| Sophene Ծոփք Provincia Sophene | |
|---|---|
| Province ofthe ancient kingdom of Armenia | |
| 189 BC–530 AD | |
 Sophene in the south-west of the Kingdom of Armenia (spelled "Dzopk" in theWestern Armenian dialect). | |
| Capital | Carcathiocerta (Eğil), laterArshamashat (Elazığ) |
| History | |
• Artaxias I declaring himself independent | 189 BC |
• Included in the province of Armenia | 530 AD |
Sophene (Armenian:Ծոփք,romanized: Tsopkʻ orՉորրորդ Հայք,lit. 'fourth Armenia';Ancient Greek:Σωφηνή,romanized: Sōphēnē) was a province of theancient kingdom of Armenia, located in the south-west of the kingdom, and of theRoman Empire. The region lies in what is now southeasternTurkey.[1]
The region that was to become Sophene was part of the kingdom ofArarat (Urartu) in the 8th and 7th centuries BC. After unifying the region with his kingdom in the early 8th century BC, kingArgishtis I of Urartu resettled many of its inhabitants in his newly built city ofErebuni (modern day Armenian capitalYerevan). Around 600 BC, Sophene became part of the newly emerged ancientArmenian Kingdom of theOrontids. This dynasty acted as satraps ofPersia first under theMedian Empire, later under theAchaemenid Empire.
AfterAlexander the Great's campaigns in the 330s BC and the subsequent collapse of theAchaemenid Empire, Sophene remained part of the newly independent kingdom of Greater Armenia. In the early 3rd century BC, at the instigation of theSeleucid Empire, which was trying to weaken the Armenian kingdom, Sophene, split from Greater Armenia, forming theKingdom of Sophene. The kingdom was ruled by a branch of the Armenian royal dynasty of Orontids. Sophene later split from the Sophene-Commagene kingdom as well, forming an independent kingdom.Commagene was part of Sophene at this time.
Around 200 BC, in his attempt to finally subjugate Armenia, Seleucid kingAntiochus III conquered both Greater Armenia and Sophene, installing Armenian generalsArtaxias I (Artashes) andZariadres (Zareh) as governors-strategoi in the respective kingdoms. Following Antiochus' defeat by the Romans at the Battle of Magnesia in 190 BC, both Zariadres and Artaxias declared themselves independent kings. Zariadres and his descendants ruled the Kingdom of Sophene until it was reunified with Greater Armenia byTigranes the Great in the 80s BC. Branches of the Orontid dynasty continued to rule parts of Sophene after it was annexed by Greater Armenia.[2]
Cyril Toumanoff identifies Sophene as the domain of one of the fourbdeshkhs of the Kingdom of Armenia.[2] Thebdeshkhs were high-ranking nobles responsible for defending the borders of the Kingdom of Armenia.
Sophene was detached by Rome from Greater Armenia several times.[2]Pompey gave Sophene toTigranes the Younger in 66 BCE after defeating his father Tigranes the Great, then transferred it toAriobarzanes I of Cappadocia.[3][2]Around 54, the Romans installedSohaemus of Emesa as King of Sophene.[4] After this, Sophene reverted to Armenian control, but definitively came under Roman control again in 298.[2] Sophene eventually became aprovince of theRoman Empire. Its capital wasAmida (modernDiyarbakır). In 530, Sophene was included into theprovince ofArmenia IV.[5]
The local Armenian population remained until theArmenian genocide of 1915.[6]
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