Kingdom of Armenia (Antiquity)

The ancient Kingdom of Armenia was an independent monarchy from 331 BC to AD 428. When the kingdom was the most powerful it was also called the "Armenian Empire".

Kingdom of Armenia
or Greater Armenia
Մեծ Հայք
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331 BC–428
Flag of Greater Armenia
Armenian Empire at its greatest extent under Tigranes II the Great, 69 BC (including vassals)
Armenian Empire at its greatest extent under Tigranes II the Great, 69 BC (including vassals)
Armenian Empire
Armenian Empire
StatusEmpire during the reigns' of Tigranes the Great and Artavasdes II
CapitalYervandashat: 201 BC-185 BC
Artashat: 185 BC-77 BC and 60-120
Tigranakert: 77 BC-69 BC
Vagharshapat: 120-330
Dvin: 336-428
Common languagesArmenian
Religion
Zoroastrianism
Hellenism: III century BC-301 AD
Christianity: from 301 AD
GovernmentMonarchy
King of Armenia, King of Kings 
Orontes III
• 8 BC-5 BC and 2 BC-1 BC
Tigranes IV and Erato
• 66 AD-88 AD
Tiridates I of Armenia
• 422 AD-428 AD
Artaxias IV
Historical eraAntiquity, Middle Ages
• Greater Armenia is formed
331 BC
• 
331 BC
• Artashat is built
185 BC
84 BC-34 BC
61 AD
• Christianity national religion
301 AD
• 
428
Area
331 BCLua error in Module:Convert at line 1850: attempt to index local 'en_value' (a nil value).
69 BCLua error in Module:Convert at line 1850: attempt to index local 'en_value' (a nil value).
301 ADLua error in Module:Convert at line 1850: attempt to index local 'en_value' (a nil value).
428 ADLua error in Module:Convert at line 1850: attempt to index local 'en_value' (a nil value).
Population
• 69 BC
20000000
• 301 AD
3000000
CurrencyTaghand
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Satrapy of Armenia
Byzantine Armenia
Persian Armenia
Today part of Armenia
 Azerbaijan
 Georgia
 Iran
 Iraq
 Israel
 Lebanon
 Syria
 Turkey
Redgate, Anne Elizabeth (2000). The Armenians. Wiley-Blackwell. p. 7. ISBN 0-631-22037-2.

After the fall of the Achaemenid Empire, the former Satrapy of Armenia was divided in about 120 clan territories. After the destruction of the Seleucid Empire, a Helenistic Greek successor state of Alexander the Great's short-lived empire, a Hellenistic Armenian state was founded in 190 BC by Artaxias I. At its height, from 95 to 66 BC, Armenia extended its rule through areas of the Caucasus and the area that is now eastern Turkey, Syria and Lebanon. Armenia was one of the weakest states in the Roman East. It was under the Roman sphere of influence in 66 BC.

Armenia reached its greatest size and influence under King Tigranes II. It went from the Mediterranean Sea northeast to the Kura River. The Artaxiads were overthrown by the Romans in AD 12. This started a period of civil war. After AD 54, the kingdom was ruled by the Arsacid Dynasty. In AD 387, Armenia was divided into Byzantine Armenia in the west and Persian Armenia in the east. Persian Armenia remained under the rule of Arsacid client kings until AD 428.

From the second century BC, the people of Lower Armenia (including today’s Karabakh) spoke Armenian. This implies that today’s Armenians are the descendants of those speakers.

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