Editing Tigranes the Great (section)

==Early years==
In approximately 120 BC, the [[Parthian Empire|Parthian]] king [[Mithridates II of Parthia|Mithridates II]] ({{reign|124|91|era=BC}}) invaded [[Kingdom of Armenia (antiquity)|Armenia]] and made its king [[Artavasdes I of Armenia|Artavasdes I]] acknowledge Parthian [[suzerainty]].{{sfn|Olbrycht|2009|p=165}} Artavasdes I was forced to give the Parthians Tigranes, who was either his son or nephew, as a [[hostage#Historical practices|hostage]].{{sfn|Olbrycht|2009|p=165}}{{sfn|Garsoian|2005}} Tigranes lived in the Parthian court at [[Ctesiphon]], where he was schooled in Parthian culture.{{sfn|Mayor|2009|p=136}} Tigranes remained a hostage at the Parthian court until {{circa|96/95 BC}}, when Mithridates II released him and appointed him as the king of Armenia.{{sfn|Olbrycht|2009|p=168}}{{sfn|Dąbrowa|2018|p=78}} Tigranes ceded an area called "seventy valleys" in the [[Caspiane]] to Mithridates II, either as a pledge or because Mithridates II demanded it.{{sfn|Olbrycht|2009|pp=165, 182 (see note 57)}} Tigranes' daughter [[Ariazate]] had also married a son of Mithridates II, which has been suggested by the modern historian Edward Dąbrowa to have taken place shortly before he ascended the Armenian throne as a guarantee of his loyalty.{{sfn|Dąbrowa|2018|p=78}} Tigranes would remain a Parthian vassal until the late 80s BC.{{sfn|Olbrycht|2009|p=169}}

When he came to power, the foundation upon which Tigranes was to build his Empire was already in place, a legacy of the founder of the Artaxiad dynasty, [[Artaxias I]], and subsequent kings. The mountains of Armenia, however, formed natural borders between the different regions of the country and as a result, the feudalistic ''[[nakharar]]s'' had significant influence over the regions or provinces in which they were based. This did not suit Tigranes, who wanted to create a centralized empire. He thus proceeded by consolidating his power within Armenia before embarking on his campaign.<ref name="Badmoutioun Hayots, Volume I">{{cite book|last=Kurdoghlian|first=Mihran|title=Պատմութիւն Հայոց [History of Armenia, Volume I]|publisher=Council of National Education Publishing|year=1996|language=hy|location=Athens|pages=67–76}}</ref>

He deposed Artanes, the last king of the [[Kingdom of Sophene]] and a descendant of [[Zariadres]].<ref name="Strabo1">[[Strabo]]. ''[[Geographica]]'', [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0198&layout=&loc=11.14.15 11.14.15].</ref>