The Armenian Empire: The History and Legacy of the Ancient Kingdom of Greater Armenia

During the reign of the Artaxiad dynasty, Armenia became a hub of trade and commerce, connecting the Silk Road and the Mediterranean world. The Armenian kings encouraged the development of agriculture, commerce, and arts, and the kingdom became renowned for its skilled artisans, writers, and philosophers. Of course, given its central location, the dynasty also faced numerous challenges, including repeated invasions by the Roman and Parthian empires, internal conflicts, and economic hardships. The dynasty’s resilience and adaptability enabled it to survive for nearly two centuries, leaving behind a rich cultural and political legacy that has endured in the region, even as its historical memory was overshadowed by its more powerful neighbors. 

After the collapse of the Artaxiad dynasty (at the onset of the 1st century BCE), Rome and the kingdom of Parthia engaged in a competition for political influence in the vast territory of Greater Armenia. The Parthian Arshakunis endeavored to expel Rome from the region, aiming to establish the dominance of their own lineage. The political strategy devised by Parthian King Artabanus III, however, remained unrealized, as his sons Vorodes and Arshak I, who held the throne in Great Armenia, were deposed due to the intervention of the Roman Emperor Tiberius. By inciting the Alban, Georgian, and other neighboring tribes against the Armenians, Tiberius facilitated the ascendancy of Mithridates, the brother of Iberian King Pharasmanes, to the throne of Greater Armenia in the year 36. 

This set the pattern by which the Roman Empire sought to preserve its influence in Greater Armenia by employing foreign kings as proxies. In contrast, the Armenian people and their rulers strived to emancipate themselves from Roman hegemony and the dominance of their allies.