Olympias of Armenia
Olympias[1] (Greek: Ὀλυμπιάς, flourished 4th century, died 361)[2] also known as Olympia,[3] sometimes known as Olympias the Elder[4] to distinguish her from her niece of the same name[5] was a Christian Roman noblewoman, and a queen of Armenia by marriage to king Arsaces II (Arshak II). Through her father, Olympias was connected to the Constantinian dynasty and through marriage was related to the Arsacid dynasty of Armenia.
Family and early life
Olympias was a
Constantinian dynasty
As Olympias’ father had acquired great influence over the Roman emperor Constantine I who seem to be attached to the emperor.[14] Shortly before the death of Constantine I, the emperor along with Ablabius had arranged for Olympias to be engaged to Constans one of the sons of the emperor.[15] When Constantine I died in May 337, he was succeeded by his sons and among them was Constans. In 338, due to her father's fall out with Constans’ brother Constantius II and his execution, Constans never married Olympias.[16] For as long as Constans lived, Constans took care of Olympias and they had lived together as if Olympias was the wife of Constans.[17] In 350 when Constans died, Olympias still lived in Constantinople with the remaining relatives of Constans.
Queen of Armenia
The Roman Client King of
Olympias is considered as the first known wife of Arsaces II. Saint Athanasius of Alexandria in a letter addressed to the Anchorites, reproaches Constantius II for marrying Olympias to Arsaces II.[25][26] Athanasius reproaches Constantius II, for having an educated woman like Olympias destined to be a wife of an emperor exalted to the dignity of a barbarian (foreign) king.[27][28]
When Olympias arrived in Armenia with St. Nerses I, Olympias was married to Arsaces II. Although Olympias had no children with Arsaces II, they appeared to have a happy marriage, as Arsaces II loved Olympias.[29] The Romans considered Olympias as the legitimate wife of Arsaces II as this Queen consort, maintained her influence on her husband. Arsaces II was faithful to the Roman and Christian alliance[30] and Olympias would have become a very powerful, wealthy and influential woman in Armenian society.
Pharantzem
As Constantius II died in 361,
Pharantzem had a grudge and had a great envy against Olympias, in which Arsaces II loved Olympias more than Pharantzem.[36] Arsaces II loved Pharantzem to a degree but Pharantzem loathed Arsaces II saying, “Physically, he is hairy, and his color is dark”.[37] After the birth of her son, Pharantzem plotted to kill Olympias through poison. Pharantzem had arranged for Olympias to be poisoned in 361[38] administered to her in the Holy Sacrament of communion by a priest[39] from the royal court. Olympias was extremely careful in where she accepted matters of food and drink from as she only accepted food and drink offered to her from her maids.[40] Olympias was poisoned through communion.
The death of Olympias, was one of the reasons that the church was totally alienated from the royal court of Arsaces II and
References
- ^ Nordgren, The Well Spring Of The Goths: About The Gothic Peoples in The Nordic Countries And On The Continent, p.385
- ^ Hovannisian, The Armenian People From Ancient to Modern Times, Volume I: The Dynastic Periods: From Antiquity to the Fourteenth Century, p.89
- ^ Kurkjian, A History of Armenia, p.103
- ^ Smith, A Dictionary of Christian Biography, Literature, Sects and Doctrines N to S Part Seven, p.73
- ^ Moret, Sertorius, Libanios, iconographie: a propos de Sertorius, journée d'étude, Toulouse, 7 avril 2000 [suivi de] autour de Libanios, culture et société dans l'antiquité tardive : actes de la table ronde, Avignon, 27 avril 2000, p.207
- ^ Hovannisian, The Armenian People From Ancient to Modern Times, Volume I: The Dynastic Periods: From Antiquity to the Fourteenth Century, p.89
- ^ Jones, The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire: Volume 1, AD 260-395, Parts 260-395, p.p.3-4
- ^ Moret, Sertorius, Libanios, iconographie: a propos de Sertorius, journée d'étude, Toulouse, 7 avril 2000 [suivi de] autour de Libanios, culture et société dans l'antiquité tardive : actes de la table ronde, Avignon, 27 avril 2000, p.207
- ^ Eunapius, The Life of Philosophers and Sophists, Book VI. Three. 1-7
- ^ Jones, The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire: Volume 1, AD 260-395, Parts 260-395, p.p.3-4
- ^ Salzman, The Making of a Christian Aristocracy: Social and Religious Change in the Western Roman Empire, p.100
- ^ Moret, Sertorius, Libanios, iconographie: a propos de Sertorius, journée d'étude, Toulouse, 7 avril 2000 [suivi de] autour de Libanios, culture et société dans l'antiquité tardive : actes de la table ronde, Avignon, 27 avril 2000, p.207
- ^ Millar, The Roman Near East, 31 B.C.-A.D. 337, p.210
- ^ Salzman, The Making of a Christian Aristocracy: Social and Religious Change in the Western Roman Empire, p.302
- ^ De Imperatoribus Romanis - An Online Encyclopedia of Roman Emperors: Constans I (337-350 A.D.)
- ^ Smith, A Dictionary of Christian Biography, Literature, Sects and Doctrines N to S Part Seven, p.73
- ^ Smith, A Dictionary of Christian Biography, Literature, Sects and Doctrines N to S Part Seven, p.73
- ^ Hovannisian, The Armenian People From Ancient to Modern Times, Volume I: The Dynastic Periods: From Antiquity to the Fourteenth Century, p.89
- ^ Kurkjian, A History of Armenia, p.103
- ^ Nordgren, The Well Spring Of The Goths: About The Gothic Peoples in The Nordic Countries And On The Continent, p.385
- ^ Hovannisian, The Armenian People From Ancient to Modern Times, Volume I: The Dynastic Periods: From Antiquity to the Fourteenth Century, p.89
- ^ Hovannisian, The Armenian People From Ancient to Modern Times, Volume I: The Dynastic Periods: From Antiquity to the Fourteenth Century, p.89
- ^ Hovannisian, The Armenian People From Ancient to Modern Times, Volume I: The Dynastic Periods: From Antiquity to the Fourteenth Century, p.89
- ^ Hovannisian, The Armenian People From Ancient to Modern Times, Volume I: The Dynastic Periods: From Antiquity to the Fourteenth Century, p.89
- ^ Kurkjian, A History of Armenia, p.103
- ^ Gibbon, The Decline And Fall Of The Roman Empire, Volume 2, p.516
- ^ Gibbon, The Decline And Fall Of The Roman Empire, Volume 2, p.516
- ^ Kurkjian, A History of Armenia, p.103
- ^ Faustus of Byzantium, History of the Armenians, Book IV, Chapter 15
- ^ Gibbon, The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire
- ^ Gibbon, The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire
- ^ Hovannisian, The Armenian People From Ancient to Modern Times, Volume I: The Dynastic Periods: From Antiquity to the Fourteenth Century, p.89
- ^ Faustus of Byzantium, History of the Armenians, Book IV, Chapter 15
- ^ Hovannisian, The Armenian People From Ancient to Modern Times, Volume I: The Dynastic Periods: From Antiquity to the Fourteenth Century, p.89
- ^ Faustus of Byzantium, History of the Armenians, Book IV, Chapter 15
- ^ Faustus of Byzantium, History of the Armenians, Book IV, Chapter 15
- ^ Faustus of Byzantium, History of the Armenians, Book IV, Chapter 15
- ^ Hovannisian, The Armenian People From Ancient to Modern Times, Volume I: The Dynastic Periods: From Antiquity to the Fourteenth Century, p.89
- ^ Kurkjian, A History of Armenia, p.105
- ^ Faustus of Byzantium, History of the Armenians, Book IV, Chapter 15
- ^ Hovannisian, The Armenian People From Ancient to Modern Times, Volume I: The Dynastic Periods: From Antiquity to the Fourteenth Century, p.89
- ^ Gibbon, The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire
Sources
- Faustus of Byzantium, History of the Armenians, 5th Century
- De Imperatoribus Romanis - An Online Encyclopedia of Roman Emperors: Constans I (337-350 A.D.)
- A.H.M. Jones, J.R. Martindale & J. Morris, The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire: Volume 1, AD 260–395, Parts 260–395, Cambridge University Press, 1971
- F. Millar, The Roman Near East, 31 B.C.-A.D. 337, Harvard University Press, 1993
- M.R. Salzman, The Making of a Christian Aristocracy: Social and Religious Change in the Western Roman Empire, Harvard University Press, 2002
- P. Moret & B. Cabouret, Sertorius, Libanios, iconographie: a propos de Sertorius, journée d'étude, Toulouse, 7 avril 2000 [suivi de] autour de Libanios, culture et société dans l'antiquité tardive : actes de la table ronde, Avignon, 27 avril 2000, Presses Univ. du Mirail, 2003
- R.G. Hovannisian, The Armenian People From Ancient to Modern Times, Volume I: The Dynastic Periods: From Antiquity to the Fourteenth Century, Palgrave Macmillan, 2004
- I. Nordgren, The Well Spring Of The Goths: About The Gothic Peoples in The Nordic Countries And On The Continent, iUniverse, 2004
- W. Smith & H. Wace, A Dictionary of Christian Biography, Literature, Sects and Doctrines N to S Part Seven, Kessinger Publishing, 2004
- E. Gibbon & J.B. Bury, The Decline And Fall Of the Roman Empire, Volume 2, Wildside Press LLC, 2004
- V.M. Kurkjian, A History of Armenia, Indo-European Publishing, 2008
- E. Gibbon, The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (Google eBook), MobileReference, 2009