Antiquities

The Rise of Roman and Armenian Power in the Ancient World

In 190 BC, the Roman legions crossed into Asia Minor and decisively defeated the Seleucid king Antiochus III near the city of Magnesia. This victory marked the beginning of Roman expansion in the East. Unlike the Greek world, which had long been familiar to the East, the Roman presence was entirely new. The Macedonian conquest, led by Alexander the Great, was swift and culturally impactful, whereas the Roman expansion was gradual and more modest in its cultural influence.

During the 2nd and 1st centuries BC, the Roman Republic aggressively pursued conquests in both the West and the East. The Macedonian Kingdom, after its defeat, acknowledged its dependence on Rome. Carthage was destroyed, and Corinth was razed. By 133-129 BC, the Kingdom of Pergamon was annexed and transformed into Rome’s first province in Asia Minor, known as the “province of Asia.” The number of Roman acquisitions continued to grow.

The inevitable clash between Armenia and Rome occurred in the early 60s of the 1st century BC. Before this, the commanders of Antiochus III, Artashes-Artaxias, and Zareh-Zariadr, who had previously ruled on behalf of the Seleucids, declared themselves kings and gained independence with Roman support.

Gathering of Armenian Lands

The renowned Greek geographer Strabo, who lived at the turn of the old and new eras, provides crucial information about Armenia during the Hellenistic period. He notes that Armenia, once a small country, expanded significantly due to the wars led by Artaxias and Zariadra. Artashes (189-160 BC), one of the greatest figures in Armenian history, played a leading role in these events.

Artashes’ military campaigns focused on regions within the Armenian Highlands with Armenian populations. He acted not as a conqueror but as a gatherer of Armenian lands. Artashes I marked his rise to power and the establishment of new Armenian statehood by founding a new capital, Artashat (Joy of Artashes), known as Artaxata in ancient texts.

Strabo’s “Geography” provides essential evidence that the population under the Armenian king’s rule was monolingual, all speaking a single Armenian language. This indicates that the process of nation-formation was either complete or nearing completion during Artashes’ time. Under his rule, Armenia, encompassing almost the entire Armenian Highland, was a country with a compact Armenian population, unified authority, and political borders corresponding to ethnic ones. Artashes also implemented significant internal reforms, including the first land reform in Armenian history, separating private and communal land, and establishing the cult of royal ancestors.