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Index

Armenia

The Urartu Civilisation

Victory for Independence

Artashisian Dynasty on the Armenian Throne

Armenia caught between Rome and the Arsacids

The Acceptance of Christianity

Defending Christianity

Armenia Under the Bagratouni Dynasty

Cilicia - the New Armenia

Armenia Under Turanian Rule

The Renaissance or the Resurrection of Armenia

The Eastern Question

Russia in the Caucasus

The Armenian Question

Battle on Two Fronts

Tsarist Russia Against the Armenians

The Revolution of the Young Turks and the Armenian People on the Eve of World War I

The First World War

The Resurrection of Armenia

Armenia on the Road to Independence, 1918

- Armenia on the Road to Independence, 1918

Eastern Armenia

Western Armenia

"The Fateful Years" (1914-1917)

"Hopes and Emotions" (March-October, 1917)

The Bolshevik Revolution and Armenia

Transcaucasia Adrift (November, 1917

Dilemmas (March-April, 1918)

War and Independence (April-May, 1918)

The Republics of Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia

The Suppliants (June-October, 1918)

In conclusion

Soviet Armenia

The Second Independent Republic of Armenia

Epilogue

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Nero approved the terms and moreover, as was customary for all countries under the protection of Rome, congratulated Armenia. Apparently his fantasies about the stories he had heard regarding this mountainous country in the east and its treasures were intensified during Tirdat's personal visit to Rome.

Tacitus and Plinius (Gajus Plinius Caecilius Secundus), two Roman historians, captured Tirdat's visit to Rome on paper. Nero , who was the master of crowd manipulation , used the occasion to its full. The visit of the Armenian king to Rome became the perfect occasion for great celebrations, something that the majority of the senate had voted for. Great spectacles were staged, during which Tirdat was very impressed by the physical strength of the Romans, where the spectators could watch horsemen throw spears at bulls and see how the spears pierced the bodies of the beasts. To mark these spectacles Nero ordered that the temple of Pompey-# be gilded.



But the most important and biggest of the celebrations was of course the coronation of Tirdat by Nero's own hand. The coronation took place in the great Forum and was followed by the applause and screams of a great crowd. Tirdat said the following to Nero: "I will do whatever you will command me to, and henceforth my destiny will lie in your hands". Nero answered: "You made the right decision to come here. What your father (the Persian king) did not give to you and what your brother could not assure you of is what I grant you and hereby crown you as king of Armenia." Thereafter Nero put the royal crown on Tirdat's head.
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The emperor showed great kindness toward Armenia. The country had been laid to ruin due to constant wars and its capital had been destroyed by the Roman army. Nero gave 50 000 000 (around $20 millions) in Roman currency to Tirdat to build up Armenia and also sent a group of Roman engineers and workers in order to rebuild the city of Artaxata.

After his return, with the approval of Rome, Tirdat attacked the Caucasian tribes, who had taken the opportunity of the latest war to attack Armenia from the north. His battles against the Albananians turned out to be difficult, but he was able to expel them from Armenia.

He risked once again his own life during that war. During battle an Albanian soldier managed to capture him with his lasso, but Tirdat freed himself from the rope.

Tirdat I had a magnificent long reign and died in AD 100. This gave Armenia a long time of prosperity and peace. The Armenian people had taken to their new king, a king who, first of all, had personally taken part in the battles for his country and secondly, with his great diplomatic skills, succeeded in winning the respect and the friendship of the Romans.

Armenia During the Reign of the Successors to Tirdat I (100-224)

The kings who succeeded Tirdat I as king of Armenia were in turn: Axidarés (100-113), Phartamasiris (113-114), Parthamaspatés (116-117), Belash or Vologuése I (117-140), Sohemus (140-178), Samatroukés (178-216), Vologuése II (216-217) and Tirdat II or Khosrov I (217-238).

During this period Armenia was drawn into the battles between Persia and Rome and since the new dynasty was of Persian origin it was natural that Armenia occasionally took the Persian side.