Atropatene

the ancient Greek name for a region of southern Azerbaijan covering an area that includes the Talysh Mountains, the Araks River, and Lake Urmia.

The designation Atropatene is usually traced to the name Atropat, a satrap of the Achaemenids who ruled this region in the fourth century B.C. In the opinion of some investigators, the designation Atropatene is linked with the title of atropate(theocratic ruler). The atropates placed themselves as kings at the head of Atropatene. The information provided by ancient authors about Atropatene permits it to be considered an early slave-owning state and one of the main centers of the Zoroastrian religion. The capital of Atropatene was the city of Hazak. In the third century B .C. under the leadership of Artabazan, Atropatene participated actively in the struggle against the expansionist policies of the Seleucids, and subsequently—especially in the last centuries B.C.—in the struggle against Roman expansion. In the early second century B.C., Atropatene included the territory of the city of Nakhichevan on the Araks River. In the seventh century A.D. Atropatene was conquered by the Arab caliphate.