The Treaty Between Gordyene and Rome (69 BC): When a Kurdish King Sought Alliance with the World’s Greatest Power
- Sherko Sabir
- May 24
- 7 min read
Introduction
In 69 BC, in the midst of the Roman Republic’s war against Tigranes the Great of Armenia, a Kurdish king made a decision that would echo through millennia. Zarbienus, ruler of Gordyene — the ancient Kurdish kingdom nestled in the mountains south of Lake Van — opened secret diplomatic channels with Rome, seeking an alliance that would liberate his people from Armenian domination. It was one of the earliest recorded acts of Kurdish sovereign diplomacy, and it ended in tragedy, betrayal, and a posthumous Roman honour that confirmed what the Kurdish people have always known: that they were never merely subjects of empires, but rulers of their own land.
The treaty between Gordyene and Rome is not merely a footnote in the annals of Roman expansion. It is a defining moment in Kurdish history — proof that Kurdish leaders were engaging in high-level international diplomacy at the height of the classical world, and that the greatest power on earth recognised the Kurdish kingdom of Gordyene as a legitimate political entity worthy of alliance.
Contents
What Was the Treaty Between Gordyene and Rome?
The Treaty between Gordyene and Rome was a diplomatic agreement negotiated around 69 BC between King Zarbienus of Gordyene (Corduene) and the Roman envoy Appius Claudius Pulcher, acting on behalf of the Roman general Lucullus. Under the terms of the alliance, Gordyene would revolt against Tigranes the Great of Armenia and disrupt his supply lines to assist the Roman advance through the Kurdish mountains. In exchange, Rome would guarantee Gordyene’s independence as a sovereign state.
The agreement was never formally ratified because Zarbienus was betrayed and executed by Tigranes before Roman forces could reach Gordyene. Nevertheless, the Roman general Lucullus honoured the fallen Kurdish king with a magnificent royal funeral, personally lighting the funeral pyre and declaring Zarbienus a ‘Friend and Ally of the Roman People’ (Socius et amicus populi Romani) — the highest diplomatic honour Rome could bestow on a foreign ruler.
Key Takeaways
• Gordyene (Corduene) was an ancient Kurdish kingdom in the mountains south of Lake Van — etymologically linked to the word ‘Kurdistan’ itself.
• King Zarbienus initiated a sovereign alliance with Rome — demonstrating Kurdish diplomatic agency at the highest level of the ancient world.
• Zarbienus was betrayed and executed by Tigranes before Roman forces could arrive — a recurring pattern in Kurdish history.
• Lucullus honoured Zarbienus with a royal funeral and declared him ‘Friend and Ally of the Roman People’ — Rome’s formal recognition of Kurdish sovereignty.
• Rome subsequently liberated Gordyene, and the Gordyeni people welcomed the Romans as liberators from Armenian oppression.
Quick Facts
Treaty Name: Treaty between Gordyene and Rome Date: c. 69 BC (negotiations c. 71–70 BC) Parties: King Zarbienus of Gordyene and the Roman Republic Type: Military and political alliance Purpose: Joint action against Tigranes; Roman guarantee of Gordyene’s independence Outcome: Zarbienus executed before ratification; posthumously honoured by Rome Location: Gordyene (Corduene / Kurdish: Kardox), south of Lake Van Key Figures: King Zarbienus, Appius Claudius Pulcher, Lucullus, Tigranes, Pompey Significance: Earliest recorded Kurdish sovereign diplomatic engagement with a Western superpower
The Kingdom of Gordyene: A Kurdish Homeland
Gordyene — also known as Corduene, and called Kardox in Kurdish — was an ancient kingdom located in the rugged mountains south of Lake Van in what is now Şırnak Province in southeastern Turkey. Nineteenth-century scholars, including George Rawlinson, identified ‘Corduene’ as the oldest lexical form of ‘Kurdistan.’ The Roman historian Strabo equated the Gordyeni with the Carduchians described by Xenophon in his Anabasis (401 BC) — the mountain warriors who fiercely resisted the retreat of the Ten Thousand through their territory, and who represent the earliest Western literary encounter with the Kurdish ancestral people.
From approximately 189 to 90 BC, Gordyene enjoyed a period of independence after emerging from the declining Seleucid Empire. The kingdom was a fertile, mountainous district rich in pasturage, and its people were renowned as master-builders and experts in siege engine construction. The kingdom had its own royal dynasty, cities, and political identity — a fully sovereign Kurdish state at the crossroads of the ancient world.
The people of Gordyene worshipped the Hurrian chief deity Teshub. Their language was likely Iranic, and according to the historian Mekerdich Chahin, they were descendants of the Medes — the ancient people whom Kurdish historians regard as the forefathers of the Kurdish nation.
Historical Context: Rome, Armenia, and the Kurdish Mountains
By the late 2nd century BC, Gordyene’s independence had been crushed. Tigranes the Great of Armenia conquered the kingdom around 90 BC. According to Plutarch, Tigranes demolished the native cities of Gordyene and forcibly relocated much of the population to Tigranocerta. The Gordyeni lived under an occupation that sought to erase their identity — a pattern that would repeat throughout Kurdish history.
Meanwhile, Rome was expanding eastward. The Third Mithridatic War (73–63 BC) pitted Rome against Mithridates VI of Pontus and his ally Tigranes. The Roman general Lucullus was tasked with defeating both kings, and his campaign would take him deep into the Kurdish mountains. It was in this context that Zarbienus saw his opportunity.
The Alliance: Zarbienus Reaches Out to Rome
Around 71–70 BC, Lucullus sent his brother-in-law Appius Claudius Pulcher as an envoy to Antioch. While stationed there, Appius Claudius quietly opened diplomatic channels with several princes who resented Armenian rule. Among these was Zarbienus, King of Gordyene.
Zarbienus proposed a bold plan: Gordyene would revolt against Tigranes and disrupt his supply lines, clearing the path for the Roman advance. In return, Rome would guarantee Gordyene’s independence. It was a plan that demonstrated remarkable political vision — Zarbienus positioned his kingdom not as a passive subject but as an active agent in shaping the balance of power.
Plutarch records that Appius Claudius accepted the overtures and promised the assistance of Lucullus, though he advised Zarbienus to keep quiet for the time being. The alliance was sealed — but it would never be fulfilled.
Betrayal and Martyrdom
Zarbienus’s secret correspondence was discovered by Tigranes. The Armenian king’s response was swift and merciless: Zarbienus was executed along with his wife and children. The entire royal family of Gordyene was wiped out — a deliberate act of political terror designed to crush any future Kurdish bid for independence.
This is one of the earliest recorded instances of a pattern that has repeated throughout Kurdish history: a Kurdish leader reaching for sovereignty is cut down by an occupying power before help arrives. From Zarbienus to Qazi Muhammad to the abandoned Kurds of Lausanne, the story is hauntingly consistent.
Lucullus Honours Zarbienus: Rome Confirms Kurdish Sovereignty
When Lucullus entered Gordyene in 69 BC, he found Zarbienus already dead. According to Plutarch, Lucullus organised a magnificent royal funeral, personally adorning the pyre with royal robes, gold, and spoils taken from Tigranes. He set fire to it with his own hand, poured libations, and declared Zarbienus a ‘comrade and ally of the Romans.’
Lucullus ordered a monument erected to Zarbienus at great cost. The title ‘Friend and Ally of the Roman People’ was a formal diplomatic designation in Roman law — it recognised the recipient as a sovereign ruler and his state as a legitimate political entity. At the height of the classical world, the most powerful state on earth formally recognised a Kurdish king as a sovereign ally.
The Aftermath: Pompey and Roman Gordyene
Plutarch records that the Gordyeni were deeply moved by Lucullus’s kindness and were ready to follow him with their families. This was not a conquered people — it was a nation that saw Rome as a liberator from Armenian oppression.
When Pompey completed the conquest of Armenia, he demanded Gordyene from Parthia. The Parthians yielded without a fight. Pompey sent Afranius to occupy the region, and according to an inscription at the temple of Venus, extended Rome’s protection over the territory. Gordyene remained in the Roman sphere for over four centuries.
Timeline of Key Events
c. 189 BC — Gordyene emerges as an independent kingdom.
c. 90 BC — Tigranes conquers Gordyene.
73 BC — Third Mithridatic War begins.
c. 71–70 BC — Zarbienus negotiates with Rome via Appius Claudius.
c. 71–70 BC — Tigranes executes Zarbienus and his family.
69 BC — Lucullus holds royal funeral, declares Zarbienus ‘Friend and Ally of the Roman People.’
c. 65 BC — Pompey occupies Gordyene.
Legacy and Significance for Kurdish History
This treaty proves that Kurdish statehood is not a modern invention. Two thousand years before the Treaty of Sèvres, a Kurdish king was conducting sovereign diplomacy with the world’s greatest power. The kingdom of Gordyene was a state — with a king, cities, an army, and a foreign policy. Rome itself recognised it.
The story of Zarbienus captures the defining pattern of Kurdish history: reaching for independence, being betrayed, and suffering the consequences. From Zarbienus to the Kurds of Mahabad, from the Algiers Agreement to the 2017 referendum, the pattern is heartbreakingly consistent.
The name Gordyene itself — the oldest ancestor of ‘Kurdistan’ — anchors Kurdish identity in the very geography where Kurds still live. The mountains south of Lake Van, Şırnak Province — these are places Kurds have always been.
Zarbienus is remembered as a hero and martyr — a king who dared to reach for freedom and paid the ultimate price. His story is a reminder that Kurdish history is not passive suffering, but active resistance, strategic vision, and unyielding refusal to accept subjugation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the Treaty between Gordyene and Rome?
A diplomatic and military alliance (c. 69 BC) between King Zarbienus of Gordyene and Rome. Gordyene would revolt against Tigranes in exchange for Roman-guaranteed independence. Zarbienus was betrayed and killed, but Rome posthumously honoured him as a sovereign ally.
Was Gordyene a Kurdish kingdom?
Yes. Gordyene (Corduene, Kurdish: Kardox) was in the mountains south of Lake Van. Scholars identify ‘Corduene’ as the oldest lexical form of ‘Kurdistan,’ and Strabo equated its inhabitants with the Carduchians — the earliest recorded Kurdish ancestral people.
Who was Zarbienus?
King of Gordyene (1st century BC) who secretly sought a Roman alliance to liberate his kingdom from Armenian domination. He was betrayed and executed by Tigranes. Lucullus honoured him posthumously as a Friend and Ally of the Roman People.
Why is this treaty important to Kurdish history?
It is one of the earliest documented instances of Kurdish sovereign diplomacy, proving that Kurdish statehood existed two millennia before modern debates about Kurdish autonomy, and that Rome formally recognised a Kurdish kingdom.
References and Further Reading
Rawlinson, G., The Seven Great Monarchies of the Ancient Eastern World, 1871.
Chahin, M., The Kingdom of Armenia: A History, Routledge, 2001.
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