Izates I

Izates I. († 15/30 AD) was the beginning of the first century AD, King of Adiabene, an Assyrian kingdom in Mesopotamia and became the father of a ruling there until 116 AD dynasty.

Origin

About the origin of Izates I. No further details are known. It should come from a local Assyrian dynasty, who ruled under domination of the Parthian empire as their vassals. Written mentioned is only Izates I, who was in the last third of the first century AD ruler of the small Mesopotamian kingdom of Adiabene.

Life

Izates I, who was born about the middle of the 1st century BC, lived in a time of fierce fighting between the rival regional powers, the Roman Empire on the one hand and the Parthian Empire on the other. Since the incorporation of the remnants of the Seleucid Empire in the Roman Empire as the province of Syria under Pompey in 63 BC There were several confrontations between these two rival. For example, in the Battle of Carrhae in which the Romans were defeated 53 BC by the Parthians, 40/39 BC, when the Parthians were defeated in Asia Minor, or 36 BC, when the Parthian campaign of Mark Antony failed. It was not until the reign of Emperor Augustus from 20 BC, it came to a relaxation of relations.

Another factor which facilitated the independence aspirations of the Izates were infighting in the Parthian Empire. This enabled the usurper Tiridates II between 30 BC and 25 BC to dominate parts of the Empire, with varying success: First, he could by 32 BC defeat the reigning king of the Parthians, Phraates IV; however, he was soon defeated by Phraates IV using skytischer troops and had to flee to Syria. Later, however, he was able to conquer with the help of Roman troops from Mesopotamia and settled 26 BC coins with his image as " Arsaces Philoromaios " ( Arsaces Roman friend) shape. Eventually, he was defeated by Phraates IV and fled to Caesar Augustus to Spain.

Izates succeeded thanks to these circumstances, to make the last third of the first century BC, the date is dependent on the Parthian province of Adiabene an independent state and himself its king.

This kingdom - a late successor of an independent Assyrian kingdom - was in Mesopotamia between the rivers Lycus (Great Zab ) and Caprus ( Little Zab ) that are part of the river system of the Shatt al-Arab in Iraq today. According to the Roman historian Ammianus Marcellinus († c. 395 ) belonged to the kingdom of Adiabene including the cities of Nineveh ( on the Tigris River, in present-day Iraq), Gaugamela (north of Nineveh in Iraq today ), but also Ecbatana ( the ancient capital of Mederreiches and residence of the Persian kings of the Achaemenid Empire - today Hamadan in Iran ).

Adiabene was culturally, linguistically ( Aramaic ) and politically part of Assyria. Even after the fall of Nineveh, it remained under the Persian Empire of the Achaemenids, connected under the Seleucid Empire and as part of the Parthian Empire with Assyria.

Izates made ​​the city his capital Arbela. This was one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world as they ie the time in which the (3rd Dynasty of Ur ) already in the Ur III period - " the brothers of Gilgamesh " - (by around 2000 BC ) reigned as " Urbilium " was known. Today, this is the city of Arbil, the capital of Kurdistan Autonomous Region in northern Iraq ).

Marriage and issue

Izates I King of Adiabene was probably multi - married women - unnamed.

Children:

Izates left at least two children:

• Monobazos I, King of Adiabene, (* c. 25 BC, † 35 AD)

Oo Helene of Adiabene, his (half? ) Sister

Probably from another marriage:

• Helene of Adiabene (* c. 15 BC, † AD 60 )

Oo Monobazos I, King of Adiabene, their (semi - ) Brother

Grandchildren:

From the marriage of King Monobazos I. and Helene of Adiabene come loud Settipani at least two sons:

• Izates II, King of Adiabene ( 36 - 60 AD), (* approximately 5 BC, † AD 60 )

Oo Symacho, Princess of Charakene (* approximately 5 AD ), daughter of Abinergaos I. King of Charakene.

• Monobazos II, King of Adiabene ( 60-66 AD), (* 1/5 AD, † AD 66 AD)