Rhadamistus (also known as
Ghadam or
Radamisto) was an
IberianIberia , also known as Iveria , was a name given by the ancient Greeks and Romans to the ancient Georgian kingdom of Kartli , corresponding roughly to the eastern and southern parts of the present day Georgia...
prince who reigned in
ArmeniaArmenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
from 51 to 53 and 54 to 55
CECommon Era, abbreviated as CE, is a designation for the calendar system most commonly used world-wide for numbering the year part of the date...
. Considered to be an usurper and tyrant, he was overthrown in a rebellion supported by
ParthiaParthia is a region of north-eastern Iran, best known for having been the political and cultural base of the Arsacid dynasts, after which the Arsacid Empire is then also known as the 'Parthian Empire'....
.
Life
Rhadamistus, son of King
Parsman I of IberiaPharasmanes I was a king of Iberia who plays a prominent role in Tacitus’ account of Rome’s eastern policy and campaigns under Tiberius, Claudius, and Nero. According to Professor Cyril Toumanoff, he reigned from A.D...
(Pharasmanes), was known for his ambition, good looks, and valor. Parsman, fearing usurpation by his son, convinced Rhadamistus to make war upon his uncle, King
Mithridates of ArmeniaMithridates of Armenia was an Iberian prince and a king of Armenia under the protection of the Roman Empire.Mithridates was installed by his brother Pharasmanes I of Iberia who, encouraged by Tiberius, invaded Armenia and captured its capital Artaxata in 35...
, Parsman’s brother, and father of Rhadamistus' wife, Zenobia. The Iberians invaded with a large army and forced Mithridates into the fortress of Gorneas (
GarniGarni is a village in the Kotayk Province of Armenia, situated approximately 32 km southeast from Yerevan...
), which was garrisoned by the
RomansThe Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean. The term is used to describe the Roman state during and after the time of the first emperor,...
under the command of Caelius Pollio, a prefect, and Casperius, a centurion. Pollio, swayed by Rhamistus' bribery, induced the Roman soldiers to threaten capitulation of the garrison. Under this compulsion, Mithridates agreed to surrender to his nephew. Rhadamistus executed Mithridates and his sons despite a promise of non-violence, and became King of
ArmeniaArmenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
(51).
Rome decided not to aid their Armenian allies, only nominally demanding that Pharasmanes withdraw from Armenia. The Roman governor of
CappadociaCappadocia is a region in central Turkey, largely in Nevşehir Province ....
, Paelignus, invaded
ArmeniaArmenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
anyway, ravaging the country.
SyriaSyria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south and Israel to the southwest....
n governor Quadratus sent a force to restore order, but he was recalled so as not to provoke a war with
ParthiaParthia is a region of north-eastern Iran, best known for having been the political and cultural base of the Arsacid dynasts, after which the Arsacid Empire is then also known as the 'Parthian Empire'....
, whose King
VologasesVologases I of Parthia ruled the Parthian Empire from about 51 to 78. Son of Vonones II by a Greek concubine, he succeeded his father in 51 AD. He gave the kingdom of Media Atropatene to his brother Pacorus II, and occupied Armenia for another brother, Tiridates...
took the opportunity to send his army into
ArmeniaArmenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
, driving out the Iberians (53). A winter epidemic forced the Parthians to withdraw from Armenia, allowing Rhadamistus to return. He punished as traitors those Armenian cities that had surrendered to the Parthians. They soon revolted and replaced him with the
ParthiaParthia is a region of north-eastern Iran, best known for having been the political and cultural base of the Arsacid dynasts, after which the Arsacid Empire is then also known as the 'Parthian Empire'....
n prince
TiridatesTiridates I was King of Armenia beginning in AD 53 and the founder of the Arshakuni Dynasty, the Armenian line of the Arsacid Dynasty. The dates of his birth and death are unknown. His early reign was marked by a brief interruption towards the end of the year 54 and a much longer one from 58...
(55). Rhadamistus had to escape along with his pregnant wife, Zenobia, of whom Tacitus relates a romantic story. Unable to bear a long ride on horse, she convinced her husband to kill her so she would not fall into the hands of their pursuers. Though stabbed and left at the banks of the Araxes, she survived and was found by some shepherds. They carried Zenobia to the court of Tiridates, who received her kindly and treated her as royalty.
Rhadamistus himself returned to
IberiaIberia , also known as Iveria , was a name given by the ancient Greeks and Romans to the ancient Georgian kingdom of Kartli , corresponding roughly to the eastern and southern parts of the present day Georgia...
. However, he was soon put to death by his father for having plotted against the royal power.
In art
- Georg Friedrich Handel scored the opera Radamisto
Radamisto is an opera in three acts by George Frideric Handel to an Italian libretto by Nicola Francesco Haym, based on L'amor tirannico, o Zenobia by Domenico Lalli and Zenobia by Matteo Noris...
(1720) to Nicola Francesco HaymNicola Francesco Haym , was an Italian opera librettist, composer, theatre manager and performer. He is best remembered for adapting texts into libretti for the London operas of George Frideric Handel and Giovanni Bononcini...
's libretto, based on Domenico Lalli’s story.
- Two operas titled Zenobia were scored to Pietro Metastasio's libretto, one by Giovanni Bononcini in 1737, and another by Johann Adolph Hasse
thumb|250pxJohann Adolph Hasse was an 18th-century German composer, singer and teacher of music. Immensely popular in his time, Hasse was best known for his prolific operatic output, though he also composed a considerable quantity of sacred music...
in 1761.
- The discovery of the injured and unconscious Zenobia on the riverbank is the subject of classical paintings by Bouguereau, Paul Baudry and Nicolas Poussin
Nicolas Poussin was a French painter in the classical style. His work predominantly features clarity, logic, and order, and favors line over color...
.
See also
- List of Armenian Kings
- Zenobia
Zenobia was a 3rd century Syrian queen of the Palmyrene Empire. After her father's death, before becoming the second wife of King Septimius Odaenathus...
- Queen of Palmyra, often confused with Rhadamistus' wife
External links