The mausoleum of Antiochus I (69–34 B.C.), who reigned over
Commagene, a kingdom founded north of Syria and the Euphrates after the
breakup of Alexander's empire, is one of the most ambitious
constructions of the Hellenistic period. The syncretism of its pantheon,
and the lineage of its kings, which can be traced back through two sets
of legends, Greek and Persian, is evidence of the dual origin of this
kingdom's culture.