Samus of Armenia

Samus (Greek:Σάμος): Orontid king in Armenia (r. c.260 BCE)

King Samus, who ruled (part of) Armenia, is known from the inscriptions, found on Nemrud Dagi, in which king Antiochus I Theos of Commagene mentions his ancestors. He must be dated in the second quarter of the third century BCE. If this is correct, he must be the anonymous Armenian king who offered hospitality to the Bitynian prince Ziaelas, a son of Nicomedes I, who was barred from the Bithynian throne because Nicomedes wanted to be succeeded by the children from his second marriage.note

It has been claimed that Samus was the founder of Samosata (the capital of Commagene) and Samocarta.

Samus may be a son of Orontes III. According to the Nemrud Dagi inscription, he was the father of king Arsames.

This page was created in 2019; last modified on 21 April 2020.