areaswhichParthiacon-
trolledorplannedtosubjugate.Thus,Kappadokiaremainedthemaindisputed
territoryineasternAnatoliainthe90sand80softhe1stcenturyb.C.
***
ParthianstrategicplanningunderMithradatesIItookintoaccountKom-
magene,acountrybetweenSyria,Kilikia,KappadokiaandtheEuphratesriver
whichhadbeenaSeleukidpossession.25Kommagenebecameindependentin
21Iust.38.3.2linksthemarriagebetweenCleopatraandTigraneswithTigranes’sactionin
Cappadocia.
22ForTigranes’ssubjugationofSophene,seeStrab.11.14.15,12.2.1.R.D.Sullivan:
NearEasternRoyalty...,p.99,rightlydatestheevent“soonafterhisaccession.”
23Strab.11.14.15withR.D.Sullivan:NearEasternRoyalty...,pp.99.Stephanosof
byzantion(s.v.Sophene)callsSophene’srulerArsakes,butitisprobablyamistake.
24ThegeographicalpeculiaritiesoftheregionreportsStrab.12.2.1.Heunderscoresthe
communicationlinksbetweenMelitene,Kommagene,andSophene.Cf.R.D.Sullivan:Near
EasternRoyalty...,p.99.
25OnthehistoryofKommagene,seeR.D.Sullivan:“TheDynastyofCommagene.”
ANRWII8,1977;J.Wagner:“DynastieundHerrscherkultinKommagene.Forschungsges-
chichteundneueFunde.”IstanbulerMitteilungen,bd.33,1983;F.K.Dörner:Kommagene,
