The Rivalry Between Tigran the Great and the Roman Empire

The pre-Christian Armenian history reached us mainly from outside sources. According to them, the majority of data about the ancient history of Armenia was destroyed by the followers of Christianity after its adoption as a state religion in Armenia.

Contradictorily, it is known from the same external sources that the traces of Armenian history were mostly destroyed by Alexander the Great. Further, the history of Armenia was also destroyed or falsified by Roman and Byzantine Empires.

My opinion is that many documents were destroyed not by the followers of the Christianity in Armenia but by the adherents of the imperial policy of the Roman and Byzantine states. We can observe the same situation in later periods, for example, during the Ottoman Empire, the Russian and Soviet empires. But this is a separate topic.

Modern scientists and specialists have to reconstruct the meager information on the ancient history of Armenia that has survived to the present day. One such specialist is American historian, Professor George Bournoutian.

Professor Bournoutian gave a fascinating lecture at the National Association of Armenian Studies and Research Center regarding the rise of Tigran the Great and his rivalry with the Roman Empire.

Tigran II, more commonly known as Tigran the Great (140 – 55 BC), was King of Armenia under whom the country became, for a short time, the strongest state to Rome’s east.

Tigran the Great & Rome Part 1

Tigran the Great & Rome Part 2

Tigran the Great & Rome Part 3

Tigran the Great & Rome Part 4

Tigran the Great & Rome Part 5

Tigran the Great & Rome Part 6

Tigran the Great & Rome Part 7