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THE FLAG OF THE MAMIKONEAN HOUSE - ONE OF THE MOST
PROMINENT NAXARARDOMS OF ARMENIA. UPON A RED BANNER - A
WHITE DOUBLE HEADED EAGLE WITH SPIRALING WINGS
[SPINNING RIGHT AND LEFT...] CLUTCHING A LAMB. AN ALTERNATIVE
FLAG ALSO USED BY THE MAMIKONEAN HOUSE FEATURED SAME HERALDRY
EXCEPT THE COLORS WERE INVERTED
[WHITE BANNER AND RED EAGLE AND LAMB]. AN EARLIER BANNER OF
THE MAMIKONEAN HOUSE FEATURED AN EAGLE CLUTCHING A BOW
[AGAIN SAME COLORS - RED BANNER AND WHITE EAGLE]

THE GAHNAMAK ACCORDING TO -- THE VTH CENTURY
FATHER OF ARMENIAN HISTORY -- M. XORĒNAC‛I

1. Bagratids
2. Vanandatsis
3. Gntunis
4. Khorkhorunis
5. Varazhnunis
6. Gabeghians
7. Abeghians
8. Artsrunids
9. Gnunis
10. Spandunis
11. Havnunis
12. Dziwnakans
13. Muratsians
14. Sisakians
15. Kadmeans
16. Uteans
17. Gardmans
18. Tsavdeans
19. Gargaratsis
20. Gushars
21. Ashotseans
22. Gugars [Viceroys]
23. Vordunis
24. Angełs
25. Sophens
26. Apahuniner
27. Manavazians
28. Bznunis
29. Slkunis
30. Mandakunis
31. Vahunis
32. Aravenians
33. Zarehavanians
34. Shavarshians
35. Mokians
36. Kordeans
37. Andzevatsis
38. Akeans
39. Rshtunis
40. Gołtans
41. Hashteans
42. Artashamians
43. Aghiovitians
44. Arberians
45. Alznis [Viceroys]
46. Dimaksians
47. Trunis
48. Amatunis
49. Aravełians
50. Ropsians
51. Vchenits
52. Mamikoneans
53. Kamsarakans
54. Mardpetunis
55. Andzits
56. Khadunis
57. Khordzenits
58. Chichraketsis
59. Gełamians
60. Sharayans
61. Kananatsis
62. Tashirs

THE FIFTH CENTURY - FATHER OF ARMENIAN HISTORY - MOWSĒS OF XORĒN [410-494]
WHO COMPLETED HIS GREAT WORK - HISTORY OF ARMENIA - UNDER THE
PATRONAGE OF PRINCE SAHAK BAGRATID [RULER OF GREATER ARMENIA FROM 482].

ANSWER TO YAZDEGERD II. 1967 PAINTING BY EDWARD A. ISABEKYAN. A PERIOD
FROM THE VARDANANC‘ WARS [451] WHICH RESULTED IN THE BATTLE OF AVARAYR.
THE ARMENIANS AND IRANIANS WERE BLOOD BROTHERS AND AS SUCH COUNTLESS
ARMENIAN NOBLES SPOKE OF THE NEED TO MAINTAIN AN ALLIED STANCE WITH
SASSANID IRAN. TO NO AVAIL, THE RELIGIOUS PASSION AND CHURCH POLITICS.

BATTLE OF AVARAYR 1957 PAINTING BY EDWARD A. ISABEKYAN.

THE EARLY FLAG OF THE MAMIKONEAN HOUSE.
RED BANNER WITH WHITE EAGLE CLUTCHING A BOW.
THE DESCRIPTION OF THE FLAG WAS GIVEN BY
THE FIFTH CENTURY ARMENIAN HISTORIAN PAWSTOS BUZAND
WHO NOTED THE BANNER BEING FLOWN DURING THE BATTLE
OF AVARAYR BY THE FLAG BEARER OF MAMIKONEAN CAVALRY.

JULIANO ZASSO (1833-1889). ARŠAVIR KAMSARAKAN PLEADS WITH VARDAN
MAMIKONEAN TO RETURN TO ARMENIA. ARŠAVIR ASKED VARDAN TO COMMAND
THE KNIGHTS OF SEVERAL PROMINENT NOBLE HOUSES IN A STRUGGLE FOR
NATIONAL LIBERATION. THE CULMINATION POINT WAS TO BECOME THE BATTLE
OF AVARAYR THAT TOOK PLACE ON MAY 26, 451. SEVERAL OF THE PROMINENT
ARMENIAN ARISTOCRATS EARLIER HAD ASKED VARDAN MAMIKONEAN TO MOVE TO
THE EASTERN ROMAN OR BYZANTINE EMPIRE [WHERE THEY WOULD SOON BECOME
SOME OF THE MOST OUTSTANDING EMPERORS] AND VARDAN PRIOR TO HIS DECISION
TO LEAD THE COMBINED ARMIES OF THE NOBLE HOUSES WAS CONSIDERING THIS
MOVE. HOWEVER, THE SECURITY THREAT THAT WAS LOOMING OVER MUCH OF
ARMENIA THAT CHALLENGED THE VERY SURVIVAL OF THE ARMENIAN PEOPLE
IN THEIR OWN HOMELAND ENDED THIS OPTION FOR VARDAN SPARAPET.



JULIANO ZASSO (1833-1889). ARŠAVIR KAMSARAKAN AND MUŠĒ DIMAK‘SEAN BATTLE
IN A BOGGY MARSH. ACCORDING TO THE FIFTH CENTURY HISTORIAN ŁAZAR
 P‘ARPEC‘I BOTH NOBLES RUSHED FORWARD DURING A PRELIMINARY SKIRMISH
NEAR THE CITY OF χAŁχAŁ AGAINST THE SASSANID FORCES AND THEIR ALLIES.
BOTH OF THE LORDS ALONG WITH THEIR BODYGUARDS WERE UNFAMILIAR WITH THE
MARSHY TERRAIN WHICH BOGGED THEM DOWN THUS MAKING THEM OPEN TO
ENEMY'S ARCHERS AND SPEARMEN. MUŠĒ TOOK A DIRECT HIT AND FELL ON THE
FIELD WHILE ARŠAVIR SHIELDED OFF THE INCOMING HALE OF SPEARS AND ARROWS -
APPROACHED PRINCE VURK [THE BROTHER OF THE SASSANID-ALLIED LIPNIAN KING]
SLEWED HIM AND SEVERAL OF HIS BODYGUARDS. THIS CREATED MAYHEM IN
THE LEFT WING OF THE SASSANID FORCES, WHO DID NOT EXPECT SUCH SWIFT
RECOVERY AND BLOW FROM ARŠAVIR WHO WAS ABLE DURING THE CONFUSION
TO PUSH HIS HORSE OUT OF THE BOG AND RETREATED RIGHT THROUGH
THE SASSANID RANKS TOWARDS THE ARMENIAN FORCES.

RUINS OF TIGNIS CASTLE THAT GUARDED ANI FROM THE NORTH-EAST.

RUINS OF AMBERD CASTLE. ONE OF THE STRONGHOLDS OF PAHLAVUNI NOBILITY
THAT PLAYED A CRUCIAL ROLE IN THE LIFE OF ANI. PAHLAVUNIS WERE THE RIGHT HAND
AND THE MILITARY COMMANDERS OF ARMENIAN FORCES
UNDER BAGRATID KINGS. SPARAPET [COMMANDER] VAHRAM PAHLAVUNI
WAS ONE OF THE MOST DISTINGUISHED REPRESENTATIVES OF THE HOUSE
AND MILITARY LEADERS OF THE ERA.

RUINS OF MAŁASBERD FORTRESS THAT GUARDED ANI FROM THE SOUTH.

RUINS OF THE ONCE ENORMOUS MULTILAYERED WALLS OF THE FORTRESS-CITY OF
KARS -- THE OLD BAGRATID CAPITAL WEST OF THE ARAXES RIVER.

THE SOLEMN GRACE OF THE CHURCH OF ST. HṚIPSIMĒ [614]
WITH THE TRADITIONAL PYRAMIDAL-CONIC DOME OF THE
ARMANI MASTER BUILDERS. FLOOR PLAN [AT TOP] OF
THE CHURCH IN VAŁARŠAPAT.

KARMRAVOR [RED] CHURCH IN ASTARAK. SEVENTH CENTURY.

THE CHURCH OF MASTARA BUILT BY GNUNI PRINCES THEODORE
AND GREGORY. 650 AD. FLOOR PLAN [AT TOP] OF THE CHURCH OF MASTARA.

THE RUINS OF CATHEDRAL OF T‘ALIN AND THE FLOOR PLAN [AT TOP].

CUT OUT OF THE CATHEDRAL OF ST. GREGORY IN ARUCH. 662. BASED
ON THE MITHRĆVM-BASILICA PATTERN. THE FLOOR PLAN [AT BOTTOM].

ODZUN MONASTERY. VITH CENTURY.

R U I N S    O F    T H E    T   E  K  O  R     B A S I L I C A   [F I F T H    C E N T U R Y]

THE ZVARTNOTS CATHEDRAL ACCORDING TO ARCHITECT
STEPAN MNATSAKANIAN'S RECONSTRUCTION.

THE SPIRALING RAM-HEAD COLUMNS OF THE ZVARTNOTS CATHEDRAL.

COMMANDER VAHAN MAMIKONEAN [MAMIKONIAN] WHO LED THE
ARMENIAN FORCES DURING THE VAHANANC‛ WARS OF 484-485.

JULIAN ZASSO (1833-1889). THE RETURN OF COMMANDER VAHAN MAMIKONEAN AND
ARMENIAN NOBLES TO THE HOMELAND. THE 481-485 BATTLES, ESPECIALLY THE
484-485 PERIOD RESULTED IN THE RECOGNITION BY THE SASSANIDS FOR ARMENIANS
TO MAINTAIN THEIR CHRISTIAN FAITH AND SOVEREIGNTY.