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His successor, Varazdat (374-378) was an incompetent leader who allowed the murder of the national hero Moushegh Mamikonian and sent his relative, Manuel Mamikonian, into exile.

During the reign of the following kings (Vagharshak 378-380 and Khosrov III 386-392) Armenia was divided by civil war; one side was supported by Byzantine and one by the Sasanids. Armenia regained, for one last time, its former glory during the reign of king Vramshapouh (392-414) and it was during this period that the priest Mesrop, in year 405, invented the Armenian alphabet.

The last two kings on the Armenian throne were Shapour (416-420), son to the Sasanid king Yezdgerd I, and Artashes who ruled between 423 and 428. Artashes became the last king of the Arshakouni dynasty which survived for two more centuries after the disintegration of its main branch, the Arsacid dynasty in Persia, and the independence of Armenia.

In reality, Constantinople, which apparently had forgotten the valuable lessons of the Roman Empire, had during the weak Theodosian dynasty given in to Sasanid demands to divide Armenia between them. According to Gibbon this suggestion, which Emperor Augusts had dismissed with disgust, was regarded by Emperor Theodosius II (401-450, emperor from 408) as one of the great successes of the empire, an empire which was on the edge of destruction, since it was more used to losing provinces than conquering them. 75

Earlier, during year 386, this plan was put into action by annexing western Armenia to Byzantine. But the eastern part (Moush, Van and Yerevan) still remained as independent Armenian states, though under Sasanid influence. They managed to maintain this status quo until year 428 when the Sasanids officially annexed Armenia to Persia, an action in which the Armenian nobility unintentionally took part.

As Nansen pointed out, this division was the first and the biggest mistake in Byzantine policy. The existence of an independent, strong and cohesive Armenia was a very important factor in the defence of the eastern provinces of the empire against the Sasanids, and later against the advance of Islam. The elimination of this power meant the opening of a crack through which future attacks, which were then beginning, would take place. 76

Armenia, which was paralysed by internal feudal chaos, could not concentrate its forces during this decisive period against its two external enemies and and was unable to rebuff the destiny that they forced upon her.

It was actually the great feudal lords of Armenia who struck the final blow against the kingdom of Armenia and caused its breakup, since it was they who, in the heat of ignorance and naivety, called for Sasanid help to free them from King Artashes.