T H E A R S A C I D D Y N A S T Y
THE FLAG OF THE ARSACID ARMENIA. UPON THE BLUE
BANNER TWO FLANKING GOLDEN EAGLES FACING THE SUN.
THE ARSACIDS OF BOTH ARMENIA AND PARTHIA WERE
DESCENDANTS OF THE RENOWNED ARMENIAN BAGRATID
HOUSE THAT ORIGINATED IN BAGREVAND PROVINCE OF
NORTH-CENTRAL ARMENIA. THE PATRON GOD OF THE BAGRATIDS [LIT.
GOD-GIVEN OR DIVINE RIGHT] WAS ARMENIAN HEATHEN GOD - TORK‘
ANGEŁ
[WHO WAS ALSO THE TUTELARY
GOD OF THE ORONTIDS FROM WHOM THE BAGRATIDS DESCENDED]. FOR THIS
REASON THE BAGRATIDS HELD THE EXCLUSIVE RIGHT AS CROWNERS
OF BOTH THE ARTAXIADS AND THE ARSACID MONARCHS.
Arshak I (34-35)
Mithridates the Usurper (35-37 and 47-51) [non-dynastic]
Trdat I (52-75) [official est. of Arsacid dynasty]
Sanatruk (75-110)
Ashkhadar (110-113)
Partamasir (113-114)
Vagharsh I (117-144)
Bakur II (161-163)
Vagharsh II (186-198)
Khosrov I (198-216)
Trdat II (217-252)
Khosrov II (279-287)
Trdat III the Great (287-330)
Khosrov III (330-338)
Tiran (338-350)
Arshak II (350-368)
Pap (369-374)
Varazdat (374-378)
Arshak III (378-389)
Khosrov IV co-rule (384-389)
Vramshapuh (389-417)
Artashes III (422-428)
G. FUSARO. KING ARSACES I THRUSTS HIS SPEAR INTO THE COLUMN SLAB.
KING TIRIDATES I SCORES A VICTORY AGAINST THE INVADERS.
THE COIN OF TIRIDATES I AND QUEEN. OBVERSE: BUST OF THE
KING WITH
THE ROYAL ARMENIAN CROWN. REVERSE: THE ARMENIAN QUEEN ENTHRONED. (52-68).
THE REMARKABLY PRESERVED FIRST CENTURY ROMAN
STATUE
OF THE FOUNDER OF THE ARSACID DYNASTY -
TIRIDATES I IN MITHRAIC CASUAL ROBES AS THE
GOOD SHEPHERD. NOTE THE STAFF AND THE SWORD. RULE
OF THE REAL BY DIVINE RIGHT THROUGH WISDOM AND STRENGTH.
THE REMARKABLE STATUE WAS RECENTLY DISPLAYED IN THE LOUVRE
IN PARIS IN MONTHS LONG SPECIAL EXHIBITION CALLED ARMENIA SACRA
DEDICATED TO THE MILLENNIA OLD HERITAGE OF ARMENIA.
STATUE OF TRDAT I [TIRIDATES] IN THE PARK AND GARDEN OF
THE CHÂTEAU OF VERSAILLES IN THE
SUBURBS OF PARIS.
THE ARMENIAN KING IS WEARING THE NATIONAL MITHRAIC GARB.
RHADAMISTUS STABS HIS WIFE ZENOBIA AFTER FLEEING THE
PURSUING SOLDIERS OF KING TIRIDATES I. PAINTING BY LUIGI SABATELLI.
RHADAMISTUS IN 51 TRIED TO SEIZE THE ARMENIAN THRONE BY
KILLING HIS USURPER UNCLE MITHRIDATES,
WHO HAD USURPED THE CROWN OF KING ARSACES I. HOWEVER, TIRIDATES I
WAS ABLE TO RALLY HIS FORCES AND ESTABLISHED THE ARSACID DYNASTY
THAT RULED ARMENIA FROM THE FIRST TO THE FIFTH CENTURY AD.
SHEPHERDS FIND THE BODY OF WOUNDED ZENOBIA ON THE BANKS OF RIVER
ARAXES. SHE WAS TAKEN TO THE COURT OF KING TIRIDATES I AND TREATED
WITH DIGNITY AND HONOR. PAINTING BY PAUL-JACQUES-AIMÉ-BAUDRY.
CA. 1848.
KING KHOSROV I TAKES CAPTIVES AFTER MILITARY VICTORIES IN
THE NORTH.
TRAITOR ANAK [WHO HAD ASSASSINATED KING KHOSROV I ON BEHALF OF
SASSANID
KING ARTAXERXES I] IS PURSUED AND EXECUTED BY THE ROYAL BODYGUARDS
OF KING KHOSROV I WHILE CROSSING THE TABER BRIDGE NEAR METSAMOR
IN THE ARARAT VALLEY. ANAK WAS ONE OF THE SURVIVING ARSACIDS
IN PARTHIA, WHO AFTER THE OVERTHROW OF THE ARSACID DYNASTY
THERE HAD AGREED TO ASSASSINATE KING KHOSROV I - WHO HAD TAKEN UPON
HIMSELF THE FIGHT TO RESTORE THE ARSACID DYNASTY TO THE THRONE OF
PARTHIA. KHOSROV I'S TREACHEROUS ASSASSINATION DID NOT STOP THE
ARMENIAN ARSACIDS FROM CONTINUING TO PURSUE THEIR GOAL OF SEEING THE
RESTORATION OF THEIR COUSINS ON THE PARTHIAN THRONE.
G R E A T E R A R M E N I A CIRCA 150 AD. AFTER ROMAN
INCURSIONS TO THE EAST
THE ONLY SURVIVING MITHRÆVM
IN GARNI FROM THE FIRST CENTURY AD.
ERECTED BY TIRIDATES I ARSACID DEDICATED TO THE ARMENIAN
PRIMORDIAL SUN GOD MITHRA-MIHR] [WHOSE WORSHIP GOES BACK TO AT
LEAST SECOND MILLENNIUM BC AND IS FOUND IN THE MITANNIAN
INSCRIPTIONS, WHILE THE HITTITE INSCRIPTIONS TELL US THAT
MITHRA WAS THE DEITY OF RECONCILIATION BETWEEN THE KINDRED
HITTITE AND HAYASAN [ARMENIAN] PEOPLES. IN FACT HITTITES WERE
SIMPLY AN EXTENSION OF PROTO-INDO-EUROPEAN SUPERETHNOS
FROM THE ORIGINAL HOMELAND IN ARMENIAN HIGHLAND.
SEVERAL SCHOLARS HAVE WRONGLY CLAIMED THAT ORIGINALLY MITHRA
[ALONG WITH ARMENIAN GODDESS ANAHID] WAS AN 'IRANIAN' DEITY.
THIS IS NOT CORRECT, BECAUSE IN THE AVESTA AND OTHER SACRED
ZOROASTRIAN TEXTS, ZOROASTER ACTUALLY 'DECRIES' MITHRA
AND ANAHIT [OR ANAHID] CALLING THEM "DEMONIC" AND "FOREIGN."
IT WAS MUCH LATER IN THE FOURTH CENTURY BC DURING THE REIGN
OF THE ACHAEMENIDS THAT MITHRA ALONG WITH ANAHIT [WHOSE EARLIEST
MENTION ONCE AGAIN IS FROM
ARMENIAN CUNEIFORM INSCRIPTIONS OF THE SECOND MILLENNIUM BC
AS THE NATIVE MATRON GODDESS OF ARMENIA]
WERE "IMPORTED" FROM ARMENIA AND WERE INSTITUTED IN THE
ZOROASTRIAN PANTHEON AND WORSHIPPED ALONG WITH
SUPREME AHURA-MAZDA [ONCE AGAIN SIMPLY THE IRANIAN
VERSION OF ARAMAZD]. TO UNDERSTAND AVESTA AND ITS SOURCE,
ONE HAS TO KNOW THAT ZOROASTER WAS BORN AND SPENT
MUCH OF HIS EARLY LIFE IN ARMENIA [PROBABLY SCHOOLED
IN THE RENOWNED WISDOM TEMPLES OF MUSASIR-ARDINI OR
ONE OF THE NEARBY TEMPLES IN THE ARMENIAN PROVINCE OF
AR-MINA OR AR-MANA - NEAR THE BANKS OF LAKE URMIA [KAPUTAN].
BEFORE THE COMPLETE DESTRUCTION OF THE TEMPLE OF
MUSASIR-ARDINI BY THE INVADING ASSYRIAN ARMIES
IN LATE EIGHTH CENTURY BC THE [C]HALDEAN-MITHRAIC
DOCTRINES WERE PRESERVED AND IN FACT SPREAD
ALL OVER THE WORLD, BY LATE ANTIQUITY MITHRAISM
WAS VIRTUALLY THE RELIGION OF THE STATE THROUGHOUT
THE ROMAN EMPIRE...
THE SACRED MITHRAIC [MEHIAN] SCRIPT BASED ON THE
CONSTELLATION OF
ORION [HAYK] ...BECAME THE BASIS OF THE NEW REVIVED ALPHABET OF
IMMORTAL SAINT MESROP MASHTOTS WHO INCORPORATED THE ANCESTRAL
COSMIC SIGNS INTO THE REVIVED NATIONAL ALPHABET.
JULIANO ZASSO (1833-1889). VAHAGN THE DRAGON-SLAYER AND THE
MILKY WAY.
ACCORDING TO χORENAC‘I
THE ARMENIAN TROUBADOURS OF GOŁT‘AN SANG
HEATHEN SONGS OF THE SKY GOD VAHAGN [BAAG - LIT. GOD] WHO WAS BORN FROM
THE UNION OF HEAVEN AND EARTH. VAHAGN'S GRAND TEMPLE [ALONG WITH
SUPREME GOD ARAMAZD, MOTHER GODDESS ANAHIT AND GODDESS ASTŁIK] WAS
IN THE CITY OF AŠTIŠAT IN TARON PROVINCE OF GREATER ARMENIA. ACCORDING
TO THE FOURTH CENTURY HISTORIAN AGATHANGELOS KING TIRIDATES III PRIOR
TO HIS CONVERSION TO CHRISTIANITY HONORED THE HEATHEN GODS AND MOST
NOTABLY SKY GOD VAHAGN WHOM HE ASKED FOR HIS BLESSING IN BRAVERY.
THE TEMPLES OF VAHAGN WERE GEOMETRICALLY ALIGNED WITH
THE CONSTELLATION OF HERCULES AND MIRRORED THE MILKY WAY.
ARMENIAN CATAPHRACT [HEAVILY ARMED AND HEAVILY ARMORED
CAVALRYMAN]
OF THIRD CENTURY AD. THE KNIGHTS OF THE MIDDLE AGES WERE IN
CONTINUATION OF THIS FINE TRADITION [BOTH GREEKS AND ROMAN ARMIES
LATER ON INCLUDED SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF CATAPHRACTS, MANY OF WHOM
WERE ARMENIAN AZAT KNIGHTS AND SEPUH NOBLES]. BY RENOWNED MILITARY
HISTORY ARTIST ANGUS MCBRIDE. NOTE THE FLAG-BEARER WITH THE STANDARD
VIŠAP [DRAGON] - ONE OF THE MILITARY SYMBOLS
OF ARMENIAN WARRIORS.
THE ARMENIAN MIGHT OF THE KINGDOM OF VAN-ARARAT IN THE FIRST
MILLENNIUM
BC SIMPLY CONTINUED THE TRADITION OF THE ARMENIAN KINGDOMS OF MITANNI
AND HAYASA AND THAT OF THE MOUNTED ARMORED HEAVY CAVALRY.
THE ARMENIAN CAVALRY DURING THE ORONTID DYNASTY STOOD AT SOME
50,000 CAVALIERS, WHICH AS THE SOURCES ACCOUNT WAS UNSURPASSED IN
STRENGTH AND NUMBER IN THE ANCIENT WORLD. HORSE-BREEDING AND CARE MANUALS
WERE ALREADY WRITTEN DOWN BY ARMENIANS IN THE SECOND MILLENNIUM BC.
THE FINE AND UNBROKEN TRADITION HAS CONTINUED ALL THE WAY TO
OUR OWN DAYS.
DURING THE REIGN OF THE KING OF KINGS TIGRAN THE GREAT OF THE
ARTAXIAD
DYNASTY, IN THE FIRST CENTURY BC, THE ARMENIAN ARMED FORCES CONSISTED OF
SOME 300,000 WARRIORS MADE UP OF THE INFANTRY, THE NAVY [CONTROLLING MOST
NOTABLY THE OUTLET PORTS OF THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN THROUGHOUT
THE SYRIAN-CILICIAN COASTLINE] AND MOST OF ALL THE ALL-IMPORTANT
CAVALRY MADE UP OF SOME 70,000 CAVALIERS [!] WITH THE CORE
MADE UP OF THE FOOT TO TOE - ALONG WITH THEIR HORSES -
ARMOR COVERED CATAPHRACTS. THE MIGHT OF THE ARMENIAN ARMY
DID NOT DIMINISH EVEN CENTURIES AFTER THE END OF REIGN OF THE KING OF
KINGS. THE PRIMARY SOURCES, INCLUDING GRECO-ROMAN ACCOUNTS STATE
THAT DURING THE REIGN OF THE LEGENDARY ARMENIAN KING PAP (369-374)
OF THE ARSACID DYNASTY THE ARMENIAN ARMY AGAIN CONSISTED
OF SOME
300,000 WARRIORS WHICH SERVED AS THE CRITICAL FACTOR IN THE OUTCOME
OF ANY BATTLE BETWEEN VARIOUS SUPERPOWERS, MOST NOTABLY THAT OF
ROME AND PARTHIA.
COUNT OTA INTRODUCES PRINCESS XOSROVIDUXT TO TIRIDATES III THE
GREAT.
1687 STATUE OF TRDAT III [TIRIDATES] BY ANDRÉ.
IN NORTHERN RAMP OF
THE PARK AND GARDEN OF THE CHÂTEAU OF
VERSAILLES.
THE ARMENIAN KING IS IN THE NATIONAL MITHRAIC DRESS.
KING OSROES [KHOSROV] III [THE SON AND SUCCESSOR OF TIRIDATES
III]
ORDERS MANATCHIR RŠTUNI TO SUBDUE THE
REBELLION OF THE VICEROY BAKUR OF AŁDZNIK‘
AND FORGE A BETTER UNION
THROUGHOUT THE KINGDOM OF GREATER ARMENIA.
JULIANO ZASSO (1833-1889). SMBAT BAGRATID 'CROWNS' MERUZHAN
ARTSRUNI WITH
A HEATED IRON ROD. IN 369 KING PAP RISES ON THE THRONE OF
THE KINGDOM OF ARMENIA AFTER SASSANID KING SHAPUH
TREACHEROUSLY IMPRISONS ARMENIAN KING ARSACES II WHO ALONG WITH
DUKE DRASTAMAT COMMITS SUICIDE IN THE DUNGEON OF ANHUSH CASTLE.
PRIOR TO PAP'S RISE TO THE THRONE, MERUZHAN ARTSRUNI WANTED TO CROWN
HIMSELF AS THE KING OF ARMENIA. SMBAT BAGRATID SUPPORTS THE ARSACID
SUCCESSOR AND SUBDUES THE REBELLION BY "CROWNING" MERUZHAN WITH A
HEATED ROD. THE ANIMOSITY BETWEEN THE BAGRATIDS AND ARTSRUNIS CONTINUED
FOR CENTURIES AFTERWARDS, EFFECTIVELY WEAKENING ALL OF ARMENIA AGAINST
FOREIGN INVADERS.
JULIANO ZASSO (1833-1889). KING VARAZDAT SLAYS THE FIVE RUFFIAN
LOMBARD
[LONGOBARDIAN] ATTACKERS. KING PAP WAS ONE OF THE MOST OUTSTANDING KINGS
OF GREATER ARMENIA WHO HAD TAKEN A SERIOUS EFFORT TO STRENGTHEN THE
MONARCHY. IN 374 PAP WAS POISONED DURING A FEAST ORGANIZED BY THE ROMAN
EMPEROR IN AN UNENDING SAGA OF COURT INTRIGUES
JULIANO ZASSO (1833-1889). MUŠEŁ
MAMIKONEAN IS TREACHEROUSLY KILLED
DURING A FEAST. SPARAPET [SUPREME COMMANDER OF ALL ROYAL ARMIES -
MAMIKONEAN NOBILITY HELD THE EXCLUSIVE TITLE FOR MANY CENTURIES]
MUŠEŁ WAS WRONGLY ACCUSED OF DISLOYALTY TO THE CROWN AND KING
VARAZDAT HAD HIM ARRESTED AND KILLED AFTER LISTENING TO THE FALSE
RUMORS SPREAD BY MUŠEŁ'S COUNCILOR - BAT SAHARUNI.
KING OSROES IV IS ARRESTED BY PRINCE ARTAXERXES AFTER THE
LATTER'S
"GOODWILL" INVITATION TO THE SASSANID ROYAL COURT. ARTAXERXES ACCUSED
THE ARSACID KING IN PLANNING AN ATTACK ON THE SASSANIDS.
NAXARARS ŠAVARŠ
KAMSARAKAN AND PARGEV AMATUNI TRIED TO FREE KING OSROES
BY ATTACKING THE SASSANID CONVOY, BUT FAILED TO DO SO.
ŠAVARŠ
FELL ON THE
BATTLEFIELD ALONG WITH PARGEV AMATUNI'S SON. PARGEV WAS CAPTURED, KILLED
AND MADE INTO A HUMAN EFFIGY WHICH ARTAXERXES PLACED IN FRONT OF THE
DECEITFULLY IMPRISONED KING OSROES IN THE ANHUSH CASTLE.
JULIANO ZASSO (1833-1889). ATOM MOKAC‘I
MOCKS PRINCE SHAPUR.
AFTER THE IGNOBLE CAPTURE AND DEATH OF KING OSROES IV ARSACID,
THE SASSANID SHAH IZDIGERDES I TRIED TO PLACE HIS OWN SON SHAPUR ON THE
ARMENIAN THRONE. TO NO AVAIL. THE ARMENIAN NAXARARS FLATLY REJECTED
THE NON-DYNASTIC KING [SINCE ALL ARMENIAN DYNASTIES STARTING FROM AT
LEAST THE ARAMIAN DYNASTY OF THE KINGDOM OF VAN WERE INTER-RELATED
MOST NOTABLY THROUGH THE ORONTID-BAGRATID BLOODLINE WITH DYNASTIES
LIKE THE ARSACIDS, ARTAXIADS AND THE RUBENIDS SIMPLY BEING OFF-SHOOTS
OF THIS LINEAGE]. THE ABOVE PAINTING IS FROM THE EPISODE DESCRIBED BY
χORĒNAC‘I
WHEN DURING THE ROYAL HUNT THE STEWARTS HAD SET ABLAZE
TO SEVERAL TREES IN ORDER FOR THE GAME TO COME OUT FROM THE FOREST -
THE FIRE CAME CLOSE TO THE HUNTING PARTY AND PRINCE SHAPUR PANICKED
WHEREUPON NAXARAR ATOM MOKAC‘I MOCKED SHAPUR AND
SAID THAT
HIS BEHAVIOR WAS NOT WORTHY OF A KING. SOON AFTER SHAPUR RETURNED
TO HIS FATHER'S COURT RATHER DISGRACED HAVING REALED
THAT THE ARMENIAN NOBLES WOULD NEVER
ACCEPT ANYONE WHO DID NOT HOLD THE 'DIVINE RIGHT' FROM A
LINEAGE THAT STRETCHED BACK SEVERAL MILLENNIA.
