Artaxata
Location | South of the modern town of Artashat, Ararat Province, Armenia |
---|---|
Coordinates | 39°53′06″N 44°34′35″E / 39.88500°N 44.57639°E |
History | |
Builder | King Artaxias I |
Founded | 176 BC[1] |
Abandoned | 7th century |
Artashat (
Name
The name of the city is of Iranian origin. Artaxata/Artashat can be interpreted as meaning "the joy of Arta (truth),"[1] although it is actually a shortening of Artaxšas-šāt, meaning "the joy of Artaxias," as reflected in the alternative Greek form Artaxiasata.[3][4] Artaxata was named after its founder, Artaxias I, just as the cities of Arshamashat, Eruandashat, and Zarishat were named after their respective founders (see also: -shat).[5] It was briefly renamed Neroneia in the first century AD after it was rebuilt by Tiridates I of Armenia with the help of the Roman emperor Nero.[1] Artaxata was also known as Ostan Hayotsʻ, meaning "court/seat of the Armenians," which was also the name of the canton in which it was located.[1]
History
Antiquity
King Artaxias I founded Artaxata as his new capital in 176 BC in the Ostan Hayotsʻ canton of the province of
Artaxias I built Artaxata's
Wars against Romans and Persians
During the reign of Tigranes II, the Armenian kingdom was expanded to include many territories to the south and west, ultimately reaching the Mediterranean Sea. Due to the remoteness of Artaxata within the expanded empire, Tigranes built a new capital called Tigranocerta in the region of Arzanene. However, in 69 BC, the Roman general Lucullus invaded Armenia, defeated Tigranes' forces in the outskirts of Tigranocerta and sacked the new capital. As the harassed Roman forces continued to move northeast in pursuit of the Armenian king, a second prominent battle took place, this time near Artaxata where, according to Roman sources, Tigranes II was defeated once again, although Lucullus was forced to turn back to Mesopotamia by the threat of mutiny and never took the city.[10] Artaxata successfully withstood an assault by the Parthians allied with Tigranes's son, but then faced another attack by Pompey.[10] In order to save Artaxata, Tigranes submitted to the Romans and gave up most of the territories which he had conquered.[10]
The city remained a hotly contested military target for the next two centuries.
The Roman emperor Trajan conquered Armenia in 115/6 AD and briefly made it a Roman province.[13] The Romans established a garrison at Artaxata during this time, as has been proved by the discovery of Latin inscription there mentioning Trajan.[1][13] After his death, the Romans led by Statius Priscus invaded Armenia and destroyed Artaxata in 163/64 AD.[14] After this, Artaxata was replaced by Vagharshapat as the capital of Armenia, at least temporarily.[1] In the mid-3rd century, during the reign of Khosrov III the Small, the royal court was moved to Duin.[6] In the late 360s, Artaxata was thoroughly destroyed by the invading army of Sasanian king Shapur II, along with the other cities of Armenia.[1][15] Following the partition of Armenia between Sasanian Iran and the Eastern Roman Empire, Artaxata became one of three authorized points for trade between the two empires.[1]
In 449, prior to the Armenian rebellion of 450–451, the political and religious leaders of Christian Armenia convened a council at Artaxata to discuss the threats of the Sasanian king Yazdegerd II. During the rebellion, the city was destroyed again by pro-Sasanian Armenian forces.[1] With the rise in prominence of Duin as the capital and chief city of Armenia, Artaxata rapidly declined.[1] The changing courses of the Araks and Mestamor rivers and consequent flooding probably led to the settlement's final abandonment.[1][6]
The exact location of ancient Artaxata was identified during the 1920s, with archaeological excavations beginning in 1970. The archaeological site is 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) south of the modern city of Artashat, near the monastery of Khor Virap.
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Hewsen 1986.
- ^ Strabo, Geography, 11.14.6.
- ^ Chaumont 1986.
- ^ a b c d e Garsoïan 1997b, p. 49.
- ^ Garsoïan 1997b, p. 50.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Tiratsʻyan 1976.
- ^ a b Movses Khorenatsʻi 1997, p. 164, 2.49.
- ^ Plutarch, Life of Lucullus, 31.3-4: "It is said that Hannibal the Carthaginian, after Antiochus had been conquered by the Romans, left him and went to Artaxias the Armenian, to whom he gave many excellent suggestions and instructions. For instance, observing that a section of the country which had the greatest natural advantages and attractions was lying idle and neglected, he drew up a plan for a city there, and then brought Artaxias to the place and showed him its possibilities, and urged him to undertake the building. The king was delighted, and begged Hannibal to superintend the work himself, whereupon a very great and beautiful city arose there, which was named after the king, and proclaimed the capital of Armenia".
- ^ Bournoutian 2003, p. 29.
- ^ a b c Garsoïan 1997b, pp. 58–59.
- ^ Garsoïan 1997b, p. 60.
- ^ Garsoïan 1997a, p. 68.
- ^ a b Garsoïan 1997a, p. 69.
- ^ Garsoïan 1997a, p. 70.
- ^ Garsoïan 1997a, p. 90.
Bibliography
- ISBN 1-56859-141-1.
- Chaumont, M. L. (1986). "Armenia and Iran ii. The pre-Islamic period". In ISBN 978-0-71009-104-8.
- ISBN 0-312-10169-4.
- ISBN 0-312-10169-4.
- ISBN 978-0-71009-106-2.
- Movses Khorenatsʻi (1997). Hayotsʻ Patmutʻyun (PDF) (in Armenian). Translation and commentary by Stepʻan Malkhasyantsʻ. Erevan: "Hayastan" Hratarakchʻutʻyun.
- Plutarch (1914). "The Life of Lucullus". Plutarch, Lives, Volume II. Loeb Classical Library. Translated by Perrin, Bernadotte.
- Strabo (1924). Jones, H. L. (ed.). The Geography of Strabo. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press.
- Tiratsʻyan, G. (1976). "Artashat". In Hambardzumyan, Viktor (ed.). Soviet Armenian Encyclopedia (in Armenian). Vol. 2. Erevan. pp. 135–136.)
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Further reading
- Dan, Roberto (2019). "Between Urartian and Achaemenid Architectural Traditions: Considerations on the So-Called 'Urartian Wall' of Artašat". Iranica Antiqua. 54: 1–16. .
- Lichtenberger, Achim; Schreiber, Torben; Zardaryan, Mkrtich H. (2021). "First Results and Perspectives of a New Archaeological Project in the Armenian Capital Artaxata: From Artashes-Artaxias I to Roman Imperialism". Electrum. 28: 245–276. S2CID 237975724.
- Lichtenberger, Achim; Meyer, Cornelius; Schreiber, Torben; Zardaryan, Mkrtich H. (2022). "Magnetic Prospection in the Eastern Lower City of Artashat-Artaxata in the Ararat Plain of Armenia". Electrum. 29: 109–125. S2CID 253168848.
- Schreiber, Torben (2021). "The Archives of Artaxata: Archival Practice in the Capital of Ancient Armenia". Electrum. 28: 277–310. S2CID 240679127.