Abdissares
Ruler of Sophene
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The basics
Quick Facts
| Intro | Ruler of Sophene | ||
| Politician | |||
| Work field | Politics | ||
| Gender |
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| Birth | 1 January 300 | ||
| Death | 1 January 200 | ||
| Family |
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The details
Biography
Abdissares ruled the kingdom of Sophene after the assassination of his father, Xerxes in 212 BC.
There are no known western sources for this king, only numismatic. His coins are almost similar to those of his father.
His name seems to include the Aramaic prefix "Abd" which means slave. Aramaic was widely used in that region, and yet why would he have such a name, compared to his Armenian father Xerxes or brother Orontes IV? This may have seem as a slur by the local Aramaic people, yet it is borne on his coins.
"Ssares" sounds like Zareh (known in Greek sources as Zariadres), and it was Zareh who overthrew Abdissares in 200 BC.
These coups were the workings of king Antiochus III which also saw Zareh's son Artaxias (Artaxerxes) overthrow Orontes IV to become King of Armenia.