Orontes later reappears in 362/1 BC, as the hyparch (governor) of Mysia and the leader of the revolting satraps of Asia Minor.

Orontes is regarded as the ancestor of the Orontid dynasty, which established itself in Armenia, Sophene, and Commagene during the Achaemenid and Hellenistic period.

[1] Orontes was the son of Artasyrus, a Bactrian nobleman,[2] who occupied the high-ranking office of the "King's Eye", and has been suggested be the same person as the namesake Iranian noble who participated in the Battle of Cunaxa in 401 BC.

[6] The Achaemenid satrapy of Armenia seems to have been a semi-hereditary fief of Hydarnes, due to his descendants governing it until the Hellenistic period.

One of them had deserted Cyrus the Younger (died 401 BC) during his attempt to take the throne from Artaxerxes II, and as a result was executed.

[1] Orontes first appears in records in 401 BC, when he as satrap of Armenia pursued the Ten Thousand following their retreat at Cunaxa.

[16] By 382 BC, preparations for the campaign had been made, with a battle taking place the following year near the Cyprian city of Kition, where the Persians emerged victorious due to their larger fleet.

[17][18] Failing to gain help from the Egypt pharaoh Hakor (r. 392/1–379/8 BC), Evagoras started to negotiate a peace treaty with Tiribazus, offering to withdraw from all the cities of Cyprus except Salamis, and pay a fixed yearly tribute to the Persian crown.

[19][20] The negotiations made Orontes fear that Tiribazus would reap all the honor and rewards if he also finished the Cypriot War just after having led the reconquest of the eastern Mediterranean lands.

As a result he sent a number of accusations to Artaxerxes II, which mentioned that Tiribazus was deliberately prolonging the war and planning to declare independence.

[20] Artaxerxes II was unable to make a proper assessment due to his distance, but could not risk Tiribazus ruin the recent Persian accomplishments, and as a result had him jailed in Susa.

Artaxerxes III did not deem the conclusion of the war satisfactory, as it had cost 15,000 talents, and as a result Orontes fell into disfavour.

As demonstrated by his coinage at Adramyttium and Cisthenes, he recruited mercenaries, who helped him capture the city of Cyme and defeat the cavalry forces sent there by Autophradates to stop him.

[23] In 362/1 BC, Orontes was chosen as the leader of the revolting satraps of Asia Minor due to his aristocratic background, his kinship with Artaxerxes II, as well as his hostility towards the latter.

According to the classical Greek historian Diodorus Siculus (died c. 30 BC), Orontes thought that he would be greatly rewarded if he did so at such a critical point.

[1] Orontes is regarded as the ancestor of the Orontid dynasty, which established itself in Armenia, Sophene, and Commagene during the Achaemenid and Hellenistic period.

[32][33] Orontes is mentioned in one of the stelae (monument containing information) of Mount Nemrut, erected by his descendant Antiochus I of Commagene (r. 70–31 BC).

The inscription of the stelae places Orontes as the founder of the Orontid dynasty, and mentions his marriage with Rhodogune, in order to highlight the Commagenian claim to Achaemenid ancestry.

[38] When the satrap Artabazus rebelled against Artaxerxes III in 356 BC, he hired the Athenian military commander Chares.