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Kingdom of Armenia (antiquity)

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  • The year 321 BC marks the moment when Orontes III and Mithridates of Lesser Armenia declared their independence, transforming a satrapy into two distinct kingdoms. This shift occurred after Alexander the Great's Macedonian Empire defeated Persia at Gaugamela in 331 BC. The region known as Urartu had existed from 860 to 590 BC before falling to Medes who reorganized it as an Achaemenid satrapy. Neoptolemus held control until his death in 321 BC, allowing the Orontids to return not as governors but as kings. Orontes IV lost power in 201 or 200 BC when Artaxias I seized the throne with Seleucid support. Artaxias founded Yervandashat on an escarpment overlooking where the Arax River meets the Akhurian River. This new capital replaced Armavir after a river shift left the old city dry. The transition from satrapy to kingdom established the first independent Armenian state under the Orontid dynasty.

  • In 83 BC, Tigranes the Great entered Syria following an invitation from factions embroiled in civil wars. He ruled peacefully for seventeen years and extended Armenian territory beyond the highlands into modern Turkey, Iran, Syria, and Lebanon. His empire incorporated Iberia, Albania, Cappadocia, Cilicia, Judea, and parts of Parthia. Tigranakert became the new capital with a population of 120,000 citizens living among temples and an amphitheater. Strabo recorded that Hannibal advised the building of Artashata near the junction of trade routes connecting Greece, Bactria, India, and the Black Sea. The army included 12,000 cavalrymen and 120,000 infantrymen according to ancient accounts. Josephus claimed total forces reached 500,000 men including camp followers carrying gold and livestock. Rome defeated Armenia in 69 BC ending its brief status as a regional empire. Pompey forced submission after defeating Mithridates VI at the Battle of the Lycus in 66 BC.

  • Tiridates I received his crown from Emperor Nero in AD 66 during a ceremony that symbolized Roman-Parthian compromise. The Treaty of Rhandeia in 63 established that members of the Parthian Arsacid dynasty would rule Armenia as client kings of Rome. General Gnaeus Domitius Corbulo led legions III Gallica, V Macedonica, X Fretensis, and XXII into Parthian territory before returning control to Tiridates. Augustus installed Tigranes V as king in AD 6 while ruling alongside Erato of Armenia. Caligula arrested Mithridates but Claudius restored him later. In AD 37, Parthians forced Armenia into submission until Romans retook control in AD 47. Rhadamistus led an Iberian invasion sponsored by Parthia in AD 51. Trajan made Armenia a province between 114 and 118 before withdrawing. Lucius Verus campaigned against Parthia from 162 to 165, installing Sohaemus as client king. An epidemic allowed Parthians to retake most lost territory in 166. The kingdom remained contested for centuries with nobility divided among pro-Roman, pro-Parthian, or neutral factions.

  • The Azatavrear cavalry formed the core of the king's court consisting mainly of elite Armenians. During peace, these horsemen guarded kings and lords along with their families. A group of 6000 heavily armored horsemen protected the Armenian monarch in ancient times. Estimates suggest forces rose to between 10,000 and 20,000 during wartime conflicts. Light cavalry units included mounted archers who complemented heavy cataphract formations. Legio I Armeniaca emerged in the second or third century AD to protect western lands from intrusion. This legion participated in Julianus Apostata's failed Persian campaign in 363. Legio II Armeniaca formed around the end of the third century or start of the fourth century. It maintained a permanent camp at Satala and served alongside Legions Parthica and II Flavia in Bezabde until Persia captured it in 390 AD. Both legions appear in the Notitia Dignitatum written in the fifth century. Later, the Second Legion joined the Byzantine army after surviving the bloodbath at Bezabde.

  • Tiridates III accepted Christianity after being converted by Gregory the Illuminator following years of persecution. The date traditionally marks 301 as when Armenia became the first state to adopt Christianity officially. Apostles Bartholomew and Thaddeus spread faith through the region during the first century AD. Kings Sanatruk, Axidares, Khosrov I, and Tiridates III persecuted Christians before conversion. Zoroastrianism dominated until late Parthian times with Tiridates I serving as a magus priest. His journey to Rome between 65 and 66 illustrates observance of Mazdaen traditions. By the early fourth century, Zoroastrian influence gradually declined across the kingdom. Pagan temples dedicated to gods like Vahagn and Anahit existed in Derik, Armavir, and Artashat. The goddess Astghik shared a temple with Vahagn while Nane's cult remained linked to Anahit near Gavar. The adoption distinguished Armenia from both Parthian and Roman religious practices despite ongoing tensions.

  • Artashat rose as capital in 185 BC at the confluence of the Araks and Metsamor rivers near Mount Ararat heights. King Artashes chose the location after traveling there and liking the hill positions adjacent to the mountain. Plutarch and Strabo claimed Hannibal advised its development on strategic Silk Road trade routes. Bathhouses, markets, workshops, and administrative buildings sprang up during his reign alongside an amphitheater built under Artavasdes II. Tigranakert served as imperial capital with 120,000 residents living among many temples. Vagharshapat became spiritual center starting in 301 when Christianity adopted state religion status. It housed one of oldest schools established by Saint Mashtots plus first manuscripts library founded in 480 AD. Dvin emerged in 335 as primary residence for Arshakuni dynasty kings with population around 100,000 citizens. Palace contained Zoroastrian fire-temple constructed by Sasanians before becoming Sassanid governor seat after kingdom fell in 428. Yervandashat sat upon escarpment overlooking river junctions until destroyed by Persian King Shapur II army in 360s.

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Former Christian statesFormer monarchies of West AsiaStates and territories disestablished in the 5th century

Common questions

When did the Kingdom of Armenia become independent from Persia?

The year 321 BC marks the moment when Orontes III and Mithridates of Lesser Armenia declared their independence, transforming a satrapy into two distinct kingdoms. This shift occurred after Alexander the Great's Macedonian Empire defeated Persia at Gaugamela in 331 BC.

Who was the king that made Tigranakert the capital of the Kingdom of Armenia?

Tigranes the Great entered Syria following an invitation from factions embroiled in civil wars in 83 BC and established Tigranakert as the new capital with a population of 120,000 citizens living among temples and an amphitheater. His empire incorporated Iberia, Albania, Cappadocia, Cilicia, Judea, and parts of Parthia before Rome defeated Armenia in 69 BC ending its brief status as a regional empire.

Which emperor gave Tiridates I his crown during the Kingdom of Armenia history?

Tiridates I received his crown from Emperor Nero in AD 66 during a ceremony that symbolized Roman-Parthian compromise. The Treaty of Rhandeia in 63 established that members of the Parthian Arsacid dynasty would rule Armenia as client kings of Rome.

When did the Kingdom of Armenia officially adopt Christianity as state religion?

The date traditionally marks 301 as when Armenia became the first state to adopt Christianity officially after Tiridates III accepted Christianity following being converted by Gregory the Illuminator. Apostles Bartholomew and Thaddeus spread faith through the region during the first century AD before kings Sanatruk, Axidares, Khosrov I, and Tiridates III persecuted Christians.

What was the population count of Tigranakert under King Tigranes the Great?

Tigranakert served as imperial capital with 120,000 residents living among many temples. Strabo recorded that Hannibal advised the building of Artashata near the junction of trade routes connecting Greece, Bactria, India, and the Black Sea while the army included 12,000 cavalrymen and 120,000 infantrymen according to ancient accounts.

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All sources

34 references cited across the entry

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