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Lesser Armenia (Armenian:Փոքր Հայք,romanized: P’ok’r Hayk’;[1]Latin:Armenia Minor;Ancient Greek:Mικρά Αρμενία,romanized: Mikrá Armenía[2]), also known asArmenia Minor andArmenia Inferior, is a region inWest Asia that comprised the Armenian-populated regions primarily to the west and northwest of the ancientKingdom of Armenia (also known as Kingdom of Greater Armenia), on the western side of theEuphrates River. It was also a kingdom, separate from Greater Armenia, from the 2nd century BC to the 1st century AD. The region was later reorganized into theArmeniac Theme under theByzantine Empire.
Lesser Armenia (or Armenia Minor) was the portion of historicArmenia and theArmenian Highlands lying west and northwest of the riverEuphrates.[2] It received its name to distinguish it from the much larger eastern portion of historic Armenia—Greater Armenia (or Armenia Major).
Lesser Armenia corresponded to the location of theLate Bronze AgeHayasa-Azzi confederation, which is thought by some scholars to be the source of the Armenian endonymhay and the original state of the Proto-Armenians.[3] It has been suggested that the epithet "lesser" indicates that this territory was the older homeland of the Armenian people, while "greater" Armenia referred to a territory that was later settled.[3][4]
Lesser Armenia may have formed a part of the territories of theOrontid dynasty, which ruled Armenia first as satraps of theAchaemenid Empire and then as kings.[5] However, there is no clear evidence to support this claim.[5] Lesser Armenia emerged as a separate kingdom after theTreaty of Apamea in 188 BC, although the exact origin, size and history of this kingdom are murky.[6] The capital of this kingdom was probably originally atKamakh, but likely moved toNicopolis after the end of theMithridatic Wars.[6] Lesser Armenia apparently experienced the high point of its territorial expansion during the Orontid period, possibly expanding its borders to theBlack Sea.[5] According toStrabo, it originally had its own royal dynasty.[7] It passed under the control of theKingdom of Pontus in the 1st century BC, during the reign ofMithridates VI Eupator (r. 120 – 63 BC), who built 75 fortresses there.[7] After theRomans defeated Pontus in theMithridatic Wars, Lesser Armenia became a client kingdom of Rome, who appointed various client kings to rule the kingdom.[7] The last of these wasAristobulus of Chalcis of theHerodian dynasty.[7] In 72 AD, Lesser Armenia was annexed by the Roman Empire and made a part of the larger province ofCappadocia.[8]
All of Armenia became aRoman province in AD 114 under Roman emperorTrajan, but Roman Armenia was soon after abandoned by the legions in 118 AD and became a vassal kingdom. Lesser Armenia, however, was generally incorporated by Trajan, together withMelitene andCataonia, into theprovince of Cappadocia. Lesser Armenia consisted of five districts:Orbalisene in the North; below thatAetulane;Aeretice; thenOrsene; and finallyOrbesine, the most southern. The more southern districts appended to Lesser Armenia were Meleiene, so called from its capital Melitene (modern Malatya) and the following four small districts of ancient Cataonia, namely,Aravene;Lavinianesine or Lavianesine; Cataonia, in the more restricted sense, or the country close uponCilicia surrounded by mountains; finally,Muriane or Murianune, between Cataonia and Melitene, called likewiseBagadoania.[9]
Lesser Armenia was reunited with the kingdom of Greater Armenia under the Arshakuni kingTiridates III in AD 287 until the temporary conquest ofShapur II in 337.[citation needed]
Then it was formed into a regular province underDiocletian, and in the 4th century, was divided in two provinces: First Armenia (Armenia Prima), which contained most of Lesser Armenia, and Second Armenia (Armenia Secunda) that comprised all the southern tracts which had been added to Lesser Armenia, with the exception of Cataonia, which was incorporated withCappadocia Secunda.[10]
Its population remained Armenian but was being gradually Romanized. Since the 3rd century many Armenian soldiers were in the Roman army: later–in the 4th century–they made up two Roman legions, theLegio I Armeniaca and theLegio II Armeniaca.[citation needed]
In 536, the emperorJustinian I reorganized the provincial administration, and First and Second Armenia were renamed Second and Third respectively, while some of their territory was split off to the other Armenian provinces.[citation needed]
The borders of the Byzantine part of Armenia were expanded in 591 into Persarmenia, but the region was the focus of decades of warfare between the Byzantines and the Persians (theByzantine-Sassanid Wars) until theArab conquest of Armenia in 639.
After this, the part of Lesser Armenia remaining under Byzantine control (in a lesser extent) became part of the theme ofArmeniakon.
After the downfall of Bagratid Armenia in 1045 and resulting subsequent losses of Byzantine Empire in the East after theBattle of Manzikert in 1073, Lesser Armenia fell to theSeljuks and then was part of theMongol Empire for 92 years and of theOttoman Empire from the late 15th century.
Between the 11th and 14th centuries, the term Lesser Armenia (sometimes called "Little Armenia") was applied to the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia, right until the formation ofTurkey in 1923.
Ancient episcopal sees of the Roman province ofArmenia Prima (I) listed in theAnnuario Pontificio astitular sees:[11]
Ancient episcopal sees of the Roman province ofArmenia Secunda (II) listed in theAnnuario Pontificio astitular sees:[11]
For ancient episcopal sees of the Roman province ofArmenia Tertia (III), seeRoman Armenia#Episcopal sees.
Lesser Armenia is traditionally considered as part ofWestern Armenia, especially after the acquisition ofEastern Armenia by theRussian Empire in the aftermath of theRusso-Persian War of 1826-1828.[12]
The Christian Armenian population of Lesser Armenia continued its existence in the area until theArmenian genocide of 1915–23. Some Armenians still live in the area, albeit converted toIslam under Ottoman influence, mainly in the 17th century.[citation needed]
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