Vardandukht

Last updated November 13, 2023

Vardandukht^[1] (4th century), was a Queen consort of Armenia, as the wife of Arsaces III (Arshak III) ^[2] who was the last serving Roman Client King of Arsacid Armenia. Arsaces III reigned from 378 until his death in 387.

Life

Vardandukht was the daughter of the great sparapet (chief general) Manuel Mamikonian ^[3]^[4] of the pro-Roman, powerful and wealthy Mamikonian family by an unnamed mother. She was born and raised in Armenia.

The previous Roman client Armenian King Papas (Pap) was assassinated in 374. As Arsaces III and his younger brother, Vologases, were both too young to rule and succeed their father, the Roman emperor Valens had sent their paternal first cousin Varasdates (Varazdat) to occupy the Armenian throne. Their cousin who was a young man highly reputed for his mental and physical gifts had lived in Rome for an unknown period of time. Varasdates began to rule under the regency of Mushegh I Mamikonian.

Queen

In 378 with the failed reign of Varasdates and the murder of Mushegh Mamikonian, who was Vardandukht’s paternal uncle, her father, Manuel^[5] filled his late brother’s position of sparapet. Manuel, furious at the Armenian King, with a military force drove out Varasdates from Armenia^[6] back to Rome. Manuel raised Arsaces III and his brother Vologases to the throne as co-kings of Armenia, under the nominal regency of their mother Zarmandukht.^[7]

To end the political anarchy in the country as Manuel being now the powerful regent-in-charge of Armenia, Manuel married Arsaces III to Vardandukht and he married Vologases to the daughter of Sahak from the Bagratuni dynasty.^[8] Through marriage, Vardandukht became a relation to the ruling Arsacid dynasty of Armenia and a high status woman in Armenian society. Not much is known on her relationship with Arsaces III; they had no children.

The Mamikonian government brought peace, stability to Armenia in which Manuel guided the country wisely.^[9] Manuel treated Arsaces III, Vologases and Zarmandukht with honor.^[10] He raised Arsaces III and Vologases^[11] and Manuel nurtured them as if they were his own children.^[12]

Later life

In 386, Vologases died without leaving an heir and sometime later, Manuel died. Vardandukht and Arsaces III were at Manuel’s bedside as he laid sick and dying.^[13] After this moment, no more is known on Vardandukht. From 386 until 387, Arsaces III became the sole-ruler of Armenia, which occurred at this time the Sassanid invasions from Persia of Armenia. From this invasion, the authority of Arsaces III became lessened as he only maintained Western Armenia,^[14] in which his small kingdom was of a line from Erzurum to Mush. Sometime in 387 Arsaces III died, without leaving an heir. Western Armenia was annexed and became a province of the Byzantine Empire. Eastern Armenia was annexed by the Sassanid Empire and the remaining ruling Arsacid monarchs in Eastern Armenia became Client Kings of Armenia under Sassanid rule.

Related Research Articles

Mamikonian, or Mamikonean, was an aristocratic dynasty which dominated Armenian politics between the 4th and 8th centuries. They were the most notable noble house in Early Christian Armenia after the ruling Arsacid dynasty and held the hereditary positions of sparapet and dayeak, allowing them to play the role of kingmaker for the later Armenian kings. They ruled over extensive territories, including the Armenian regions of Tayk, Taron, Sasun, and Bagrevand, among others. The Mamikonians had a reputation as supporters of the Roman Empire in Armenia against Sasanian Iran, although they also served as viceroys under Persian rule. Their influence over Armenian affairs began to decline at the end of the 6th century and suffered a final, decisive blow after a failed rebellion against Arab rule over Armenia in 774/75.

Pap was king of Armenia from 370 until 374/375, and a member of the Arsacid dynasty. His reign saw a short, but notable period of stabilization after years of political turmoil. Although Armenia had been conquered and devastated by the Sassanid king Shapur II in 367/368, Pap was restored to the throne at a young age with Roman assistance in 370. Early in his reign, Armenia and Rome won a joint victory over the Persians at the Battle of Bagavan, and some former territories of the kingdom were reconquered by the efforts of his sparapet (general-in-chief) Mushegh Mamikonian. Although Pap's reign began with a reconciliation of the monarchy, nobility and church, his relations with the church soon deteriorated. Pap allegedly had the Patriarch of Armenia, Nerses I, poisoned, although some later historians doubt this narrative. Pap also eventually ran afoul of the Romans, who suspected him of colluding with the Persians. The emperor Valens unsuccessfully attempted to assassinate him in 373/374, but ultimately succeeded in having him killed in 374/375. He was succeeded by his nephew Varazdat as king.

Varazdat was the king of Arsacid Armenia from 374/375 until 378. He was installed on the throne by the Roman emperor Valens after the assassination of his kinsman King Pap.

Arshak II, also written as Arsaces II, was an Arsacid prince who was King of Armenia from 350 until c. 364/367. Although Arshak's reign opened with a period of peace and stability, it was soon plagued by his conflicts with the Armenian church and nobility, as well as a series of wars between Rome and Persia, during which the Armenian king teetered between the warring sides. Arshak participated in the Roman emperor Julian's ill-fated campaign against Persia; after the consequent Perso-Roman Treaty of 363, Armenia was left to fend for itself against a renewed attack by the Persian king Shapur II. Faced with defections and rebellions among the Armenian nobility, Arshak was lured to Persia for peace negotiations with Shapur, after which he was imprisoned in the Castle of Oblivion in Khuzistan and is said to have committed suicide in captivity. Arshak's reign was followed by the conquest and devastation of Armenia by the Persians, although his son and heir Pap managed to escape and later ascended to the Armenian throne with Roman assistance.

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Manuel Mamikonian was a 4th-century Armenian military commander and nobleman of the Mamikonian dynasty. He became the de facto leader of Armenia after driving the Arsacid king Varazdat out of the country and placing two young Arsacid princes, Arshak and Vagharshak, on the throne. He held the title of sparapet (commander-in-chief), which was the hereditary right of the Mamikonian family.

Mushegh I Mamikonian was an Armenian military officer from the Mamikonian family, who occupied the hereditary office of sparapet (generalissimo) of the Kingdom of Armenia under the Arsacid kings Pap and Varazdat. He took part in the Armenian resistance against the forces of the Sasanian monarch Shapur II, notably taking part in the Battle of Bagavan, where the Iranian forces were defeated. He was the regent of Armenia under the young and inexperienced Varazdat, who eventually suspected him of posing a danger to his rule, and thus had him executed, in 377/8.

Arshak III, also known as Arsaces III or Arsak III was an Arsacid prince who served as a Roman client king of Armenia from 378 until 387. Arshak III is often known as the last serving Roman client king of Armenia. During his reign, the part of Armenia that Arshak III governed was under Roman rule from the Peace of Acilisene.

Vramshapuh was a noble of the Arsacid dynasty who served as the Sasanian client king of Armenia from 389 until his death in 414. He is mainly remembered for presiding over the creation of the Armenian alphabet by Mesrop Mashtots.

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Parandzem was the consort of King Arshak II of Armenia. She was a member of the noble house of Siwni. She was regent of Armenia during the absence of her spouse and son in 368–370, and is famous for her defense of the fortress of Artagers against Persia. She was brutally put to death by the Persians after the fall of Artagers in the winter of 369/70. Her son Pap was soon after restored to the throne with Roman assistance.

Olympias also known as Olympia, sometimes known as Olympias the Elder to distinguish her from her niece of the same name was a Christian Roman noblewoman, and a queen of Armenia by marriage to king Arsaces II. Through her father, Olympias was connected to the Constantinian dynasty and through marriage was related to the Arsacid dynasty of Armenia.

Zarmandukht was the consort of King Pap of Arsacid Armenia, who ruled from 370 to 374. She was regent of Armenia during the minority of her sons, co-rulers Arsaces (Arshak) III and Vologases (Vagharshak) II, who ruled from 378 to 386/387.

Vologases also known as Vologases III and Vagharsh III was a Prince who served as a Roman Client King of Arsacid Armenia. Vologases served as a co-king with his brother Arsaces III from 378 until 386.

Khosrov IV was a noble of the Arsacid dynasty who served as the Sasanian client king of Armenia from 385 until 389.

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Tigranes was an Armenian prince of the Arsacid dynasty of Armenia who lived in the second half of the 4th century and possibly first half of the 5th century.

Arsaces was an Armenian Prince of the Arsacid dynasty of Armenia who lived in the second half of the 4th century and possibly first half of the 5th century.

References

↑ Other variations of the name are Vardandoukht, Vardanush, Vardananush, Vardanush and Vardush. The name is derived from the Armenian name Vardan and Persian dukht daughter meaning Vardan’s daughter. The name is not a common modern Armenian girl’s name
↑ Faustus of Byzantium, History of the Armenians, Book V, Chapter 44
↑ Faustus of Byzantium, History of the Armenians, Book V, Chapter 44
↑ Kurkjian, A History of Armenia, p.107
↑ Adalian, Historical Dictionary of Armenia, p.177
↑ Adalian, Historical Dictionary of Armenia, p.177
↑ Hovannisian, The Armenian People From Ancient to Modern Times, Volume I: The Dynastic Periods: From Antiquity to the Fourteenth Century, p.92
↑ Kurkjian, A History of Armenia, p.107
↑ Topchyan, The Problem of the Greek Sources of Movses Xorenac’i’s History of Armenia, p.42
↑ Topchyan, The Problem of the Greek Sources of Movses Xorenac’i’s History of Armenia, p.42
↑ Adalian, Historical Dictionary of Armenia, p.xxxiii
↑ Topchyan, The Problem of the Greek Sources of Movses Xorenac’i’s History of Armenia, p.42
↑ Faustus of Byzantium, History of the Armenians, Book V, Chapter 44
↑ Hovannisian, The Armenian People From Ancient to Modern Times, Volume I: The Dynastic Periods: From Antiquity to the Fourteenth Century, p.92

Sources

Faustus of Byzantium, History of the Armenians, 5th century
Armenian Girl Names – Vardandukht
Armenian Girl Names – Vardandush
R.G. Hovannisian, The Armenian People From Ancient to Modern Times, Volume I: The Dynastic Periods: From Antiquity to the Fourteenth Century, Palgrave Macmillan, 2004
A. Topchyan, The Problem of the Greek Sources of Movses Xorenac’i’s History of Armenia, Peeters Publishers, 2006
V.M. Kurkjian, A History of Armenia, Indo-European Publishing, 2008
R.P. Adalian, Historical Dictionary of Armenia, Scarecrow Press, 2010