Artaxias I

Artaxias I (from gr, Άρταξίας; in hy, Արտաշէս, translit=Artašēs) was the founder of the Artaxiad dynasty of Armenia, ruling from 189 BC to 160 BC. Artaxias was a member of a branch of the Orontid dynasty, the earlier ruling dynasty of Armenia. He expanded his kingdom on all sides, consolidating the territory of Greater Armenia. He enacted a number of administrative reforms to order his expanded realm. He also founded a new capital in the central valley of the Araxes River called Artaxata (Artashat), which quickly grew into a major urban and commercial center. He was succeeded by his son Artavasdes I.

Name

The Greek form ''Artaxias'' ultimately derives from the Old Iranian name ''*Artaxšaθra-'', which is also the source of Greek ''Artaxérxēs'' (). The Armenian form of this name is , which may have developed from an unattested earlier form . The name can be translated as "he whose reign is through truth ('' asha'')."

Background

According to the Greek geographer Strabo, Artaxias and Zariadres were Macedonian generals of the Seleucid king Antiochus III the Great (). He adds that after Antiochus III's defeat by the Romans in 188 BC, the two generals established themselves as kings in Greater Armenia. However, Strabo's assertion about the two kings' Macedonian origins has been disproved by the discovery of boundary stones with Aramaic engravings in Armenia, in which Artaxias proclaims himself to be an " Orontid king" and "the son of Zareh (Zariadres)." This demonstrates that Artaxias and Zariadres were most likely members of the Orontid dynasty, albeit probably belonging to collateral branches.

Reign

After gaining their independence from the Seleucids, Artaxias and Zariadres, who may have been close relatives, allied with each other to expand their dominions. The kingdom of Artaxias, originally centered around the Araxes valley, expanded into Iberian land, and especially the territory of Media Atropatene, which lost its territories borderering the Caspian Sea. The Kura River became the northern and northeastern border of Greater Armenia. Strabo reports that Artaxias also conquered from Atropatene the districts of "Phaunitis" and "Basoporeda," perhaps corresponding to Siwnikʿ and Vaspurakan, respectively. Meanwhile, Zariadres conquered Acilisene and Taron. According to Strabo, the unification of these territories under Artaxias and Zariadres led the population of Greater Armenia and Sophene to "speak the same language," i.e., Armenian. However, the imperial Aramaic inherited from the Achaemenid Empire continued to be the language of the government and the court.

According to the Armenian historian Movses Khorenatsi, Artaxias ordered the delimitation of villages and farmland, which has been confirmed by the discovery of boundary stones with Aramaic inscriptions in Armenia. Artaxias founded the city of Artaxiasata (from Middle Persian ''Artaxšas-šāt'', "the joy of Artaxias," abbreviated to Artaxata in Greek and Artashat in Armenian) on the left bank of the Araxes River, which would serve as the capital of Armenia until the 2nd century CE. It is unlikely that the former Carthaginian commander Hannibal took refuge at the Armenian court and played a role in the establishment of the city. In 165/4 BC, Artaxias was defeated and captured by the forces of the Seleucid king Antiochus IV Epiphanes (). Nevertheless, in 161/0 BC, Artaxias managed to help the satrap of Media, Timarchus, who rebelled against Seleucid rule. Artaxias died in approximately 160 BC and was succeeded by his son Artavasdes I.

Like the monarchs of Pontus and Cappadocia, Artaxias and his successors preserved the royal traditions used by the former Achaemenid Empire. At the same time, Greek influence was starting to advance in the country.

Coinage

Unlike their predecessors, the Orontids, the majority of the Artaxiad rulers minted coins. The reverse of the early Artaxiad coin typically shows an eagle standing on a mountain-top, which is presumably Mount Ararat. The eagle, which also appears on the Artaxiad crown, is a portrayal of the Iranian '' khvarenah'' ("glory"), which was seen by the Iranians as a symbol that defended the legitimate monarch and his kingdom, even after his death.

Family

According to an epic related by Movses Khorenatsi, Artaxias married Satenik, daughter of the king of the Alans, as part of a peace treaty after Artaxias defeated the invading Alans on the banks of the Kura River. Artaxias's known sons were his successors, Artavasdes I and Tigranes I. Four other sons are attested only in Movses Khorenatsi's history: Mazhan, who was appointed priest of Aramazd in Ani; Vroyr, who was appointed ''hazarapet''; Tiran, who was given command of the southern part of the army; and Zareh, who was appoined commander of the northern part of the army.

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External links

Coinage of Artaxias I

Coinage of Artaxias I

Coinage of Artaxias I

{{DEFAULTSORT:Artaxias I
2nd-century BC kings of Armenia
2nd-century BC rulers
Artaxiad dynasty
160 BC deaths
2nd-century BC births
2nd-century BC Iranian people