Artaxiad dynasty

The Artaxiad Dynasty ruled Armenia from 189 BC until their overthrow by the Romans in AD 12. Their realm included Greater Armenia, Sophene and intermittently Lesser Armenia and parts of Mesopotamia. Their main enemies were the Seleucids and the Parthians, against whom the Armenians had to conduct multiple wars.

Historical background

Standard of the Artaxiad Dynasty

In 201 BC Antiochus III the Great conquers Greater Armenia and Sophene with his Armenian generals(strategoi) Artaxias and Zariadres overthrowing the Orontid Dynasty who are only left with control of Commagene although reduced to the status of a vassal. Antiochus appoints Artaxias as satrap of Greater Armenia and Zariadres as satrap of Sophene. Following the defeat of Antiochus by the Romans at the Battle of Magnesia in 190 BC, Artaxias and his co-satrap Zariadres revolted and, with Roman consent, began to reign autonomously; Artaxias over Greater Armenia and Zariadres over Sophene. Lesser Armenia and Commagene regained their independence as well.

Consolidation of Armenian lands under Artaxias

Artaxias is regarded as one of the most important kings in Armenian history. He presented himself as a legitimate descendant of Orontids, although it is unknown if he was in fact related to that dynasty. In the beginning of his rule, parts of the Armenian Highlands with Armenian speaking populations remained under the rule of neighbouring states. Artaxias made the reunification of those lands under his domain a priority. Greek geographer and historian Strabo recounts the conquests of Artaxias towards West, East, North and South as well as stating that the population of those territories was Armenian speaking. Strabo, Geography, book 11, chapter 14:

According to report, Armenia, though a small country in earlier times, was enlarged by Artaxias and Zariadris, who formerly were generals of Antiochus the Great, but later, after his defeat, reigned as kings (the former as king of Sophene, Acisene, Odomantis, and certain other countries, and the latter as king of the country round Artaxata), and jointly enlarged their kingdoms by cutting off for themselves parts of the surrounding nations,--I mean by cutting off Caspiane and Phaunitis and Basoropeda from the country of the Medes; and the country along the side of Mt. Paryadres and Chorsene and Gogarene, which last is on the far side of the Cyrus River, from that of the Iberians; and Carenitis and Xerxene, which border on Lesser Armenia or else are parts of it, from that of the Chalybians and the Mosynoeci; and Acilisene and the country round the Antitaurus from that of the Cataonians; and Taronitis from that of the Syrians; and therefore they all speak the same language.

Artaxias also founded the Armenian capital Artaxata with the aid of Carthagian general Hannibal who was being sheltered from the Romans within Artaxias' court. The population of the previous Orontid capital of Ervandashat was transferred to Artaxata. Over a dozen stone boundary markers have been discovered on the territory of modern Armenia from the time of the reign of Artaxias with Aramaic inscriptions, before their discovery the existence of these stones was attested by Moses of Khorene. In these inscriptions Artaxias claims descent from the Orontid Dynasty: King Artaxias, the son of Orontid Zariadres.

Armenian Empire

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Kingdom of Armenia at its greatest extent under the Artaxiad Dynasty after the conquests of Tigranes the Great, 80 BC

During the reign of Tigranes the Great (95 BC - 55 BC) Armenia was at the zenith of its power and briefly became the most powerful state to the Roman east. Artaxias and his followers had already constructed the base upon which Tigranes built his empire. Despite this fact, the territory of Armenia, being a mountainous one, was governed by nakharars who were largely autonomous from the central authority. Tigranes unified them in order to create internal security in the kingdom.The borders of Armenia stretched from the Caspian Sea to the Mediterranean Sea. At that time, the Armenians had become so expansive, that the Romans and Parthians had to join forces in order to beat them. Tigranes found a more central capital within his domain and named it Tigranocerta.

Large chunks of lands were taken from Parthians, who were forced to sign a treaty of friendship with Tigranes. Iberia, Albania, and Atropatene also lost territories and the remainder of their Kingdoms became vassal states. The Greeks within the Seleucid Empire offered Tigranes the Seleucid crown in 83, after which the Armenian Empire reached as far south as modern Acre, Israel resulting in a conflict with Hasmoneans.

Artaxiad Kings of Armenia

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Coin of Tigranes II. The Greek inscription reads ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΤΙΓΡΑΝΟΥ ("[coin] of King Tigranes").

• Artaxias I (189-160)
• Artavasdes I (160-115)
• Tigranes I (115-95)
• Tigranes II the Great (95-55)
• Artavasdes II (55-34)
• Artaxias II (30-20)
• Tigranes III (20-8)
• Tigranes IV (8-5)
• Erato (2-12)