Caucasian Albania (Rome)

This article is about the specific polity Caucasian Albania (Rome) and therefore only includes events related to its territory and not to its possessions or colonies. If you are interested in the possession, this is the link to the article about the nation which includes all possessions as well as all the different incarnations of the nation.

If you are looking for the page with the statistics about this polity you can find it here:All Statistics

Was an ancient country in the Caucasus. The name Albania is derived from the Ancient Greek name Ἀλβανία and Latin Albanía. The prefix "Caucasian" is used purely to avoid confusion with modern Albania of the Balkans, which has no known geographical or historical connections to Caucasian Albania. The Romans made the county a client during the Mithridatic Wars.

Establishment

January 64 BC: The Caucasian Albani decided to act before the Romans could invade. Oroeses, king of the Albani, organized a concerted attack on the divided Roman forces. The attacks were to coincide with the Roman feast of Saturnalia to maximize their success. Unfortunately the capably led veteran Roman forces were more than a match for the Albani tribesmen and their attacks were easily repulsed. Oroeses was forced to submit to terms.

Chronology

Interactive Chronologies with maps are available in the section Changes Navigation

1. Mithridatic Wars

Were three conflicts fought by Rome against the Kingdom of Pontus and its allies between 88 BC and 63 BC. They are named after Mithridates VI, the King of Pontus during the course of the wars.

1.1.Third Mithridatic War

Was the last and longest of the three Mithridatic Wars, fought between Mithridates VI of Pontus and the Roman Republic. The conflict ended in defeat for Mithridates, ending the Pontic Kingdom, ending the Seleucid Empire (by then a rump state), and also resulting in the Kingdom of Armenia becoming an allied client state of Rome.

1.1.1.Caucasian campaign of Pompey

Was a succesful Roman military campaign led by Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus in the Caucasus during the Third Mithridatic War.

2. Pontic War

Was a military campaign waged by Julius Caesar (at the same time of his war against Pompeius) that lead to the Roman submission of the Kingdom of Pontus.

January 47 BC: Pharnace of Pontus moved to the southeast along the Black Sea coast and without difficulty subjugated Colchis and all of Armenia.

August 47 BC: Caesar decisively defeated Pharnaces of Pontus at the Battle of Zela. Pharnaces was killed and Caesar conquered Pontus. In addition, the territories occupied by Pharnaces were freed.

3. Roman-Persian Wars

Were a series of Wars between Rome (first the Roman Republic then the Roman Empire and finally the Eastern Roman Empire) and Persia (the Parthian Empire, and then its successor, the Sasanian Empire). The wars were ended by the early Muslim conquests, which led to the fall of the Sasanian Empire and huge territorial losses for the Byzantine Empire.

January 348: The treaty of Nisibis stipulated the reestablishment of the Roman protectorate over Caucasian Iberia and Albania. But fifty years later Rome lost the area that since then remained an integral part of the Sasanian Empire.

3.1.Roman-Parthian War of 161-166

Was a war fought between the Roman and Parthian Empires over Armenia and Upper Mesopotamia.

January 165: In 164 AD, Pacorus, the Parthian ruler of Armenia, was deposed. The former Roman consul of Emesa, Gaius Julius Soemus, who had been deposed by Vologeses, was then crowned as the new tributary king of Armenia under Roman rule.

3.2.Mesopotamian Campaign of Ardashir I

Was a military campaign by Sassanid King Ardashir I against the Roman Empire.

January 241: Sassanians occupied Caucasian Albanian around 240 AD.

4. Further events (Unrelated to Any War)

January 246: In 245, the Roman Empire regained control of Caucasian Albania under the rule of Emperor Philip the Arab. This marked a period of Roman influence in the region, with Caucasian Albania becoming a client state of Rome.