Vahram Pahlavouni (965–1046) was an Armenian army commander (

sparapet ' ( hy, սպարապետ) was a military title and office in ancient and medieval Armenia. Under the Arsacid dynasty of Armenia, the ' was the supreme commander of the kingdom's armed forces. During the Arsacid period and for some time afterwards ...

) and Prince of

Bjni Bjni ( hy, Բջնի), is a village in the Kotayk Province of Armenia. It is situated in a valley between canyon walls and a small river. The village is one of the prominent centers of education and culture of ancient and medieval Armenia. It is ...

and Nik in

Bagratuni Armenia The Bagratid Kingdom of Armenia, also known as Bagratid Armenia ( xcl, Բագրատունեաց Հայաստան, or , , 'kingdom of the Bagratunis'), was an independent Armenian state established by Ashot I Bagratuni of the Bagratuni dynasty ...

. He was the head of the noble family of Pahlavouni, who held the hereditary title of sparapet in the Bagratuni kingdom of Ani.

Biography

In 1041 Vahram Pahlavouni prepared the coronation of the successor to Smbat III, the king’s nephew

Gagik II Gagik II ( hy, Գագիկ Բ; c. 1025 - May 5/November 24, 1079) was the last Armenian king of the Bagratuni dynasty. Known as Gagik II King of Ani (Ani being the capital of the kingdom at the time) he was enthroned as Gagik II and ruled for a bri ...

who at that time was only fourteen years old. The

Byzantine 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 ...

emperor,was aiming to take control of Ani and its surroundings and annex them into the Empire. To that end, he began supporting the rebel Vest Sarkis, an Armenian pro-Byzantine prince and adviser of king Smbat III, who took over the city of

Ani Ani ( hy, Անի; grc-gre, Ἄνιον, ''Ánion''; la, Abnicum; tr, Ani) is a ruined medieval Armenian city now situated in Turkey's province of Kars, next to the closed border with Armenia. Between 961 and 1045, it was the capital of the ...

with the intention of handing it over. The princes and nobles that remained loyal to the Bagratuni dynasty, rallied around Vahram Pahlavouni and resisted three assaults of the Byzantine Army over the

Kingdom of Ani The Bagratid Kingdom of Armenia, also known as Bagratid Armenia ( xcl, Բագրատունեաց Հայաստան, or , , 'kingdom of the Bagratunis'), was an independent Armenian state established by Ashot I Bagratuni of the Bagratuni dynasty ...

, compelling the imperial forces to retreat. The Byzantines then sent a very large army through the southern part of Bagratuni Armenia and at the same time convinced the king of

Caucasian Albania Caucasian Albania is a modern exonym for a former state located in ancient times in the Caucasus: mostly in what is now Azerbaijan (where both of its capitals were located). The modern endonyms for the area are ''Aghwank'' and ''Aluank'', among t ...

to attack Armenia from the east. During a fierce battle that was fought in 1042 under the walls of the capital city of

, general Vahram Pahlavuni soundly defeated the Byzantine army. This victory allowed Vahram Pahlavuni along with

Catholicos Catholicos, plural Catholicoi, is a title used for the head of certain churches in some Eastern Christian traditions. The title implies autocephaly and in some cases it is the title of the head of an autonomous church. The word comes from ancient ...

Petros Guedadarts to crown

as king of Armenia and subsequently take the fortress of

, which was in the hands of Vest Sarkis. The latter ran to the fortress of St. Mary and was eventually captured. After these victories, Vahram and the new Armenian king defeated an army of the Seljuk Turks and the security of the kingdom was temporarily restored. Nevertheless, Byzantine diplomacy, the treachery of Catholicos Petros and the young king's political mistakes led to the occupation of Ani by Byzantine troops in 1045. After this tragic event, Armenian statehood in Greater Armenia continued for a few more decades through the Armenian Kingdoms of Kars, Siunik and Lori, the former vassals of the Kingdom of Ani. Vahram died in the autumn of 1046.

Legacy

Vahram's military talent and heroic contributions were sung in Armenian literature and popular songs. Vahram built the Marmashen monastery, where he was probably buried.

References

Bibliography

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Biography

Legacy

References

Bibliography

See also