Artavasdes
the son of Tigranes I., taken prisoner by M. Antonius. [ARTAVASDES I.]
Perhaps the son of Artaxias II., driven out by his subjects. [ARTAVASDES II.]
The ally of Sapor against the emperor Valerian, A. D. 260. (Trebell. Poll. Valerian. 6.)
Eusebius (Hist. Eccl. 9.8) mentions a Christian king of Armenia during the reign of Diocletian, who seems to have been the son of Artavasdes III. During the war of Diocletian with Narses, king of Persia, this king of Armenia joined the Roman army commanded by Galerius Caesar. After the accession of Maximinianus he was involved in a war with this emperor, who intended to abolish the Christian religion in Armenia. TIRIDATES III.
[TIRIDATES III.]
(Ἀρταουάσδης or Ἀρταβάσδης), ARTAUASDES (Ἀρταουάσδης), or Artabazes (Ἀρταβάζης), called by the Armenian historians, Artawazt. 1. King of the Greater Armenia, succeeded his father Tigranes I(II). In the expedition of Crassus against the Parthians, B. C. 54, Artavasdes was an ally of the Romans; but when Orodes, the king of Parthia, invaded Media, and Artavasdes was unable to obtain assistance from the Romans, he concluded a peace with the Parthian king, and gave his sister or daughter in marriage to Pacorus, the son of Orodes. When Pacorus subsequently invaded Syria, in B. C. 51, Artavasdes threatened a descent upon Cappadocia; and Cicero, who was then governor of Cilicia, made preparations to meet him; but the defeat of Pacorus put a stop to his designs. (Plut. Crass. 19, 21, 22, 33; D. C. 40.16; Cic. Att. 5.20, 21, ad Fam. 15.2, 3.)
We next hear of Artavasdes in Antony's campaign against the Parthians in B. C. 36. Artavasdes joined the Romans, as he wished to injure his namesake Artavasdes, king of Media, with whom he was at enmity. He accordingly persuaded Antony to invade Media, but then treacherously deserted him, and returned with all his forces to Armenia. (D. C. 49.25, 31; Plut. Ant. 39, 50; Strab. xi. p.524.) The desertion of the Armenian king was one of the main causes of the failure of the Roman expedition [see p. 216a.]; and Antony accordingly determined to be revenged upon Artavasdes. After deferring his invasion of Armenia for a year, he entered the country in B. C. 34, and contrived to entice Artavasdes into his camp, where he was immediately seized. The Armenians thereupon set upon the throne his son Artaxias [Artaxias II.]; but Artavasdes himself, with his wife and the rest of his family, was carried to Alexandria, and led in triumph in golden chains. He remained in captivity till B. C. 30, when Cleopatra had him killed, after the battle of Actium, and sent his head to his old enemy, Artavasdes of Media, in hopes of obtaining assistance from him in return. (D. C. 49.33, 39, 40, 50.1, 51.5; Plut. Ant. 50; Liv. Epit. 131; Vell. 2.82; Tac. Ann. 2.3; Strab. xi. p.532; J. AJ 15.4.3, B. J. 1.18.5.)
This Artavasdes was well acquainted with Greek literature, and wrote tragedies, speeches, and historical works, some of which were extant in Plutarch's time. (Plut. Crass. 33.)
perhaps the son of Artaxias II., was placed upon the Armenian throne by Augustus after the death of Tigranes II. He was however deposed by the Armenians; and C. Caesar,who was sent into Armenia to settle the affairs of the country, made Ariobarzanes, a Mede, king. (Tac. Ann. 2.3, 4.)
There was another king of the name of Artavasdes in the later history of Armenia, respecting whom see Arsacidae, p. 363b.
king of Media Atropatene, and an enemy of Artavasdes I., king of Armenia. Antony invaded his country in B. C. 36, at the instigation of the Armenian kin, and laid siege to his capital, Phraaspa. After Antony, however, had been obliged to retreat from Media with great loss, Artavasdes had a serious quarrel with the Parthian king, Phraates, about the booty which had been taken from the Romans. In consequence of this dispute, and also of his desire to be revenged upon the king of Armenia, Artavasdes offered peace and alliance to Antony, through means of Polemon, king of Pontus. This offer was gladly accepted by Antony, as he too wished to punish the Armenian king on account of his desertion of him in his campaign in Media. After Antony had conquered Armenia in B. C. 34, the alliance between him and Artavasdes was rendered still closer by the latter giving his daughter, Iotape, in marriage to Alexander, the son of Antony. Artavasdes further engaged to assist Antony with troops against Octavianus, and Antony on his part promised the Median king help against the Parthians. With the assistance of the Roman troops, Artavasdes was for a time enabled to carry on the war with success against the Parthians and Artaxias II., the exiled king of Armenia; but when Antony recalled his forces in order to oppose Octavianus, Artavasdes was defeated by Artaxias, and taken prisoner. Artavasdes recovered his liberty shortly afterwards. Plutarch (Plut. Ant. 61) mentions Median troops at the battle of Actium; but these might have been sent by Artavasdes before his captivity. After the battle of Actium, Octavianus restored to Artavasdes his daughter Iotape, who had married Antony's son. Artavasdes died shortly before B. C. 20. (D. C. 49.25, 33, 40, 41, 1. 1, 51.16, 54.9; Plut. Ant. 38, 52.)