Zariadres was anOrontid ruler ofSophene in the early 2nd century BC. According toStrabo, he was a general of theSeleucid rulerAntiochus III who was made ruler of Sophene, although most scholars believe that he was a member of the Orontid dynasty, which ruledArmenia and Sophene. After the Seleucids were defeated by the Romans in 190 BC, Zariadres and his allyArtaxias I of Greater Armenia (possibly also Zariadres' son) revolted against the Seleucids, became independent kings and expanded their territories. The last information about Zariadres' reign dates to 188 BC. He was succeeded as king byMithrobouzanes, possibly his son.

Zariadres (Ζαριάδρης) is theGreek rendering of anIranian name, attested aszrytr/zryhr in theAramaic inscriptions ofArtaxias I inSevan andSiwnik, and asZareh inArmenian sources.^[3] The name derives fromOld Iranian *Zari āθra ('with golden fire').^[4]

Strabo writes thatSophene was taken over by a "general [strategos]" of KingAntiochus III (r. 222–187 BC) called Zariadres. Simultaneously,Artaxias I took overGreater Armenia.^[5] According toDavid Marshall Lang, this event occurred in 200 BC.^[1] Most scholars believe that Zariadres was a member of theOrontid dynasty, which ruled Armenia and Sophene. The preceding Orontid ruler of Sophene,Xerxes, was poisoned onAntiochus III's orders in approximately 212 BC,^[6] or later, in 202/201 BC.^[7] Different views exist on the question of whether the Zareh mentioned in Artaxias I's Aramaic inscriptions is identical with the Zariadres who became ruler of Sophene according to Strabo.Michał Marciak argues that identifying Zariadres of Sophene with the Zareh of the inscriptions seems to be "the most straightforward interpretation."^[8] Marciak further notes that if the two figures are not to be identified, then there is no evidence that Zariadres was a member of the Orontid dynasty.^[9] He concludes that Zariadres belonged to a different branch of the Orontid dynasty than the preceding kings of Sophene.^[10]

Following the defeat of Antiochus III by the Romans at theBattle of Magnesia in 190 BC, Zariadres andArtaxias revolted and with Roman consent began to reign as kings under the terms of theTreaty of Apamea in 188 BC—Zariadres over Sophene and Artaxias over Armenia. Zariadres and Artaxias then expanded their kingdoms. Zariadres conqueredAcilisene^[12] and possibly also Karenitis (around modern-dayErzurum) and Xerxene (likely a scribal corruption of *Derzene, corresponding to ArmenianDerjan)․^[13] Another territory mentioned by Strabo, read as either Taronitis (i.e.,Taron) or Tamonitis (either Tman^[14] orTmorik^[15]), was conquered either by Zariadres^[12] or Artaxias.^[15][a] Zariadres may have later recognized the suzerainty ofAntiochus IV Epiphanes in order to be allowed to remain as king of Sophene, rechristening the royal city ofArcathiocerta as Epiphaneia in the Seleucid king's honor.^[16] The last information about Zariadres' reign comes from 188 BC. He was succeeded byMithrobouzanes, who may have been his son. Zariadres appears to have sent Mithrobouzanes to the court ofAriarathes IV of Cappadocia, which suggests the existence of an alliance between the two kings. Ariarathes seems to have helped Mithrobouzanes take the throne of Sophene after some succession crisis. Since Ariarathres reigned until 163 BC, Mithrobouzanes' ascent to the throne of Sophene must have occurred before then.^[17]

• Chaumont, M. L. (1986)."Armenia and Iran ii. The pre-Islamic period". InYarshater, Ehsan (ed.).Encyclopædia Iranica. Vol. II/4: Architecture IV–Armenia and Iran IV. London and New York: Routledge & Kegan Paul. pp. 418–438.ISBN 978-0-71009-104-8.
• Hewsen, Robert H. (2001).Armenia: A Historical Atlas. University Of Chicago Press.ISBN 0-226-33228-4.
• Kovacs, Frank L. (2016).Armenian Coinage in the Classical Period. Lancaster: Classical Numismatic Group, Inc.ISBN 9780983765240.
• Lang, David M. (2000). "Iran, Armenia and Georgia". In Yarshater, Ehsan (ed.).The Cambridge History of Iran. Vol. 3, Part 1. Cambridge University Press. pp. 505–536.
• Marciak, Michał (2017).Sophene, Gordyene, and Adiabene: Three Regna Minora of Northern Mesopotamia Between East and West. BRILL.ISBN 9789004350724.
• Sargsyan, Gagik (1971)."Hayastani miavorumě ev hzoratsʻumě Artashes A-i ōrokʻ"Հայաստանի միավորումը և հզորացումը Արտաշես Ա-ի օրոք [The unification and strengthening of Armenia under Artashes I]. InYeremian, Suren; et al. (eds.).Hay zhoghovrdi patmutʻyunՀայ ժողովրդի պատմություն [History of the Armenian People]. Vol. 1. Yerevan: Armenian SSR Academy of Sciences. pp. 521–551.

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