Artaxias

praefect of Armenia Magna under Antiochus the Great, became the independent king of Armenia in B. C. 188. [Artaxias I.]

The son of Artavasdes I., killed by his rebellious subjects. [ARTAXIAS II.]

The founder of the Armenian kingdom, was one of the generals of Antiochus the Great, but revolted from him soon after his peace with the Romans in B. C. 188, and became an independent sovereign. (Strab. xi. pp. 528, 531, 532.) Hannibal took refuge at the court of Artaxias, when Antiochus was no longer able to protect him, and he superintended the building of Artaxata, the capital of Armenia, which was so called in honour of Artaxias. (Strab. xi. p.528; Plut. Luc. 31.) Artaxias was included in the peace made between Eumenles and Pharnaces in B. C. 179 (Plb. 26.6), but was conquered and taken prisoner by Antiochus IV. Epiphanes towards the end of his reign, about B. C. 165. (Appian, App. Syr. 45, 66.)

The son of Artavasdes I., was made king by the Armenians when his father was taken prisoner by Antony in B. C. 34. He risked a battle against the Romans, but was defeated and obliged to fly into Parthia. But with the help of the Parthians he regained his kingdom soon afterwards, and defeated and took prisoner Artavasdes, king of Media, who had opposed him. [Artavasdes.] On his return to Armenia, he put to death all the Romans who had remained behind in the country; and in consequence of that, Augustus refused to restore him his relatives, when he sent an embassy to Rome to demand them. When the Armenians in B. C. 20 complained to Augustus about Artaxias, and requested as king his brother Tigranes, who was then at Rome, Augustus sent Tiberius with a large army into Armenia, in order to depose Artaxias and place Tigranes upon the throne; but Artaxias was put to death by his relatives before Tiberius reached the country. Tigranes was now proclaimed king without any opposition; but Tiberius took the credit to himself of a successful expedition : whence Horace (Hor. Ep. 1.12. 25) says, "Claudi virtute Neronis Armenius cecidit." (D. C. 49.39, 40, 44, 51.16, 54.9; Tac. Ann. 2.3; Vell. 2.94; J. AJ 15.4.3; Suet. Tib. 9.) Velleius Paterculus (l.c.) calls this king Artavasdes, and Dio Cassius in one passage (54.9) names him Artabazes, but in all the others Artaxes.

The son of Polemon, king of Pontus, was proclaimed king of Armenia by Germanicus in A. D. 18, at the wish of the Armenians, whose favour he had gained by adopting their habits and mode of life. His original name was Zenon, but the Armenians called him Artaxias on his accession. Upon the death of Artaxias, about A. D. 35, Arsaces, the son of the Parthian king, Artabanus, was placed upon the Armenian throne by his father. (Tac. Ann. 2.56, 6.31.)

(Ἀρταξίας) or Artaxes. The name of three kings of Armenia. (1) The founder of the Armenian kingdom, was one of the generals of Antiochus the Great, but revolted from him about B.C. 188, and became an independent sovereign. Hannibal took refuge at the court of Artaxias, and superintended the building of Artaxata, the capital of Armenia. Artaxias was conquered and taken prisoner by Antiochus IV. Epiphanes, about 165.

(2) Son of Artavasdes, was put to death by his own subjects in B.C. 20, and Augustus placed Tigranes on the throne.

(3) Son of Polemon, king of Pontus, was proclaimed king of Armenia by Germanicus in A.D. 18. He died about 35.