Antiochus I, an Armenian king whose lineage connected him to the Seleucids, Ptolemies, and Macedonians, ruled the small territory of Commagene in Asia Minor in the 1st century B.C. In 64 B.C., Commagene became a Roman province when Antiochus reached a peaceful agreement with Pompey, who had just conquered Syria. (...)
Antiochus I, an Armenian king whose lineage connected him to the Seleucids, Ptolemies, and Macedonians, ruled the small territory of Commagene in Asia Minor in the 1st century B.C. In 64 B.C., Commagene became a Roman province when Antiochus reached a peaceful agreement with Pompey, who had just conquered Syria. Five years later the Roman Senate recognized Antiochus as a friend of the state, awarding him the Toga Praetexta. Antiochus maintained contact with the Roman Empire throughout his reign, even supplying soldiers to Pompey during his conflict with Julius Caesar. For his mortuary complex, Antiochus ordered the assembly of a mountain of crushed rock, reaching 50 meters into the air. Master sculptors carved a monumental scene of the king seated among the gods, including Greco-Roman deities such as Zeus, Apollo, and Heracles. Over the centuries, the colossal statues, each over 9 meters tall, have been damaged by earthquakes and their stone heads have been sent rolling down the hillside. King Antiochus’ burial complex, now known as Mount Nemrut Archaeological Site, was first rediscovered in 1881, but archaeological activity only began in 1953. Since the start of excavation, most of the heads have been found, in addition to temples, bas reliefs, and inscriptions.
