father dynasty death_date successor title coronation image article_title name reign
sames orontid dynasty 228 bc xerxes , king of sophene & commagene king of armenia , sophene & commagene 260 bc arsames ii.jpg arsames i
 arsames i 260 - 228 bc
arsames i

arsames i -lrb- -rrb- seems to have taken control of commagene , sophene and armenia in the year 260 bc after the death of his grandfather orontes iii , king of armenia , and his father sames , king of commagene .
quite why they both died in the same year is not recorded , though it looks suspicious .
it is known the seleucid empire was always trying to overthrow the armenian dynasties who still ruled the lands their forebears had in the time of the achaemenid empire .
ziaelas of bithynia found refuge at the court of king arsames , and upon the death of king nicomedes i of bithynia ziaelas returned to take the kingdom in 254 bc .
arsames also supported antiochus hierax against his brother , seleucus ii callinicus , who was defeated at a battle against king mithridates ii of pontus near ankara in 239 bc , after which seleucus lost control of any lands he had across the taurus mountains .
this was to the benefit of arsames .
arsames then founded the cities of arsamosata in sophene and arsameia -lrb- known today as eski kale -rrb- in commagene in 235 bc .
after his death his eldest son xerxes , became king of commagene , sophene and armenia .
orontes iv would succeed xerxes whilst another son known as `` mithras '' -lrb- or mithrenes ii -rrb- is recorded as being the high priest of the temple to the sun and moon at armavir .
