While Zariadres (Zareh) is generally deemed to be of Orontid (Yervanduni) descent (see below), none of the ancient sources consulted state explicitly who his parents were. Many secondary sources show Zariadres as the son of the Sophene king Xerxes. Others show him as the son of Xerxes' brother, Orontes IV.
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[The] recent epigraphic testimony from Armenia appears to coincide remarkably with the narrative of Geog. 11.14.15 about the last Orontid and the appointment of Artaxias and Zariadres as rulers of Greater Armenia and Sophene by Antiochos III. It is widely accepted that Artaxias attested in the epigraphic evidence matches Strabo's Artaxias. The new evidence revealed his Orontid descent. At the same time, less attention has been paid to his colleague from Sophene. While most scholars state that Zariadres must also have been of Orontid descent, only a few scholars have directly addressed the following question: Is Zareh, known from the inscriptions, the same figure as Zariadres mentioned by Strabo?
According to Messerschmidt, Zariadres known to Strabo, "kann jedoch nicht mit dem in den Inschriften genannten Vater identisch sein, da dieser sich bei Aufteilung des Orontidenbesitzes wohl kaum mit der wesentlich kleineren und bedeutenderen Landschaft Sophene begnügt hätte." In turn, Hewsen suggests that Zariadres "appears to have been a relative, perhaps even a son, or a grandson, of the Zareh/Zariadres of Artaxias inscription, and so the latter's brother, half-brother or nephew."
What are we to make of Messerschmidt's objection? It appears that his reasoning in fact begs the question: it implies that Greater Armenia was more important than Sophene at the end of the third and the beginning of the second century BCE, and his proposed identification of Artaxias and Zariadres is in fact to justify this conviction. In contrast, Messerschmidt's view on the importance of Greater Armenia appears to be motivated by the subsequent course of the history (when it was indeed the territory of Greater Armenia, which became the heart of Armenia's statehood, and, no less important, the center of Armenian national historiography). Whether or not Greater Armenia was more powerful than Sophene at that time is less clear, but, above all, is not an issue here. Concerning Hewsen's suggestion, it postulates the existence of yet another historical figure, but no other royal figure bearing this name is known dating from around the third or second centuries BCE in the region. What is more, in chronological terms, the setting of Strabo's narrative (around 188 BCE) and the Armenian inscriptions (the first half of the second century BCE) are in fact contemporary, which makes it impossible to see Zariadres known from Strabo as a grandson of Zariadres of the inscriptions, but also unlikely to suggest the father-son relation. All in all, it appears that thee most straightforward interpretation is that both Zariadres and Artaxias, known from Strabo, are also mentioned in the Armenian inscriptions....
... Xerxes is the first ruler whose reign in Sophene is explicitly attested in ancient sources. In the current state of research, it also seems to be likely that he had two predecessors who reigned in this area prior to him: Samos and Arsames. These two rulers appear to have established a separate Orontid royal line in western parts of Armenia. Thus, the list of rulers of Sophene before Zariadres can include three other names of rulers who reigned before him: likely Samos and Arsames, and definitely Xerxes. Antiochos III's appointee, Zariadres, belonged to another side line of the Orontids like his son, Artaxias, who started a new royal dynasty in Greater Armenia....
The reign of Antiochos III in Syria brought about a brief period of consolidation of the Seleucid kingdom. Antiochos III disposed of previous Orontid rulers in Sophene and Kommagene..., and appointed new rulers who, however, belonged to the local elite akin to the Orontids (Zariadres and Artaxias). Zariadres and his son Artaxias were appointed as Seleucid satraps of Sophene (with Kommagene) and Greater Armenia, respectively. The peace of Apamea put an end to Antiochos III's ambitious undertaking in 188 BCE and brought about a revival of independence for the kings of Sophene (without Kommagene) and Greater Armenia.
With Zariadres a new Orontid dynasty came to the rule in Sophene. We know of three Zariadres' successors: Mithrobouzanes, Arkathias, and Arsakes. Remarkably, after the death of Zariadres, his son Artaxias apparently raised his succession rights (primogeniture) to his father's dominion over the younger royalty ruling in Sophene and attempted to seize Sophene.... 1
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Strabo cites Sophene being taken over by a "general" of king Antiochus III by 200 BC, called Zariadres.
Following the defeat of Antiochus III by the Romans at the Battle of Magnesia in 190 BC, Zariadres and Artaxias revolted and with Roman consent began to reign as kings under the terms of the Treaty of Apamea in 188 BC—Zariadres over Sophene and Artaxias over Armenia.
It is possible that Zariadres (Dsariadres) was the father of Abdissares, although the scant historical records have Abdissares ruling before Zariadres. The name written as Dsariadris might be a Greek corruption of the name Bagdassar. A hypothesis is that king Bagdassar was forced to accept rule by king Antiochus III, but stayed as a Satrap, paying tribute until the Battle of Magnesia allowed him to reassert his independence. Strabo was writing 200 years after these events and may not have been accurate.
Over a dozen stone boundary markers have been discovered on the territory of modern Armenia from the time of the reign of Artashes with Aramaic inscriptions, before their discovery the existence of these stones was attested by Moses of Chorene. In these inscriptions Artashes claims descent from the Yervanduni (Orontid) Dynasty: King Artaxias, the son of Orontid Zariadres. 2
Research Notes: