The Historians' History of the World 08

34 In revenge Antony proceeds against Artavasdes and captures him. His son Artaxias II is placed on the throne. He is defeated by the Romans and flees to Parthia. He soon recovers the throne and massacres all the Romans in Armenia.

20 The discontented Armenians complain to Augustus about Artaxias and ask that his brother Tigranes, then at Rome, be made their king. Tiberius Nero is sent after Artaxias, who is murdered by his relatives, and Tigranes II (III) is crowned by Tiberius. After a short reign Tigranes is succeeded by his son Tigranes III (IV). The land is full of civil discord.

6 Augustus places Tigranes’ brother Artavasdes II on the Armenian throne.

5 Tigranes recovers his kingdom. Both kings seem to rule simultaneously. They are finally driven out.

2 Ariobazanes or, according to some historians, Tigranes IV (V) is placed by Augustus on the disputed throne. He may have been a Mede or perhaps an Armenian exile.

A.D.

2 Death of Ariobazanes. Erato, probably widow of Tigranes III (IV), succeeds.

4 According to Armenian historians a son of Ariobazanes (Artavasdes III) takes the throne from Erato, but she regains it in a few months. After Erato’s death or deposition (date uncertain) and a short interregnum,

16 Vonones the exiled monarch of Parthia is chosen king, but Tiberius persuades him to retire to Syria.

18 Artaxias III chosen king after a short interregnum. He is succeeded by (date unknown) Arsaces I, placed on the throne by his father Artabanus III of Parthia.

35 Death of Arsaces through treachery of Mithridates, brother of Pharasmanes king of Iberia. Mithridates invades Armenia, and Tiberius gives him the throne. Caligula summons him to Rome, imprisons him, but restores him about 47.

52 Mithridates slain by his nephew Rhadamistus of Iberia.

54 Vologases I of Parthia expels Rhadamistus and makes his own brother Tiridates I king.

58 Corbulo drives out Tiridates I and puts Tigranes V (VI) Herodes the Cappadocian on the throne.

61 Vologases crowns Tiridates king of Armenia and proceeds against Tigranes.

66 Tiridates goes to Rome to receive the crown as a gift from Nero. Meanwhile, Erorant, of the younger Arsacid branch, has established himself, about 58, over a large portion of Armenia. He is the contemporary of Tiridates, and after the latter’s death, probably rules the whole country. He cedes Edessa and Mesopotamia to the Romans.

78 Exeardes, son of Pacorus II of Parthia, is appointed to the throne. He is several times driven out, but always manages to recover his throne.

112 Osroes, brother of Mithridates VI of Parthia, expels Exeardes and makes Parthamasiris, another son of Pacorus, king, for which act Trajan invades Armenia. Parthamasiris is humbled.

117 Trajan appoints Parthamaspates, son of Oroes, king. He is expelled, and recovers the kingdom from Hadrian. He is succeeded by his son, Achæmenides, and he in turn by Soemus or Sohæmus.

162 Vologases III of Parthia expels Sohæmus, who is friendly to Rome, and makes Pacorus king.

163 or 164 Sohæmus restored by the Romans, and is succeeded (date unknown) by his son, Sanatruces or Sanadrug, who is established on the throne by Septimius Severus.

212 Caracalla seizes Sanatruces.

Armenian historians speak of a Chosroes I, the Great, who rules about this time, but the Romans do not mention him. Sanatruces seems to have been followed by Vologases, his son, and he in turn by his son Tiridates II, who escapes from the Romans to Vologases V of Parthia, about 227. His successor is Arsaces II, brother of Artabanus IV of Parthia. He wars against Ardashir, the Sassanid.

258 Sapor I of Persia puts Artavasdes III on the Armenian throne.

285 About this date Tiridates III, the rightful heir of the throne and a Christian, is established by Diocletian. Narseh expels him after a few years, and this brings on a war between Persia and Rome. Tiridates is restored.

341 Probably at this date Arsaces III ascends the throne, after his father, Tiridates III, has been imprisoned by Sapor II of Persia. He assists Sapor in his wars with Rome, and then allies himself with Rome.

363 Arsaces deserts the Romans in the siege of Ctesiphon. He is seized by Sapor, and imprisoned. Sapor puts Aspacures on the throne, but Para, son of Arsaces, is also acknowledged king, with the help of the Romans.

374 or 377 Valens, dissatisfied with Para, has him put to death. Para’s nephew, Arsaces IV, succeeds, together with a brother, Valarsaces II, who dies soon. Arsaces proves so weak a ruler that Theodosius the Great and Sapor III decide to divide the kingdom.