The image of Tigran II the Great in Movses Khorenatsi’s “History of Armenia”

The article examines the image of the king of Great Armenia Tigran II the Great in the work of the “Father of Armenian historiography” Movses Khorenatsi “History of Armenia”. When writing the chapters dedicated to Tigran II, Movses relied primarily on the writings of Josephus, as well as two “Chronicles” – Julius Africanus and Eusebius of Caesarea. At the same time, he filled in the lack of information with the help of legendary material and fictitious details. In general, the image of Tigran intertwines the features of several figures – Tigran himself, Artashes I, as well as his sons – Tigran and Artavazd. In turn, many of the deeds of Tigranes II are attributed to Tigranes I Ervandid, who lived in the 6th century BC. It is him, and not Tigran II, that Movses considers the greatest of the Armenian kings. As for Tigranes II, he acts as the main opponent of the Romans in those cases when it comes to Roman-Parthian military clashes, and Parthia is not mentioned at all. On the basis of analysing several chapters of the “History of Armenia”, observations are made that some stories described by the historian significantly distort real events, but at the same time Movses Khorenatsi acquaints researchers with the views prevailing among the educated Armenian population at the turn of Antiquity and the Middle Ages.

Movses Khorenatsi, Great Armenia, Tigranes II the Great, Tigran I Ervandid, Artraxiades, Artashes I, Artavazd II, Rome, Parthia