Orontes III

Orontes III
Orontes III
King of Armenia
Reign	321 – 260 BC
Coronation	321 BC
Predecessor	Mithrenes
Successor	Sames
Died	260 BC
Issue	Sames
Dynasty	Orontid dynasty
Father	Mithrenes

Orontes III (Old Persian: *Arvanta-) was King of Armenia. In his reign he struggled for control of the Kingdom of Sophene with king Antiochus II Theos until being defeated in 272 BC and was forced to pay a large tribute which included 300 talents of silver and 1,000 horses and mules. Orontes III was subsequently murdered in 260 BC, whether at the instigation of King Antiochus II is not recorded. His son, Sames, continued to rule in Sophene.¹

References

Hovannisian, Richard G., The Armenian People from Ancient to Modern Times, 2 vols. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1997

Sources

Facella, Margherita (2021). "Orontids". In Yarshater, Ehsan (ed.). Encyclopædia Iranica (Online ed.). Encyclopædia Iranica Foundation.
Marciak, Michał (2017). Sophene, Gordyene, and Adiabene: Three Regna Minora of Northern Mesopotamia Between East and West. BRILL. ISBN 9789004350724.

[1] Hovannisian, Richard G., The Armenian People from Ancient to Modern Times, 2 vols. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1997

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