Kingdom of Cappadocia
Cappadocia (Greek: Καππαδοκία) was a Hellenistic-era Iranian kingdom[1][2] 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.
Kingdom of Cappadocia
Subject of the Kingdom of Pontus and Seleucid Empire
Client kingdom of the Roman Republic and Roman Empire (95 BCE–17 AD)
Greek (official)
Old Persian (native and regional)
Aramaic (initially used on coinage)
Syncretic, incorporating Greek polytheism with Anatolian and Persian gods, as well as Zoroastrianism
Monarchy
331 BC
95 BC
36 BC
17 AD
Religion[edit]
Following the Macedonian conquests, the Persian colonists in Cappadocia as well as elsewhere were cut off from their co-religionists in Iran proper.[10] Strabo, who observed them in the Cappadocian Kingdom in the first century BCE, records (XV.3.15) that these "fire kindlers" possessed many "holy places of the Persian Gods", as well as fire temples.[10] The kingdom's domains possessed numerous sanctuaries and temples of various Iranian gods and deities, as well as Iranized deities.[4] On their significant importance, numerous sanctuaries and deities of this category were noted by Strabo.[4] Some of these are Anahita at Castabala, the magus Sagarios at Ariaramneia, and Ahura Mazda at Arebsum.[4] In enclosures, known as Pyraitheia, there was worship in the name of the Zoroastrian religion.[11] Regarding these Pyraitheia, he furthermore relates that "... in their midst there is an altar, on which there is a large quantity of ashes and where the magi keep the fire ever burning."[10]
Administration[edit]
Initially, the kingdom was organized in ten satrapies.[4] Later, this became eleven.[4] The satrapies were called by the Greek term strategiai, and each of them were headed by the strategos, basically an important noble.[4] The eleven satrapies were; Melitene, Cataonia, Cilicia, Tyanitis, Garsauritis, Laouiansene, Sargarausene, Saraouene, Chamanene, Morimene, and Cilicia Tracheia. Cilicia Tracheia, the eleventh and last satrapy, was added later to the kingdom.[4]
Control over the lands of the kingdom was maintained through royal estates and fortifications protected and maintained by nobility.[4] There were two types of estates: those located and centered on the residence of the noble in question (whose power, as the Encyclopedia Iranica adds, "was foremost temporal") and the so-called temple estates.[4] Within these so-called temple estates, the priests had both temporal power as well as a religious function. As a result of the double role the clergy played, they were the highest in power after the king himself.[4]
Hellenization[edit]
In imitation of their larger, western neighbors, the Seleucids and Attalids, the Cappadocian kings Hellenized various aspects of the kingdom on purpose.[4] Both the members of the Ariarathid as well as that of the Ariobarzanid houses would receive a Greek education, and adopted Hellenic titles, such as basileus, instead of the native shah.[4] Although the first few Cappadocian kings, that is, of the Ariarathid family, minted Iranian-style coins with Aramaic descriptions, from king Ariarathes III and on, they shifted to using Greek-style coins and inscriptions.[4] During the reign of Ariamnes, the first coins appeared with Greek inscriptions, with the monarch depicted on it in Persian dress.[12] Like the Seleucids, the Cappadocian kings named newly founded cities after themselves (e.g., Ariaramneia, Ariarathei, Archelais). Furthermore, all three royal houses were "honored" by the Greek poleis.[4] Roughly speaking, Hellenization in the kingdom started slowly from the course of the 3rd century BCE, and quickened in the 2nd.[12] Nevertheless, until the end of the kingdom, all its rulers bore Iranian names.[5]