Editing History of Armenia (section)

==Antiquity==
===Orontid dynasty===
{{Main|Orontid dynasty}}
After the fall of Urartu around 585 BC, the [[Satrapy of Armenia]] arose, ruled by the Armenian [[Orontid dynasty]], which governed the state in 585–190 BC. Under the Orontids, Armenia during this era was a [[satrap]]y of the [[Achaemenid Empire|Persian Empire]], and after its disintegration (in 330 BC), it became an independent kingdom. During the rule of the Orontid dynasty, most Armenians adopted the [[Zoroastrianism|Zoroastrian]] religion.<ref>Barbara A. West.[https://books.google.com/books?id=pCiNqFj3MQsC&pg=PA50 ''Encyclopedia of the Peoples of Asia and Oceania''] Infobase Publishing, 1 January 2009; {{ISBN|1438119135}}, p. 50</ref>

[[File:Yervanduni Armenia, IV-II BC.gif|thumb|200px|Map of Orontid Armenia]]
[[File:Cosmographia Claudii Ptolomaei ante 1467 (7456204) (cropped).jpg|thumb|200px|Armenia on a map of [[Ptolemy]]]]
[[File:AMBS by Karl von Spruner.jpg|thumb|200px|Armenia, Mesopotamia, Babylonia and Assyria with Adjacent Regions, Karl von Spruner, published in 1865.]]

===Artaxiad dynasty===
{{Main|Artaxiad dynasty}}
[[File:Armenian Empire.png|thumb|The [[Kingdom of Armenia (antiquity)|Kingdom of Armenia]] at its greatest extent under [[Tigranes the Great]]]]

The Hellenistic [[Seleucid Empire]], controlled Syria, Armenia, and vast other eastern regions. However, after their defeat by Rome in 190 BC, the Seleucids relinquished control of any regional claim past the Taurus Mountains, limiting Seleucids to a quickly diminishing area of Syria. A Hellenistic Armenian state was founded in 190 BC. It was a [[Hellenistic period|Hellenistic]] successor state of [[Alexander the Great]]'s short-lived empire, with Artaxias becoming its first king and the founder of the Artaxiad dynasty (190 BC–AD 1). At the same time, a western portion of the kingdom split as a separate state under Zariadris, which became known as [[Lesser Armenia]] while the main kingdom acquired the name of [[Kingdom of Armenia (antiquity)|Greater Armenia]].<ref name="Urartu/Armenia" />

The new kings began a program of expansion which was to reach its zenith a century later. Their acquisitions are summarized by Strabo. Zariadris acquired [[Acilisene]] and the "country around the Antitaurus", possibly the district of Muzur or west of the [[Euphrates]]. Artaxias took lands from the Medes, Iberians, and Syrians. He then had confrontations with [[Kingdom of Pontus|Pontus]], Seleucid Syria and Cappadocia, and was included in the treaty which followed the victory of a group of Anatolian kings over Pharnaces of Pontus in 181 BC. Pharnaces thus abandoned all of his gains in the west.<ref>{{cite book|last=Redgate|first=Elizabeth|title=The Armenians|publisher=Blackwell Publishing|year=1998|pages=65–68}}<!-- ISSN/ISBN needed --></ref>

At its zenith, from 95 to 66 BC, Greater Armenia extended its rule over parts of the Caucasus and the area that is now eastern and central [[Turkey]], north-western [[Iran]], [[Israel]], [[Syria]] and [[Lebanon]], forming the second Armenian empire. For a time, Armenia was one of the most powerful states east of Rome. It eventually confronted the [[Roman Republic]] in wars, which it lost in 66 BC, but nonetheless preserved its sovereignty. Tigranes continued to rule Armenia as an ally of Rome until his death in 55 BC.<ref>{{cite book|last=Fuller|first=J.F.C.|title=Julius Caesar: Man, Soldier, and Tyrant|publisher=Da Capo Press|year=1991|page=[https://archive.org/details/juliuscaesarmans00full/page/45 45]|isbn=0-306-80422-0|url=https://archive.org/details/juliuscaesarmans00full/page/45}}</ref>

The [[Third Mithridatic War]] and defeat of the King of Pontus by Roman [[Pompey|Pompeius]] resulted in the Kingdom of Armenia becoming an allied client state of Rome. Later on, in 1 AD, Armenia came under full [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] control until the establishment of the Armenian Arsacid dynasty. The Armenian people then adopted a Western political, philosophical, and religious orientation. According to Strabo, around this time everyone in Armenia spoke "the same language."<ref>{{Cite book|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=3WqaAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA43|title = Armenia Country Study Guide Volume 1 Strategic Information and Developments|isbn = 9781438773827|date = September 2013| publisher=International Business Publications, USA }}{{Dead link|date=February 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

===Roman Armenia===
{{more citations needed section|date=December 2015}}
{{Main|Roman Armenia|Persian Armenia}}
{{For|more details on this topic|Roman relations with the Armenians}}
[[File:Roman Empire - Armenia (117 AD).svg|thumb|The Roman Empire at its greatest extent, with the "Roman Province of Armenia".]]
From [[Pompey|Pompeius]]' campaign Armenia was, for the next few centuries, contested between Rome and Parthia/Sassanid Persia on the other hand. Roman emperor [[Trajan]] even created a short-lived Province of Armenia between 114 and 118 AD.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jbS5KHJ4uqcC&pg=PA140|title=Cassio Dione e l'impero romano da Nerva ad Antonino Pio|isbn=9788834310656|last1=Migliorati|first1=Guido|year=2003|publisher=Vita e Pensiero }}</ref>

Indeed, Roman supremacy was fully established by the [[Roman–Parthian War of 58–63|campaigns]] of [[Gnaeus Domitius Corbulo]],<ref>[https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/Places/Asia/Armenia/_Texts/KURARM/15*.html Vahan Kurkjian: Armenia and the Romans]</ref> that ended with a formal compromise: a Parthian prince of the [[Arsacid dynasty of Armenia|Arsacid]] line would henceforth sit on the Armenian throne, but his nomination had to be approved by the Roman emperor.

Because this agreement was not respected by the Parthian Empire, in 114 [[Trajan]] from [[Antioch]]ia in Syria marched on Armenia and conquered the capital [[Artaxata]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=DuBois |first=Michael |url=https://www.google.am/books/edition/Legio/ZIZPCwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=in+114+Trajan+conquered+the+capital+Artaxata.&pg=PA252&printsec=frontcover |title=Legio |date=2015-12-16 |publisher= |isbn=978-1-329-76783-6 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Authors |first=Several |url=https://www.google.am/books/edition/History_of_The_Roman_Legions/OLQ2CwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=in+114+Trajan+conquered+the+capital+Artaxata.&pg=PT638&printsec=frontcover |title=History of The Roman Legions: History of Rome |date=2015-12-17 |publisher=Self-Publish |language=en}}</ref> Trajan then deposed the Armenian king [[Parthamasiris of Armenia|Parthamasiris]] (imposed by the Parthians) and ordered the annexation of Armenia to the Roman Empire as a new province.
The new province reached the shores of the [[Caspian Sea]] and bordered to the north with [[Kingdom of Iberia|Caucasian Iberia]] and [[Caucasian Albania]], two vassal states of Rome. As a Roman province Armenia was administered by Catilius Severus of the [[Claudia gens|Gens Claudia]]. After Trajan's death, however, his successor [[Hadrian]] decided not to maintain the province of Armenia. In 118 AD, Hadrian gave Armenia up, and installed [[Parthamaspates of Parthia|Parthamaspates]] as its "vassal" king.

===Arsacid dynasty===
{{Main|Arsacid dynasty of Armenia|Roman–Parthian Wars}}
[[File:Armenian4thcenturies.gif|thumb|Armenia in the 4th century, 299–387 AD.]]

Armenia, under its [[Arsacid dynasty of Armenia|Arshakuni dynasty]], which was a branch of the eponymous Arsacid dynasty of Parthia, was often a focus of contention between Rome and Parthia.<ref>{{cite web | url= https://www.angelfire.com/nt/Gilgamesh/parthian.html | title= The Parthian Period | access-date=6 February 2007}}</ref> The Parthians forced Armenia into submission from 37 to 47, when the Romans retook control of the kingdom.

Under [[Nero]], the Romans fought a [[Roman–Parthian War of 58–63|campaign (55–63)]] against the [[Parthian Empire]], which had invaded the kingdom of Armenia, allied to the Romans. After gaining (60) and losing (62) Armenia, the Romans under [[Gnaeus Domitius Corbulo]], [[legatus|legate]] of [[Roman Syria|Syria]] entered (63) into an agreement of [[Vologases I of Parthia]], which confirmed [[Tiridates I of Armenia|Tiridates I]] as king of Armenia, thus founding the Arshakuni dynasty.

The Arsacid dynasty lost control of Armenia for a few years when emperor [[Trajan]] created the "Roman Province of Armenia", fully included into the [[Roman Empire]] from 114 to 117 AD. His successor, [[Hadrian]], reinstalled the Arsacid dynasty when he nominated [[Parthamaspates of Parthia|Parthamaspates]] as "vassal" king of Armenia in 118 AD.

Another campaign was led by Emperor [[Lucius Verus]] in 162–165, after [[Vologases IV]] of Parthia had invaded Armenia and installed his chief general on its throne. To counter the Parthian threat, Verus set out for the east. His army won significant victories and retook the capital. [[Sohaemus of Armenia|Sohaemus]], a Roman citizen of Armenian heritage, was installed as the new [[Client state|client king]].<ref>HA Marcus Antoninus 9.1, Verus 7.1; Dio Cass. 71.3.</ref>

The [[Sasanian Empire|Sassanid]] Persians occupied Armenia in 252 and held it until the Romans returned in 287. In 384 the kingdom was split between the [[Byzantine Empire]] and the Persians.<ref>{{cite web | url= http://www.cac-biodiversity.org/arm/arm_history.htm | title= Armenia: History | access-date= 6 February 2007 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070228232515/http://www.cac-biodiversity.org/arm/arm_history.htm | archive-date= 28 February 2007 | url-status= dead | df= dmy-all }}</ref> Western Armenia quickly became a province of the Roman Empire under the name of [[Lesser Armenia|Armenia Minor]]; Eastern Armenia remained a kingdom within Persia until 428, when the local nobility overthrew the king, and the Sassanids installed a governor in his place.

According to tradition, the [[Armenian Apostolic Church]] was established by two of Jesus' [[twelve apostles]]—[[Jude the Apostle|Thaddaeus]] and [[Bartholomew the Apostle|Bartholomew]]—who preached Christianity in Armenia in the 40s–60s AD.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://philtar.ucsm.ac.uk/encyclopedia/christ/early/armen.html | title = Church of Armenia | access-date = 6 February 2007 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070128054451/http://philtar.ucsm.ac.uk/encyclopedia/christ/early/armen.html | archive-date = 28 January 2007 }}</ref> Between 1st and 4th centuries AD, the Armenian Church was headed by patriarchs.

====Christianization====
[[File:Ani Tigran Honents church 17 Interior Armenian, Georgian and Abkhazian kings marching (orthonomical).jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|Christianization: ''Departure of Armenian king [[Tiridates III of Armenia|Tiridates III]] (c.250–330) with the Entourage of Georgian ([[Kingdom of Iberia|Iberian]]), [[Laz people|Laz]] and [[Caucasian Albania|Albanian]] Kings for Their Christening''. Church of [[St Gregory of Tigran Honents]], [[Ani]], [[Zakarid Armenia]], 1215.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Eastmond |first1=Antony |title="Local" Saints, Art, and Regional Identity in the Orthodox World after the Fourth Crusade |journal=Speculum |date=2003 |volume=78 |issue=3 |page=740, Fig.11 |doi=10.1017/S0038713400131525 |jstor=20060787 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/20060787 |issn=0038-7134}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Church of Saint Gregory of Tigran Honents in Ani |url=https://turkisharchaeonews.net/object/church-saint-gregory-tigran-honents-ani |website=Turkish Archaeological News |language=en |date=10 December 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Nersessian |first1=Vrej |title=Treasures from the Ark: 1700 Years of Armenian Christian Art |date=2001 |publisher=The British Library Board - Getty Museum |page=193 |url=https://archive.org/details/nersessian-2001-treasures-armenian-art/page/192 |quote=This episode had been represented in the Church of St Gregory at Ani, built by Grigor Honents, in 1215. The king, surrounded by his friends and his army, all on horseback, scts out to greet Gregory}}</ref>]]
In 301, Armenia became the first nation to adopt [[Christianity]] as a state religion,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www3.nationalgeographic.com/places/countries/country_armenia.html|title=Information about Armenia on nationalgeographic.com|access-date=6 February 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070130075810/http://www3.nationalgeographic.com/places/countries/country_armenia.html|archive-date=30 January 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref> amidst the long-lasting geo-political rivalry over the region. It established a church that today exists independently of both the [[Catholicism#Catholic Church|Catholic]] and the [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Eastern Orthodox]] churches, having become so in 451 after having rejected the [[Council of Chalcedon]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Thebes/1089/christology.html|title=Armenian Church History and Doctrine|access-date=6 February 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090730103921/http://geocities.com/Athens/Thebes/1089/christology.html|archive-date=30 July 2009}}</ref> The [[Armenian Apostolic Church]] is a part of the [[Oriental Orthodoxy|Oriental Orthodox]] communion, not to be confused with the Eastern Orthodox communion. The first [[Catholicos of All Armenians|Catholicos]] of the Armenian church was Saint [[Gregory the Illuminator]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hyeetch.nareg.com.au/religion/h_see_p1.html|title=The Holy City and the Mother Church of St. Etchmiadzin|access-date=6 February 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170823222537/http://www.hyeetch.nareg.com.au/religion/h_see_p1.html|archive-date=23 August 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> Because of his beliefs, he was persecuted by the pagan king of Armenia, and was "punished" by being thrown in [[Khor Virap]], in modern-day Armenia.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.world66.com/europe/armenia/khorvirap|title=Khor Virap Travel Guide|access-date=6 February 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930180712/http://www.world66.com/europe/armenia/khorvirap|archive-date=30 September 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref>

He acquired the title of Illuminator, because he illuminated the spirits of Armenians by introducing Christianity to them. Before this, the dominant religion amongst the Armenians was [[Zoroastrianism]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wJB2AwAAQBAJ&pg=PA1838|title=Encyclopedia of Global Studies|access-date=26 December 2014|isbn=9781412994224|last1=Anheier|first1=Helmut K.|last2=Juergensmeyer|first2=Mark|date=9 March 2012|publisher=SAGE Publications }}</ref> Scholars have suggested that Armenia adopted Christianity "partly . . . in defiance" of the Sassanids.<ref>Mary Boyce. [https://books.google.com/books?id=a6gbxVfjtUEC&pg=PA84 ''Zoroastrians: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices''], Psychology Press, 2001; {{ISBN|0415239028}}, p. 84</ref>

In 405–06, Armenia's political future seemed uncertain. With the help of the king of Armenia, [[Mesrop Mashtots]] created a unique alphabet to suit the people's needs.{{clarify|date=December 2015}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.omniglot.com/writing/armenian.htm|title=Armenian alphabet, pronunciation and language|access-date=6 February 2007}}</ref> By doing so, he ushered in a new [[Kingdom of Armenia (antiquity)|Golden Age]] and strengthened Armenian national identity.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Johnson |first=Jerry L. |url=https://www.google.am/books/edition/Crossing_Borders_confronting_History/OevniclZr8cC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=405+Golden+age+for+Armenian+Identity&pg=PA129&printsec=frontcover |title=Crossing Borders--confronting History: Intercultural Adjustment in a Post-Cold War World |date=2000 |publisher=University Press of America |isbn=978-0-7618-1536-5 |pages=129 |language=en}}</ref>

After years of rule, the Arsacid dynasty fell in 428, with Eastern Armenia being subjugated to Persia and Western Armenia, to Rome. In the 5th century, the Sassanid Shah [[Yazdegerd II]] tried to tie his Christian Armenian subjects more closely to the Sassanid Empire by reimposing the Zoroastrian religion.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fsmitha.com/h1/ch22c.htm|title=The Sassanids, to 500 CE|access-date=6 February 2007}}</ref> The Armenians greatly resented this, and as a result, a rebellion broke out with Vartan Mamikonian as the leader of the rebels. Yazdegerd thus massed his army and sent it to Armenia, where the [[Battle of Avarayr]] took place in 451. The 66,000 Armenian rebels,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://timelinesdb.com/listevents.php?subjid=12&title=Armenia|title=Timeline&nbsp;– Armenia|access-date=6 February 2007}}</ref> mostly peasants, lost their morale when Mamikonian died in the battlefield. They were substantially outnumbered by the 180,000- to 220,000-strong<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iranica.com/newsite/articles/v3f1/v3f1a040.html|title=Avarayr|access-date=6 February 2007|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071006075951/http://www.iranica.com/newsite/articles/v3f1/v3f1a040.html|archive-date=6 October 2007}}</ref> Persian army of [[Immortals (Achaemenid Empire)|Immortals]] and [[war elephant]]s. Despite being a military defeat, the Battle of Avarayr and the subsequent guerilla war in Armenia eventually resulted in the Treaty of Nvarsak (484), which guaranteed religious freedom to the Armenians.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.umd.umich.edu/dept/armenian/papazian/armenia.html|title=Armenians|date=8 September 1987|access-date=6 February 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20011111122055/http://www.umd.umich.edu/dept/armenian/papazian/armenia.html|archive-date=11 November 2001}}</ref>

===Persian Armenia===
{{see also|Persian Armenia|Muslim conquest of Persia}}
[[File:Persian Armenia.gif|thumb|The extent of Persian Armenia.]]

With the partition of Armenia in 387 by the Byzantines and [[Sassanids]], the western half became part of the Byzantines known as [[Byzantine Armenia]], while the eastern (and much larger half) became a vassal state within the Sassanid realm.<ref name="Hacikyan 2000 168">{{cite book|last=Hacikyan|first=Agop Jack|title=The Heritage of Armenian Literature: From the Oral Tradition to the Golden Age|volume=1|year=2000|publisher=Wayne State University Press|location=Detroit|isbn=978-0-8143-2815-6|author-link=Agop Jack Hacikyan|author2=Basmajian, Gabriel|author3=Franchuk, Edward S.|author4=Ouzounian, Nourhan|page=[https://archive.org/details/heritageofarmeni00ajha/page/168 168]|url=https://archive.org/details/heritageofarmeni00ajha/page/168}}</ref>

In 428, the [[Arsacid dynasty of Armenia]] was completely abolished by the Sassanid Persians, and the territory was made a full province within Persia, known as [[Persian Armenia]].<ref name="Hacikyan 2000 168" /> Persian Armenia remained in Sassanid hands up to the [[Muslim conquest of Persia]], when the invading Muslim forces annexed the Sassanid realm.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Dubov |first=Kalman |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4TNREAAAQBAJ&q=646&pg=PT25 |title=Journey to the Republic of Armenia |date=2021-11-26 |publisher=Kalman Dubov |pages=17–18 |language=en}}</ref>