Antiochus I Theos of Commagene

Antiochus I Theos
Antiochus I of Commagene, shaking hands with Heracles, 70–38 BC, Arsameia
King of Commagene
Reign	70 BC – 38 BC (32 years)
Predecessor	Mithridates I Callinicus
Successor	Mithridates II
Born	c. 86 BC
Died	38 BC
Burial	Mount Nemrut
Spouse	Princess Isias Philostorgos of Cappadocia
Issue	Mithridates II of Commagene Laodice, Queen of Parthia Prince Antiochus II Princess Antiochis Athenais, Queen of Media Atropatene
Full name Antiochus I Theos Dikaios Epiphanes Philorhomaios Philhellenos
House	Orontid Dynasty
Father	King Mithridates I Callinicus of Commagene
Mother	Princess Laodice VII Thea of the Seleucid Empire

Antiochus I Theos Dikaios Epiphanes Philorhomaios Philhellen (Armenian: Անտիոքոս Երվանդունի, Ancient Greek: Ἀντίοχος ὁ Θεὸς Δίκαιος Ἐπιφανὴς Φιλορωμαῖος Φιλέλλην, meaning Antiochos, a just, eminent god, friend of Romans and friend of Greeks, c. 86 BC – 38 BC, ruled 70 BC – 38 BC) was an Armenian king from the Kingdom of Commagene and the most famous king of that kingdom.

The ruins of the tomb-sanctuary of Antiochus atop Mount Nemrut in Turkey were named to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1987. Several sandstone bas reliefs discovered at the site contain some of the oldest known images of two figures shaking hands.

Antiochus I was the son and probably the only child of King Mithridates I Callinicus and Queen Laodice VII Thea of Commagene. Antiochus was half Armenian, a distant member of the Orontid Dynasty and half Greek. Antiochus’ father Mithridates was the son of King of Commagene Sames II Theosebes Dikaios and an unidentified woman. Mithridates was possibly related to the kings of Parthia and, in the light of archaeological discoveries at Mount Nemrut, even claimed descent from the Achaemenid family of King Darius I the Great of Persia.

More certain are his dynastic connections to the Diadochi. Antiochus’ mother, Laodice VII Thea, was a Greek princess of the Seleucid Empire. Laodice’s father was the Seleucid King Antiochus VIII Grypus, while her mother was a Ptolemaic princess and later Seleucid Queen Tryphaena (see Cleopatra VI of Egypt). Thus, Antiochus was a direct descendant of Seleucus I Nicator of the Seleucid Empire, Ptolemy I Soter of Egypt, Antigonus I Monophthalmus of Macedonia and Asia, Lysimachus of Thrace and the Macedonian regent, Antipater. These five men, the Diadochi 'successors', had served as generals under Macedonian King, Alexander the Great. Antiochus’ parents had married as part of a peace alliance between their kingdoms. Little is known of his early life and education, aside from its philhellenic aspect; however, it seems that when his father died in 70 BC, Antiochus succeeded his father as king.