| Provincia Armenia | |||||||||
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| Province of theRoman Empire | |||||||||
| 114–118 | |||||||||
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| Capital | Artashat | ||||||||
| Historical era | Classical antiquity | ||||||||
• Established | 114 | ||||||||
• Disestablished | 118 | ||||||||
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| History ofArmenia |
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| Timeline •Origins •Etymology |
Roman Armenia refers to the rule of parts ofGreater Armenia by theRoman Empire from the 1st century AD to the end ofLate Antiquity. WhileArmenia Minor had become a client state until it was incorporated into the Roman Empire proper during the 1st century AD, Greater Armenia remained anindependent kingdom under theArsacid dynasty. Throughout this period, Armenia remained a bone of contention between Rome and theParthian Empire, as well as theSasanian Empire that succeeded the latter, and thecasus belli for several of theRoman–Persian Wars. Only in 114 would EmperorTrajan conquer and incorporate it as a short-livedRoman province.
In the late 4th century, Armenia was divided between Rome and the Sasanians, who took control of the larger part of the Armenian Kingdom and, in the mid-5th century, abolished the Armenian monarchy. In the 6th and the 7th centuries, Armenia once again became a battleground between theEast Roman Empire (Byzantine) and theSasanian Empire until both powers weredefeated and replaced by the MuslimCaliphate in the mid-7th century.
After the fall of theArtaxiad dynasty afterPompey's campaign in Armenia in 66 BC, theKingdom of Armenia was often contested between the Roman Empire and theParthian Empire during theRoman–Parthian Wars. Throughout most of its history during this period, under the reign of theArsacid dynasty, theArmenian nobility was divided among Roman-loyalists, Parthian-loyalists, and neutrals.
Armenia often served as aclient state orvassal at the frontier of the two large empires and their successors, theByzantine andSassanid empires. During theByzantine–Sasanian wars, Armenia was ultimatelypartitioned intoByzantine Armenia andSasanian Armenia.
With the eastwards expansion of theRoman Republic during theMithridatic Wars, the Kingdom of Armenia, under theArtaxiad dynasty, was made a Romanclient kingdom byPompey in 66–65 BC.[1] For the next 100 years, Armenia remained under Roman influence. Towards the middle of the 1st century AD, the rising Parthian influence disputed Roman supremacy, which was re-established by thecampaigns ofGnaeus Domitius Corbulo.[2]
This conflict ended after theBattle of Rhandeia, in an effective stalemate and a formal compromise: a Parthian prince of theArsacid line would henceforth sit on the Armenian throne, but his nomination had to be approved by the Roman emperor.[3]
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In 114, EmperorTrajan incorporated Armenia into the Empire, making it a fullRoman province.[4]
From Antioch the emperor (Trajan) marched to the Euphrates and farther northward as far as the most northerly legion-camp Satala in Lesser Armenia, whence he advanced into Armenia and took the direction of Artaxata ... Trajan was resolved to make this vassal-state a province, and a shift to eastern frontier of the (Roman) empire generally ... Armenia yielded to its fate and became a Roman governorship ... Trajan thereupon advanced and occupied Mesopotamia ... and, like Armenia, Mesopotamia became a Roman province.
In 113, Trajan invaded theParthian Empire because he wanted to reinstate a vassal king in Armenia (a few years before fallen under Parthian control). In 114, Trajan fromAntiochia inSyria marched on Armenia and conquered the capitalArtaxata. Trajan then deposed the Armenian kingParthamasiris and ordered the annexation of Armenia to the Roman Empire as a new province.
The new province reached the shores of theCaspian Sea and bordered to the north with theCaucasian Iberia andAlbania, two vassal states of Rome. As a Roman province Armenia was administered along withCappadocia byCatilius Severus of thegens Claudia.
TheRoman Senate issued coins on this occasion bearing the following inscription: ARMENIA ET MESOPOTAMIA IN POTESTATEM P.R. REDACTAE, thus solidifying Armenia's position as the newest Roman province. A rebellion by the Parthian pretenderSanatruces was put down, though sporadic resistance continued andVologases III of Parthia managed to secure an area of south-eastern Armenia just before Trajan's death in August 117.
After Trajan's death, his successorHadrian decided not to maintain the province of Armenia. In 118, Hadrian gave Armenia up, and installedParthamaspates as its king. Parthamaspates was soon defeated by the Parthians, and again fled to the Romans, who granted him the co-rule ofOsroene in westernGreater Armenia as a consolation.
Sohaemus was named king of Armenia by Roman emperorAntoninus Pius in 140. Just a few years later in 161, Armenia was lost again toVologases IV of Parthia. In 163, a Roman counter-attack underStatius Priscus defeated the Parthians in Armenia and reinstalled Sohaemus as the Romans' favored candidate on the Armenian throne.
Armenia was in frequent dispute between the two empires and their candidates for the Armenian throne, a situation which lasted until the emergence of a new power, theSasanians. Rome's power and influence increased over the years since, but Armenia retained its independence, even if only as a vassal state, although it was a Roman ally against theSasanian Empire. When Roman emperorSeptimius Severus sacked the Parthian capital ofCtesiphon, many Armenian soldiers were in his army. Later in the 4th century, they consisted of two Roman legions, theLegio I Armeniaca and theLegio II Armeniaca.[5]
In the second half of the 3rd century, the Sassanid capital ofCtesiphon and areas of southern Armenia were sacked by the Romans under EmperorCarus, and all Armenia, after half a century of Persian rule, was ceded toDiocletian in 299 as a vassal territory.[6]
In 363, a treaty was signed between theEast Roman andSassanid Persian empires, which divided Armenia between the two. The Persians retained the larger part of Armenia ("Persarmenia") while the Romans received a small part of Western Armenia.
Another treaty followed between 384 and 390, thePeace of Acilisene (usually dated c. 387), which established a definite line of division, running from a point just east of Karin (soon to be renamedTheodosiopolis) to another point southwest ofNisibis in Mesopotamia. The area under East Roman control thus increased, but still, about four fifths of the old Kingdom of Armenia remained under Persian rule.[7]
UnlikeArmenia Minor west of theEuphrates, which had been constituted into fullprovinces (Armenia I andArmenia II) under theDiocese of Pontus already in the time ofDiocletian, the new territories retained a varying level of autonomy.Armenia Maior, the northern half, was constituted as acivitas stipendaria under a civil governor titledcomes Armeniae, meaning that it retained internal autonomy, but was obliged to pay tribute and provide soldiers for the regularEast Roman army.[8][9]
UnderRoman rule, Melitene was the base camp ofLegio XIIFulminata. It was a major center inArmenia Minor (P'ok'r Hayk'), remaining so until the end of the 4th century. EmperorTheodosius I divided the region into two provinces: First Armenia (Hayk',Armenia Prima), with its capital at Sebasteia (modernSivas); and Second Armenia (Armenia Secunda), with its capital at Melitene.[10]
Thesatrapies in the south on the other hand, which had been under Roman influence already since 298, were a group of six fully autonomous principalities allied to the Empire (civitates foederatae):Ingilene,Sophene,Antzitene,Asthianene,Sophanene andBalabitene.[11] The local Armeniannakharar were fully sovereign in their territories, and were merely required to provide soldiers upon request and to dispatch a golden crown to the emperor, as a token of submission. In return, they received their royal insignia, including red shoes, from the emperor.[11][12]
The situation remained unchanged for near a century, until a large-scale revolt by the satraps in 485 against EmperorZeno (r. 474–491). In its aftermath, the satraps were stripped of their sovereignty and their rights of hereditary succession, being in effect reduced to the status of tax-paying and imperially-administeredcivitates stipendariae.[11][12]
EmperorJustinian I (r. 527–565) carried out a series of comprehensive administrative reforms. Already soon after his accession in 527, thedux Armeniae (responsible for Armenia Minor) and thecomes Armeniae were abolished, and the military forces of the Armenian territories were subordinated to a newmagister militum per Armeniam at Theodosiopolis.[13]
In 536, new reforms were enacted that abolished the autonomy of the trans-Euphrates territories and formed four new regular provinces.Armenia Interior was joined with parts ofPontus Polemoniacus andArmenia I to form a new province,Armenia I Magna, the oldArmenia I andArmenia II were re-divided intoArmenia II andArmenia III, and the old Satrapies formed the newArmenia IV province.[14] In 538, the Armenian nobles rose up against heavy taxation, but were defeated and forced to find refuge in Persia.[citation needed]
In 591, the treaty betweenKhosrow II andMaurice ceded most of Persarmenia to the Eastern Roman Empire.
The region was the focus of prolonged warfare in theByzantine–Sasanian War of 602–628. After the onset of theMuslim conquests and theArab conquest of Armenia, only the western parts of Armenia remained in Byzantine hands, forming part of thetheme ofArmeniakon. Armenia remained dominated by the Arabs thereafter, and was ruled by a succession of Caliphate-appointed emirs as well as local princes.
With the ebbing of the Caliphate's power and the fracturing of its outlying territories into autonomous statelets, the Byzantines were able to re-assert their influence over the Armenian principalities during the campaigns ofJohn Kourkouas in the early 10th century. In the first half of the 11th century, underBasil II and his successors, most of Armenia came under direct Byzantine control, which lasted until theBattle of Manzikert in 1071, when all Armenia fell to theSeljuks.
The influence ofChristianity was felt in the 1st century after Christ: Christianity was first introduced by theapostlesBartholomew andJude Thaddeus. Thus both Saints are considered thepatron saints of theArmenian Apostolic Church.
Apostle Bartholomew is said to have been executed inAlbanopolis in Armenia. According to popular hagiography, the apostle was flayed alive and beheaded. According to other accounts he was crucified upside down (head downward) likeSt. Peter. He is said to have been martyred for having converted Polymius, the king of Armenia, to Christianity. Enraged by the monarch's conversion, and fearing a Roman backlash, king Polymius's brother, prince Astyages, ordered Bartholomew's torture and execution, which Bartholomew courageously endured. However, there are no records of any Armenian King of theArsacid dynasty of Armenia with the name Polymius. Current scholarship indicates that Bartholomew more likely died in Kalyan in India, where there was an official named Polymius.[15][16]
Armenia became the first country to establish Christianity as itsstate religion when, in an event traditionally dated to 301,Gregory the Illuminator convincedTiridates III, the king of Armenia, toconvert to Christianity.
As a consequence ofDiocletian's victory over the Sassanids, all of Armenia was once again a vassal state of Rome by 299: Rome secured in this way a wide zone of cultural influence east ofAnatolia, which led to a wide diffusion ofSyriac Christianity from a center atNisibis in the first decades of the 4th century, and to the eventual full Christianization of Armenia.
Before this, the dominant religion in Armenia wasZoroastrianism (promoted by the Parthian/Sassanid Empire) and to a smaller degree localPaganism. St Gregory and his son Aristaces were successful in the full Christianization of all Armenians in the first half of the 4th century, mainly after Roman emperorConstantinelegalised Christianity in the Roman Empire in 313.
It is a well recognized historical fact that the Armenians were the first nation in the world to formally adhere to Christianity. This conversion was followed in the 4th and 5th centuries by a process of institutionalization and Armenization of Christianity in Armenia. Indeed, Gregory the Illuminator became the organizer of the Armenian Church hierarchy. From that time, the heads of the Armenian Church have been calledCatholicos and still hold the same title.
St. Gregory chose as the site of the "Catholicosate" the capital city ofVagharshapat (actual Ejmiatsin) in Armenia and built there theEtchmiadzin Cathedral as a vaulted basilica in 301-303 (Vahan Mamikonian, Roman governor of Armenia, in 480 ordered the dilapidated basilica to be replaced with a new cruciform church, still standing in the modernArmenia).
The continuous upheavals, which characterized the political scenes of Armenia in the next centuries, made the political power move to safer places often related to theEastern Roman Empire. The Church center moved as well to different locations together with the political authority, ending in ByzantineCilicia in the 13th century[17]
Ancient episcopal sees of the Roman province of Armenia III listed in theAnnuario Pontificio astitular sees:[18]
For ancient episcopal sees in the Roman provinces of Armenia I and Armenia II, seeLesser Armenia#Episcopal sees.
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