A rare intaglio gemstone with the engraved bust of Tigranes the Great of Armenia is displayed on the website of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. The gemstone is made of red Jasper and dates to the early–mid 1st century B.C. It’s 14 mm. (9/16 in.) in length. According to the description of...
Reconstructing the Artaxiad Flag
Background The Artaxiad (pronounced Artashes in Armenian) was a royal dynasty of ancient Armenia. They are believed to have been related to the older dynasty the Orontids (Ervanduni in Armenian), and ruled the Kingdom of Armenia from 189 BC until their overthrow by the Romans in AD 12. Under king Tigranes II the Great of...
Could this mysterious deity be the Armenian God Vahagn?
A mysterious sculpture of an unknown deity was discovered in southeast Turkey, last year. The sculpture shows an enigmatic bearded deity rising from out the stalk of a plant. Scholars seem to be baffled about the identity of the deity and Live Science reported that “More than a dozen experts contacted by Live Science had no idea who the...
What Was The True Shape Of The Ancient Armenian Crown?
Hi guys, I need your help with something. You see, I’ve been wandering about something for a while now and I still cannot make up my mind. So I thought to myself, who to ask better than the well observant visitors of this blog?! Make sure to read the entire article though before you vote in the...
True Face of the King Of Kings [UPDATED]
The King of Kings in Armenian history refers to Tigranes II (also known as Tigranes the Great). He was one of the most successful kings in world’s history (yet remains fairly unknown to western audiences). He conquered the entire Mesopotamia, subdued the Parthians and challenged the greatest power of his time the Roman Empire. Tigranes invaded...
Ringstone portrait of Tigranes II of Armenia (95-56 BCE)
The flat oval stone is made from calcified Chalcedony engraved with a portrait of Tigranes II of Armenia in profile to the right.
Ancient Armenian cities as recorded by the Greeks and Romans
Armenia was well known to classical Greek and Roman writers who on occasion made personal journeys to Armenia describing some of its countryside, villages and cities. Many of which are today only remembered through their records. Pliny the Elder for example recounts a few in his work “The Natural History” (6.10): “The more famous...
Tigranes the Great, 140–55 BC
Tigranes II “the Great” was one of the finest kings of ancient Armenia. At its height, his empire extended from the Pontic Alps (in modern north-eastern Turkey) to Mesopotamia, and from the Caspian Sea to the Mediterranean. Tigranes invaded territories as far away as Ecbatana and took the title King of Kings which, at the time, according to their coins, even the Parthian kings...
