This prince soon found that he had sacrificed his hap piness for the splendor of royalty. Mithridates, and Tigranes, king of Armenia, drove him from his throne, and restored the kingdom to the son of the former. Fly ing to Rome for protection, the senate commanded Sylla to reinstate him upon the throne ; and that general, hav ing defeated the numerous army of Gordius, obeyed their command. Again was Ariobarzancs expelled from his dominions by Mithridates ; again was he restored by the arms of Sylla ; again was he driven to Rome, and the cotmtr• swept of its innabitants by Tigranes, who plant ed them in Armenia ; and again was the exiled monarch restored by the Romans under Pompey, who added to his dominions Sophene, Gordiene, and part of Ciiicia. Re gretting the tranquillity which he enjoyed when a sub ject, the Cappadocian monarch completed the vicis situdes of an eventful life, by resigning the sceptre into the hands of his son.
Ariobarzanes H. inherited the kingdom of Cappadocia and the protection of the Romans ; and, what is no less honourable to his fame, he acquired the friendship of Cicero when proconsul of Cilicia. At that time a con spiracy was formed against him, at the head of which was the high priest of Bellona, a man who was second only to the king, and who, both from his birth and office, could command a numerous army to take the field. But Cicero not only informed the king of his danger, but exerted his authority to avert the storm, and induced the head of the conspiracy to leave the kingdom. When the empire of the world was afterwards decided on the plains of Pharsalia, Ariobarzanes, who, from gratitude, assisted Pompey, not only shared in the defeat of the vanquished, but also in the clemency of the victor, who accepted of his submission, and demanded a large sub sidy as the price of reconciliation. Ile, however, endea voured to elude the demand, by declaring that his trea sury was exhausted, by repelling an invasion which had been made upon his dominions by Pharnaces, king of Pontus. Caesar, therefore, after having terminated a war with the Egyptians, sought and routed the forces of Pharnaces ; and having despoiled him of his Cappado cian provinces, restored them, with part of Cilicia and Armenia, to Ariobarzanes. The resentment of Brutus and Cassius, whose fortunes Ariobarzanes now abandon ed, was roused against him ; and the latter, having routed his troops, and taken himself prisoner, put him to death, and, as lie left no children, the crown remained to his brother.
This prince, who is known by the name of Ariarathes X., did not immediately ascend the throne. Sisinna, son of the high priest of Comana, and a descendant of Archelaus, who, though a Cappadocian, had acted as a general under Mithridates, laid claim to the sovereignty, in virtue of a donation from Mark Antony. This Roman,
who seemed born to be the sport of passion, had formed an attachment to Glaphyra, mother of Sisinna ; and, as the price of her virtue, received the kingdom of Cap padocia for her son. His reign, we know, was short, but his fate is uncertain. Ariarathes now ascended the throne, but at the end of five years, he was driven from his dominions by Antony, who, led by his illicit pas sion, gave the sceptre to Archelaus, the second son of Glaphyra.
This prince testified his gratitude to his benefactor, by assisting him in his war with Augustus ; and, in the fatal battle of Actium, partook of his danger and defeats. But at the earnest request of his subjects, be was pardoned by Augustus, and allowed to keep possession of his kingdom. lie afterwards received Armenia i\ linor and part of Cilicia for assisting Tiberius in restoring Tigranes to the throne of Armenia Al ajor ; but the most valuable reward which he gained, was the friendship of Tiberius, who used all his influence in his behalf when he was accused by his own subjects before the emperor, and who tous saved him from destruction. Ile next extended his influence, by marrying Pythodoris, widow of Pulemon, king of Pontus ; which kingdom he govern ed in right of his wife during the minoi ity of her chil dren; and, likewise, by giving his daughter Glaphyra in marriage to Alexander, son of Herod the Great, king of Judah, with whom he had contracted an intimate friend ship. But when Tiberius, to shun the hatred of the sons of Agrippa, and of their grandfather Augustus, obtained from the emperor the liberty of retiring to Rhodes, in a kind of honourable banishment, Archelaus forgot his former benefactor, whose friendship he now deemed dangerous ; and paid all his court to his rival, Caius Caesar, who, when governor of the East, was looked upon as heir to the emperor. When Tiberius afterwards ascended the throne, he made Archelaus feel his resent ment, by summoning him to Rome to answer for his conduct. It is said that Livia seconded her son's revenge against the unhappy prince, by informing him that his personal submission to the emperor would mitigate his resentment, and obtain forgiveness. Archelaus, ignorant of the snare prepared for him, or not daring to disobey, hastened to Rome ; and being accused before the senate of fictitious crimes, was so overwhelmed with age and indignities, that he was reduced to a state of either real or assumed insanity, which soon terminated in his death, after a reign of 50 years.