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Saturday, February 15, 2025

Tigranes the Great (95–55 BC) – King of Armenia

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Tigranes II the Great 140 BC – 55 BC was the king of Great Armenia, a great commander, and conqueror of the Hellenistic era, who ruled in 95-55 BC. Tigranes the Great was the son of Tigran I, the youngest son of the founder of the Artashesid dynasty Artashes I. Tigranes spent many years as a hostage at the court of King Mithridates II.

He ascended the Armenian throne at a favorable moment. Roman power in Asia Minor was greatly undermined by the military victories of Mithridates Eupator, the king of Pontus, who consolidated his power over the entire Black Sea area and threatened to drive the Romans from Asia. Rome itself was on the verge of a civil war between the factions of Maria and Sulla. In Syria, the Seleucid dynasty was on the verge of anarchy and collapse. In Parthia, after the death of Mithradates II, the Troubles began to arise.

Having ascended to the throne, Tigran immediately began to expand his possessions. In the year 94 BC Tigran concluded a military-political alliance and became related to the Pontus king Mithridates VI, having married his daughter Cleopatra. The largest achievements of Tigran are the foundation of the city of Tigranakert and planting and developing Hellenism and Hellenistic culture in Armenia.

The military campaign

The war with Cappadocia began in 93 BC, Cappadocian king Ariobarzan I immediately fled to Rome. This military campaign led Tigran to a conflict with Roman interests. In 92 BC, the commander Lucius Cornelius Sulla sent by the Roman Senate superseded the Armenian army who invaded the Cappadocia and returned Ariobarzan I on the Cappadocia throne.

After a campaign in Cappadocia, Tigran decided to expand his kingdom at the expense of neighboring Caucasian regions. In the years 91-87 BC Armenia included neighboring territories of Iberia and Caucasian Albania. Thus, Tigran created the necessary prerequisites for a fight with the main rival – the Parthian Empire.

In 88 BC Tigranes began a successful war in the east against King Parthia. He conquering many important areas and captured the summer residence of the Parthian king’s city of Ekbatana. After this, the king of Parthia Gotarz I renounced the title “king of kings” in favor of Tigran. After the victory of Tigran over the Parthians, his power was recognized by the nomadic Arab tribes who lived in southern Mesopotamia on the shore of the Babylonian Sea.

In the west, Tigran II met no resistance. Tigran II’s troops entered Syria without hindrance. The fall of the Seleucid state, the removal of the ruling Seleucid dynasty by representatives of the local aristocracy raised the question of power in the former Seleucid state. Tigran II the Great was proclaimed king of Syria. In the year 71 BC Tigran’s troops defeated the army of the Nabatean king Aretha III and again captured the Phoenician cities and the Israeli kingdom was conquered.

War with the Romans

Allying with Mithridates VI Evpator he involved himself in the war with the Romans. In 69 BC the Roman commander Lucullus forced march through Cappadocia, crossed the Euphrates and invaded Armenia. The Romans successfully crossed the Tigris and approached Tigranakert. Guardians of Tigranakert successfully repulsed the attacks of Lucullus. When Tigran learned of the invasion he sent forward a detachment of 3 thousand horsemen to delay the advance of the Romans.

Tigran went to collect troops across the provinces of Armenia. The battle with the Romans took place on October 6, 69 BC near Tigranakert. Initially, the battle was equal, but the Roman cavalry decisively attacked troops of Tigran. After that, the huge multinational forces of the Armenian king turned to flight. The gates of the capital of Great Armenia were treacherously opened by the Greek mercenaries located in Tigranakert. As a result, a huge and rich city became a prey of the Romans and was looted.

The battle of Artaxate occurred in 68 BC between the troops of the Roman Republic and the Armenian kingdom. The Romans were headed by Consul Lucius Licinius Lucullus, the leader of the Armenians was Tigran II, who hid King Mithridates VI of Pontus. With the onset of winter, Tigran and Mithridates strike at the sprawling communications of Lucullus and drive out the Roman army from Armenia. Having expelled the Romans, the elderly Armenian monarch makes a new devastating expedition to Asia Minor, defeating the Roman army of the generals Fabius and Triarius.

Confrontation between Tigran II and Rome and Parthia

In the meantime, taking advantage of the Armenian-Roman war, the Parthians, instigated by Rome, opposed the rule of Armenia. Tigranes again defeated their troops. It seemed that the situation favored Tigranes. However, in 66 BC the new Roman commander, Gnaeus Pompey the Great, who was approached by the youngest son of Tigran II, who rebelled against his father, brought to Armenia a 50,000-strong army. Mithridates was finally defeated by the Romans, fled to the Bosporan kingdom and committed suicide there.

Tigran II was unable to wage war against two powerful powers – Rome and Parthia. In addition, a part of the Armenian nobility, as well as the population of many countries and cities conquered by the Armenian kingdom rose up. Armenian king had to sign in 66 BC an agreement with Pompey, according to which Tigran retained only the Armenian highlands and part of the lands captured from Parthia. In addition, he received the eastern part of Minor Armenia, which previously belonged to Mithridates VI. Tigran II paid 6,000 talents and retained the title of king of kings and was proclaimed “friend and ally of the Roman people”

Having suffered defeat from Rome and Parthia in the struggle for the status of a world power, Armenia for a long time continued to remain a strong state. The last 10 years of Tigranes II’s rule were peaceful, and in those years, due to his advanced age, his son, the future king of Armenia Artavazd II, helped him to rule. Tigranes II died in 55 BC at the age of 85.

Source:

Pridik AM Tigran // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron

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