1. Orontes I was a military officer of the Achaemenid Empire and satrap of Armenia at the end of the 5th-century BC and first half of the 4th-century BC.
21 Facts About Orontes I
1. 2.
Orontes I was the son of Artasyrus, a high-ranking Bactrian nobleman.
3.
Orontes I first appears in records in 401 BC as the satrap of Armenia.
4.
However, after the negotiations between him and Tiribazus failed, Orontes I accused the latter of deliberately prolonging the war and planning to declare independence.
5.
Artaxerxes II did not deem the conclusion of the war satisfactory, and as a result Orontes I fell into disfavour.
6.
The revolt was shortlived, as Orontes I betrayed his allies and shifted his allegiance back to Artaxerxes II.
7.
Orontes I reportedly thought that he would be greatly rewarded if he did so at such a critical point.
8.
Orontes I seized the town of Pergamon, but eventually reconciled with Artaxerxes II's son and successor Artaxerxes III and gave him back the town.
9.
Orontes I was the son of Artasyrus, a Bactrian nobleman, who occupied the high-ranking office of the "King's Eye", and has been suggested be the same person as the namesake Iranian noble who participated in the Battle of Cunaxa in 401 BC.
10.
Orontes I has therefore sometimes been referred to as "Orontes I the Bactrian".
11.
Orontes I claimed descent from the Persian magnate Hydarnes, one of the six companions of Darius the Great.
12.
The other Orontes I reportedly had bad relations with Artaxerxes II's mother Parysatis, eventually being executed at her behest.
13.
Orontes I first appears in records in 401 BC, when he as satrap of Armenia pursued the Ten Thousand following their retreat at Cunaxa.
14.
Orontes I was assigned to the lead the Persian land forces, while Tiribazus, the satrap of Ionia, led the navy.
15.
Artaxerxes III did not deem the conclusion of the war satisfactory, as it had cost 15,000 talents, and as a result Orontes I fell into disfavour.
16.
The revolt was shortlived, as Orontes I betrayed his allies and shifted his allegiance back to Artaxerxes II.
17.
Since Orontes I was in possession of the troops and money, many other rebellious satraps followed suit.
18.
Orontes I seized the town of Pergamon, but eventually reconciled with Artaxerxes II's son and successor Artaxerxes III and gave him back the town.
19.
However, it has now been the discovered that they did not share the same mint site, as the bronze and silver coins of Orontes I were in reality minted at Adramyteion and Cisthene instead.
20.
Troxell argues that Orontes I had already started his second revolt by then, due to his correspondence with the Athenians, who awarded him Athenian citizenship.
21.
Orontes I further adds that Chares would not have taken Lampsacus from Orontes, due to the latter being a relative of Artabazus and being in rebellion against the king at the time.