During the 4th and 5th centuries Armenia, or more correctly the Armenian principalities, found themselves in a rather difficult situation due to the many conflicts between Persia and Byzantine, as these battles took place on Armenian soil. This situation occurred in particular during the great wars characteristic of the reign of the two Byzantine emperors Mauricius and Heraclius. Armenia experienced some brief periods of independence, but endured arduous times. In reality Armenia, sandwiched between Byzantine and the Sasanid Persia, was in a much more difficult situation than would first appear. Christianity was, without a doubt, a strong connection binding Armenia to Byzantine, but one should remember that the separation of the Armenian Church from the Byzantine Church had created a deep abyss between these two countries. On the other hand the Sasanids, who were the archenemy of Byzantine, had adopted a new policy by which they protected Christians who broke their connection with the Byzantine Church. 9
There were moreover fundamental differences between the feudal Armenian social view and the powerful and the modern bureaucracy of Byzantine. 10 We have already seen how Armenian feudalism shifted between its two powerful neighbours. We have also witnessed the attempted for destruction of the Armenian nation, for example by Emperor Mauricius. But the courage and the will of the Armenian people defeated all of these attacks. Both great competitors, Persian and Byzantine, in time understood that they could not neglect assistance from Armenia in their struggle with their opponent, and that it was pointless to try to tame the courageous mountain dwellers. Indeed, before too long the Mamikonian principality regained its independence. 11
Thus jammed between between Byzantine and Persia, or as historians have expressed, between the two eyes of the world, Armenia nonetheless managed to hold on to its national identity, through its language, its great independent leaders and its most sacred item, its faith.
The flourishing of Armenian architecture during the 5th and 7th centuries and the role which the country had during this period in the creation of the Christian art (we will return to this topic later) indicates clearly that Armenia had a regime which, despite all the difficulties, had the opportunity to preserve the identity of its people and even encourage its development.
In addition, Armenia, due to its geographical position, had become a junction point between the Byzantine and Sasanid civilizations. It is very likely that Armenia had, in some areas such as architecture, adopted the role of a melting-pot, where the golden essences of these two cultures were blended and melted together.
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