Vard Mamikonian (

Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian Diaspora, Armenian communities across the ...

: Վարդ Մամիկոնյան) was an

nobleman from the

Mamikonian family Mamikonian or Mamikonean ( Classical hy, Մամիկոնեան; reformed orthography: Մամիկոնյան; Western Armenian pronunciation: ''Mamigonian'') was an aristocratic dynasty which dominated Armenian politics between the 4th and 8th c ...

. He served as the

marzban Marzbān, or Marzpān (Middle Persian transliteration: mrzwpn, derived from ''marz'' "border, boundary" and the suffix ''-pān'' "guardian"; Modern Persian: ''Marzbān'') were a class of margraves, warden of the marches, and by extension militar ...

Persian Armenia Sasanian Armenia, also known as Persian Armenia and Persarmenia ( hy, Պարսկահայաստան – ''Parskahayastan''), may either refer to the periods in which Armenia ( pal, 𐭠𐭫𐭬𐭭𐭩 – ''Armin'') was under the suzerainty of ...

from 505/510 to 509/514.

Biography

Vard Mamikonian was the third son of Hmayeak Mamikonian and Dzoyk Artsruni. He had an elder brother named

Vahan I Mamikonian Vahan Mamikonian ( hy, Վահան Մամիկոնյան) (440/445503/510) was an Armenian nobleman from the Mamikonian family. In 481 he rebelled against the Sasanian Empire that controlled the eastern part of Armenia known as Persian Armenia. He ...

including two other brothers named Vasak and Artaxias. During his youth, he was a hostage in Persia, but was later released. In 505/510, he succeeded his elder brother Vahan I Mamikonian as

Marzban Marzbān, or Marzpān (Middle Persian transliteration: mrzwpn, derived from ''marz'' "border, boundary" and the suffix ''-pān'' "guardian"; Modern Persian: ''Marzbān'') were a class of margraves, warden of the marches, and by extension militar ...

. According to Sebeos and

Stepanos Asoghik Stepanos Asoghik ( hy, Ստեփանոս Ասողիկ), also known as Stepanos Taronetsi ( hy, Ստեփանոս Տարոնեցի), was an Armenian historian of the 11th century. His dates are unknown but he came from Taron and earned the nickname ...

, Vard carried the Byzantine title of ''

patrikios The patricians (from la, patricius, Greek: πατρίκιος) were originally a group of ruling class families in ancient Rome. The distinction was highly significant in the Roman Kingdom, and the early Republic, but its relevance waned after ...

'', however, neither the contemporary historian

Ghazar Parpetsi Ghazar Parpetsi ( hy, Ղազար Փարպեցի, translit=Łazar P῾arpec῾i) was a 5th to 6th century Armenian chronicler and historian. He had close ties with the powerful Mamikonian noble family and is most prominent for writing a history of ...

nor other historians mentioned that he carried the title, making it probably a misinterpretation of two historians. Vard was removed from his office four years later and was deported to Persia by order of the Sasanian king

Kavadh I Kavad I ( pal, 𐭪𐭥𐭠𐭲 ; 473 – 13 September 531) was the Sasanian King of Kings of Iran from 488 to 531, with a two or three-year interruption. A son of Peroz I (), he was crowned by the nobles to replace his deposed and unpopular u ...

, where he died after a short time. Vard's removal from the

office, put an end to the short-lived Armenian autonomy which lasted c. 25 years. King Kavadh I, however, maintained religious freedom in Armenia because of fear of rebellion, and in order to maintain good relations with the

Byzantine Empire The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

Sources

* * * * * 450 births 500s deaths Sasanian governors of Armenia Armenian Christians

Vard Mamikonian Vard Mamikonian ( Armenian: Վարդ Մամիկոնյան) was an Armenian nobleman from the Mamikonian family. He served as the marzban of Persian Armenia from 505/510 to 509/514. Biography Vard Mamikonian was the third son of Hmayeak Mami ...

6th-century Iranian people Patricii 6th-century Armenian people Armenian people from the Sasanian Empire {{Armenia-royal-stub