Artabazes

[Artavasdes.]

(Ἀρταβάζης) or Artavasdes. A king of Armenia, the son and successor of Tigranes, who began to reign about B.C. 70. It was principally through his treacherous advice, as to the mode of entering Parthia, that Crassus failed in his expedition against that country. He was subsequently taken by Antony, to whom he had also acted a treacherous part in his Parthian expedition, who led him in triumph at Alexandria. He was put to death, after the battle of Actium, by Cleopatra , who wished to obtain assistance from the king of Media, and therefore sent him the head of Artavasdes, his enemy. The prince appears to have been a very well educated man. He wrote in Greek two historical works, some tragedies, discourses, etc. ( Anton. 50, seqq.).