Matiene
Encyclopedia
Matiene was the name of a kingdom in northwestern Iran which overran the kingdom of the Mannae. The Mannaeans were non-Indo-European, probably speaking either an Hurro-Urartian
language like the Nairi
or a Northeast Caucasian
language like the Albanians
to the north. "Other ancient historians including Strabo, Ptolemy, Herodotus, Polybius, and Pliny, mention names such as Mantiane, Martiane, Matiane, Matiene, to designate the northern part of Media."
) or from the Matiani or Matieni people who lived around it. When the Mannaeans were overrun by the Matiani (Iranians variously deemed to be Scythians, Sakas, Cimmerians
or Sarmatians
), the name of the kingdom changed from Mannae to Matiene or Matiane.
Note that the name Matiene is not derived from Mitanni
, a mixed Indo-Aryan
and Hurrian state some 800 years earlier and on the other side of Assyria. It is also not derived from Media
since it predates Media.
in 616 BCE. Matiene became a satrapy of the Median Empire
until the Persian conquest, when it became a sub-satrapy of the Median satrapy of the Persian Empire
. It is sometimes referred to as Media Minor during the Persian period. The Persian capital of Matiene was Gazaca
, which means place of the treasury. It was south of Lake Matianus.
(now Ardabil Province
and Gilan Province
), which was the home of the Caspii
(early) and Cadusii
(later). This country, whether called Mannae, Matiene, or Media Minor, is bounded on the north by Albania
(Arran), on the northwest by Urartu
, on the southwest by Assyria
, and on the south by Media
proper (west central Iran, centered in Ecbatana
).
Cimmerians
were said to have originated from the Matiani by Herodotus
, moving west into Anatolia along the south shore of the Black Sea
. Herodotus also said that later, in Median times, there was a second site called Matiene, along the eastern shore of the Halys river
in northwestern Cappadocia
across the river from the Phrygians. He stated they wore the same uniform as the Paphlagonia
ns in the Median and Persian armies, meaning their units were combined with the Paphlagonians. It is not at all clear whether these western Matieni were descendants of the Cimmerians, a group of Paphlagonians just called by this name, actual (eastern) Matieni who migrated west from Matiene on their own, or a Median military colony on the border with Phrygia and later the Lydia
n empire.
. It became known as Media Atropatene or simply as Atropatene
from his name.
Hurro-Urartian languages
The Hurro-Urartian languages are an extinct language family of the Ancient Near East, comprising only two known languages: Hurrian and Urartian, both of which were spoken in the Taurus mountains area.-Classification:...
language like the Nairi
Nairi (people)
Nairi was the Assyrian name for an Armenian tribe in the Armenian Highlands, roughly corresponding to the modern Van and Hakkâri provinces of modern Turkey...
or a Northeast Caucasian
Northeast Caucasian languages
The Northeast Caucasian languages constitute a language family spoken in the Russian republics of Dagestan, Chechnya, Ingushetia, northern Azerbaijan, and in northeastern Georgia, as well as in diaspora populations in Russia, Turkey, and the Middle East...
language like the Albanians
Caucasian Albania
Albania is a name for the historical region of the eastern Caucasus, that existed on the territory of present-day republic of...
to the north. "Other ancient historians including Strabo, Ptolemy, Herodotus, Polybius, and Pliny, mention names such as Mantiane, Martiane, Matiane, Matiene, to designate the northern part of Media."
Etymology
The name Matiene derives either from Lake Matianus (Lake UrmiaLake Urmia
Lake Urmia , ancient name: Lake Matiene) is a salt lake in northwestern Iran, near Iran's border with Turkey. The lake is between the Iranian provinces of East Azerbaijan and West Azerbaijan, west of the southern portion of the similarly shaped Caspian Sea...
) or from the Matiani or Matieni people who lived around it. When the Mannaeans were overrun by the Matiani (Iranians variously deemed to be Scythians, Sakas, Cimmerians
Cimmerians
The Cimmerians or Kimmerians were ancient equestrian nomads of Indo-European origin.According to the Greek historian Herodotus, of the 5th century BC, the Cimmerians inhabited the region north of the Caucasus and the Black Sea during the 8th and 7th centuries BC, in what is now Ukraine and Russia...
or Sarmatians
Sarmatians
The Iron Age Sarmatians were an Iranian people in Classical Antiquity, flourishing from about the 5th century BC to the 4th century AD....
), the name of the kingdom changed from Mannae to Matiene or Matiane.
Note that the name Matiene is not derived from Mitanni
Mitanni
Mitanni or Hanigalbat was a loosely organized Hurrian-speaking state in northern Syria and south-east Anatolia from ca. 1500 BC–1300 BC...
, a mixed Indo-Aryan
Indo-Aryan superstrate in Mitanni
Some theonyms, proper names and other terminology of the Mitanni exhibit an Indo-Aryan superstrate, suggesting that an Indo-Aryan elite imposed itself over the Hurrian population in the course of the Indo-Aryan expansion....
and Hurrian state some 800 years earlier and on the other side of Assyria. It is also not derived from Media
Medes
The MedesThe Medes...
since it predates Media.
History
Matiene and the remnants of Mannae were ultimately conquered by the MedesMedes
The MedesThe Medes...
in 616 BCE. Matiene became a satrapy of the Median Empire
Medes
The MedesThe Medes...
until the Persian conquest, when it became a sub-satrapy of the Median satrapy of the Persian Empire
Achaemenid Empire
The Achaemenid Empire , sometimes known as First Persian Empire and/or Persian Empire, was founded in the 6th century BCE by Cyrus the Great who overthrew the Median confederation...
. It is sometimes referred to as Media Minor during the Persian period. The Persian capital of Matiene was Gazaca
Ganzak
Ganzak , is an ancient Achaemenid town founded in northwestern Iran. Its name is originally Median but later adopted into Persian...
, which means place of the treasury. It was south of Lake Matianus.
Geography and Population
There were at least two ethnic areas of Matiene, the larger part in the west (now West Azerbaijan and East Azerbaijan) around Lake Matianus, inhabited by the Matiani, and in the east, a strip containing the mountains along the shore of the Caspian SeaCaspian Sea
The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth by area, variously classed as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. The sea has a surface area of and a volume of...
(now Ardabil Province
Ardabil Province
Ardabil Province is one of the 31 provinces of Iran. It is in the north west of the country, bordering the Republic of Azerbaijan and the provinces of East Azerbaijan, Zanjan, and Gilan. Its centre is the city of Ardabil...
and Gilan Province
Gilan Province
Gilan Province is one of the 31 provinces of Iran. It lies along the Caspian Sea, just west of the province of Mazandaran, east of the province of Ardabil, north of the provinces of Zanjan and Qazvin....
), which was the home of the Caspii
Caspians
Caspians is the English version of a Greek ethnonym mentioned twice by Herodotus among the satrapies of Darius and applied by Strabo to the ancient people dwelling along the southern and southwestern shores of the Caspian Sea, in the region which was called Caspiane after them...
(early) and Cadusii
Cadusii
The Cadusii were an ancient Iranian people living in north-western Iran.-Geography:The Cadusii lived in a mountainous district of Media Atropatene on the south-west shores of the Caspian Sea, between the parallels of 39° and 37° North latitude, called for its inhabitants Cadusia...
(later). This country, whether called Mannae, Matiene, or Media Minor, is bounded on the north by Albania
Caucasian Albania
Albania is a name for the historical region of the eastern Caucasus, that existed on the territory of present-day republic of...
(Arran), on the northwest by Urartu
Urartu
Urartu , corresponding to Ararat or Kingdom of Van was an Iron Age kingdom centered around Lake Van in the Armenian Highland....
, on the southwest by Assyria
Assyria
Assyria was a Semitic Akkadian kingdom, extant as a nation state from the mid–23rd century BC to 608 BC centred on the Upper Tigris river, in northern Mesopotamia , that came to rule regional empires a number of times through history. It was named for its original capital, the ancient city of Assur...
, and on the south by Media
Medes
The MedesThe Medes...
proper (west central Iran, centered in Ecbatana
Ecbatana
Ecbatana is supposed to be the capital of Astyages , which was taken by the Persian emperor Cyrus the Great in the sixth year of Nabonidus...
).
Cimmerians
Cimmerians
The Cimmerians or Kimmerians were ancient equestrian nomads of Indo-European origin.According to the Greek historian Herodotus, of the 5th century BC, the Cimmerians inhabited the region north of the Caucasus and the Black Sea during the 8th and 7th centuries BC, in what is now Ukraine and Russia...
were said to have originated from the Matiani by Herodotus
Herodotus
Herodotus was an ancient Greek historian who was born in Halicarnassus, Caria and lived in the 5th century BC . He has been called the "Father of History", and was the first historian known to collect his materials systematically, test their accuracy to a certain extent and arrange them in a...
, moving west into Anatolia along the south shore of the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
. Herodotus also said that later, in Median times, there was a second site called Matiene, along the eastern shore of the Halys river
Halys River
The Kızılırmak , also known as the Halys River , is the longest river in Turkey. It is a source of hydroelectric power and is not used for navigation.- Geography :...
in northwestern Cappadocia
Cappadocia
Cappadocia is a historical region in Central Anatolia, largely in Nevşehir Province.In the time of Herodotus, the Cappadocians were reported as occupying the whole region from Mount Taurus to the vicinity of the Euxine...
across the river from the Phrygians. He stated they wore the same uniform as the Paphlagonia
Paphlagonia
Paphlagonia was an ancient area on the Black Sea coast of north central Anatolia, situated between Bithynia to the west and Pontus to the east, and separated from Phrygia by a prolongation to the east of the Bithynian Olympus...
ns in the Median and Persian armies, meaning their units were combined with the Paphlagonians. It is not at all clear whether these western Matieni were descendants of the Cimmerians, a group of Paphlagonians just called by this name, actual (eastern) Matieni who migrated west from Matiene on their own, or a Median military colony on the border with Phrygia and later the Lydia
Lydia
Lydia was an Iron Age kingdom of western Asia Minor located generally east of ancient Ionia in the modern Turkish provinces of Manisa and inland İzmir. Its population spoke an Anatolian language known as Lydian....
n empire.
Alexander's Campaign
After the Macedonian conquest of the Achaemenid Persian Empire, Matiene became a satrapy of Alexander's Empire. After the death of Alexander, Matiene became independent under King AtropatesAtropates
Atropates was a Persian nobleman who served Darius III, then Alexander III of Macedon, and eventually founded an independent kingdom and dynasty that was named after him...
. It became known as Media Atropatene or simply as Atropatene
Atropatene
Atropatene was an ancient kingdom established and ruled under local ethnic Iranian dynasts first with "Darius" of Persia and later "Alexander" of Macedonia, starting in the 4th century BC and includes the territory of modern-day Iranian Azarbaijan and Iranian Kurdistan. Its capital was Gazaca...
from his name.