kingdom · Anatolia and the Levant

Kingdom of Cappadocia

331 BCE – 17 CE (approx.) · capital Mazaca

Cappadocia, a Hellenistic kingdom of the central Anatolian plateau ruled by Iranian-descended kings who became loyal allies of Rome.

Origins

Ariarathes, the Persian satrap, defied Alexander's successors until Perdiccas killed him in 322 BCE. His adopted son Ariarathes II regained the land c. 301 BCE, and his heirs took the title king, ruling the plateau from Mazaca beneath Mount Argaeus.

Rule and society

The Ariarathid kings ruled a rural country of large estates and temple domains, such as the shrine of the goddess Ma at Comana. Iranian traditions mixed with Greek culture; Ariarathes V was a patron of philosophers. The kingdom supplied horses, slaves and grain and allied with Rome against the Seleucid Empire.

Decline and legacy

After Pontic interference, Rome installed Ariobarzanes I in 95 BCE. The last king, Archelaus, was summoned to Rome by Tiberius and died there in 17 CE, and Cappadocia became a Roman province.

Lineage

Achaemenid Empire 559 BCE – 330 BCEKingdom of CappadociaRoman Empire 27 BCE – 476 CE

Connections (1)

More states of Anatolia and the Levant →

Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Kingdom of Cappadocia. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-cappadocia
MLA
“Kingdom of Cappadocia.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-cappadocia. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Kingdom of Cappadocia.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-cappadocia.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Kingdom of Cappadocia’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-cappadocia (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻