Reign of Yervand, murder of the sons of Sanatruk and the escape of Artaxias
After the death of King Sanatruk, some confusion falls in the kingdom, because a certain Yervand, the son of a woman from the Arsacid dynasty, reigns. The stories about him are as follows: A giant and big-eyed woman from the Arsacid dynasty, a beautiful woman whom no one dared to marry, gives birth to two children from an illegal marriage. When the children grew up, they named them Yervand and Yervaz. Yervand, growing up, becomes a kind-hearted and strong-willed man. Having been appointed by Sanatruk as a supervisor and leader in many affairs, he became famous, so that he became the first among all the Armenian nakharars, and with his humility and generosity won everyone over to his side. When Sanatruk died, everyone unanimously made him king, but without a crown prince from the Bagratuni dynasty.[2]
However, after and Yervand became king, suspecting Sanatruk's sons, he massacred them all. It seems that the revenge for the massacre of Abgar's sons was fulfilled. But the foster mother of a little boy named Artaxias took him and took him to the areas of province of Her, the pastoral stations of Maghkhazan, and sent a message to his nurse Smbat, the son of Byurad Bagratuni, in the village of Smbatavan in the province of Sper. Now, when Smbat heard the news of Sanatruk's death and the massacre of his sons, he left his two daughters in Baberd, and he himself went with his wife and a few people to search for Artaxias. Hearing this, Yervand sent scouts to capture them. For this reason, Smbat, disguised and on foot, wandered for a long time in the mountains and fields with the child, feeding him in pastoral stations and with herders, until the right time finding a way, he left to Parthia. Since Smbat was a brave man and well-known in advance, he is given great honor by the Persian military leaders, and the child also lives with the king's sons, who have been given places to live in the provinces of Bat and Volhom (Voghomn).[3]
Yervand's attempts to capture Artaxias and abandonment of Mesopotamia
Eruand constantly thought about what evil was brewing in Media for his kingdom, his heart was full of doubts and his sleep did not seem sweet. Always worrying about this when he was awake, he also saw terrible dreams on this occasion in his sleep. Therefore, through the hands of deputies and gifts, he tried to please the persian king to give him the child Artaxias into his hands.
My blood relative and my friend, why do you nourish that Median Artaxias against me and my kingdom, listening to the words of the robber Smbat, who says that Artaxias is the son of Sanatruk, and is trying to turn the son of shepherds and herders into Arsacid, spreading the news that he is your blood relative. He isn't the son of Sanatruk, but Smbat, deceived, has found a median boy and is blabbering.
—Yervand to the parthian king
Many times he sent people to Smbat, asking, "Why are you suffering so much for nothing? You are being deceived by the mother-in-law and are raising that child against me?" He received unpleasant answers. At that time, Yervand sent people to Bayberd and massacred the brave men defending the fortress, and took Smbat's daughters captive and locked them in the Ani fortress in not bad conditions.[4] Through the efforts of Yervand, Smbat, having been treated with contempt and hostility by the Parthian elite, was forced to leave Parthia and enter service in the army of Seleucid Antiochus III. [5]
During the reign of Vespasian and Titus, Yervand left Mesopotamia to the Romans[bettersourceneeded], turned them to his side and no longer felt threatened from this side. From this time on, Armenian rule disappeared from Mesopotamia, and Yervand paid even greater taxes than Armenia. And the Roman agents equipped the city of Edessa in every way, establishing treasuries there for the taxes that they collected from Armenia, Mesopotamia and Assyria. They also gathered all the courts there and founded two schools: one local Assyrian and the other Greek. They transferred the tax office there, as well as the court of justice that was located in the Pontic city of Sinop.[6]
Smbat's petitions to the Persian ministers to place Artashes on the paternal throne
When Artaxerxes grew up, and his nurse Smbat showed many deeds of courage and bravery, the Aryan ministers, sympathizing with him, interceded with the king to grant him whatever reward he asked. The king agreed and said to the ministers: "Find out what that brave man wants." They said: "Immortal benefactor, Smbat does not want anything else, but only that you establish in his kingdom your blood relative and relative Artaxerxes, the son of Sanatruk, who is deprived of his kingdom." The king agreed. He gave Smbat the hand of the Assyrian army and the troops of Atrpatakan, so that they could take Artaxerxes and establish him on the throne of his homeland.[7]
Getting the news to Yervand and mustering troops for war
Yervand heard in the province of Uti arandznak[hy], that the King of Persia had gathered a large army under the command of Smbat, in order to come against him and bring his kingdom to the child Artaxerxes. Yervand, hearing this, left many of his nakharars as partisans there and himself hurried to his city to gather to him the troops of the Armenian, Georgian and Caesarean sides, as well as those of Mesopotamia, asking for and paying tribute. It was spring days, so all the troops were soon gathered to him. Argam, the heir of the Azhdahak tribe, the chieftain of the Muratsian tribe, also came with numerous infantry troops, because Yervand had returned to him the secondary throne, which Tigran had taken from him and given to his sister's husband Mihrdat, and after his death had not been given to anyone. Yervand not only helped Argam, but also honored and generously rewarded all the nakharar and troops.[8]
And Smbat, with the child Artaxerxes, was in a hurry to reach the borders of the Uti Arandznak. There, he was met by the local troops, also the ministers whom Yervand had left there. Hearing this, many of the ministers left and thought about separating from Yervand, especially when they saw that the Roman troops did not come. Yervand increased his gifts even more, and the more he gave, the more hated he became, because everyone knew that it was not from generosity that he was wasted, but from fear, and he did not become so beloved of those to whom he gave abundantly, as he hated those to whom he did not give so abundantly.[9]
War
The battle in Uti Arandznak
Smbat and Artaxias ascended the shores of the Sea of Gegham[b], behind Mount Aragats. They were in a hurry to reach Yervand's army. They did not attach importance to the number of his troops, they only respected Argam Muratsyan, because he was a brave man, he had many warriors under his command. Yervand's army was far from his city at 300 stadions and was located on the Akhuryan River. When Yervand heard of Smbat's approach, he led the entire number of his troops not far from the latter's army and confronted them.[10] And Artaxias sent a message to Argam with firm oaths, that he would leave him what he had received from Yervand and add other things, only if he would leave Yervand and step aside.[11]
When the banners of Artaxias appeared before the troops of Yervand, Argam took his troops and retreated. As the Armenian historian Movses of Khoren describes, Smbat ordered the sound of the copper rods and, moving the front of his army forward, rushed forward like an eagle on a flock of partridges. And the Armenian ministers, who formed the right and left wings of Yervand's front, mixed and joined him. The Georgian troops, led by their king, although they attacked, soon fled back. Here the massacre of the Yervand and Mesopotamian troops took place. As the two fronts mixed together, brave men from Taurus came out against Artaxias, who had promised Yervand that they would kill Artaxias at the cost of their lives. They were met by Gisak, the son of Artaxias's stepmother, who entered the fray and killed him and won, during which half of his face was cut off with a sword and he dies in this deed, while the remaining troops flee.[12]
Escape of Yervand, fall of his city, and his death
And Yervand, having passed many arenas on horseback and having mounted new horses from his army to the inns built from the city, fled from one inn to another. Smbat, pursuing him, rode fiercely at night to the city gate. And the Medes' troops, having passed by the side of Yervand's regiment, set up camp on the corpses. Artaxias, having reached Yervand's tent, around which he had drawn a fence with leather and canvas sails, got down and stayed in his tent for the night, and when it was day, he lordly ordered the slain to be buried. The valley where the Medes had set up their army, he called Marats Mard, and the place of the battle he called Yervandavan, that is, he drove Yervand here. Then Artaxerxes marched to Yervandashat and ordered the army to shout loudly together "Mar amat", which translates as "the Mede has come", recalling the insult that Yervand had been sent to the Parthian king and Smbat about him. It was with this sound that he named the city "Marmet", probably at the will of Artaxias of that Yervand's name would be removed from the name of the city. [13]
Smbat, following Yervand with a small detachment, guarded the city gate until Artaxerxes and all the troops arrived. And when the troops began to fight against the fortress, the people of the fortress surrendered and opened the city gate. One of the soldiers entered Yervand's private room, hit Yervand on the head and scattered his brain on the floor of the house.[14][15][c] Thus the last Orontid king was defeated and died after reigning for 20 years. But Artaxerxes ordered him to be buried and a tomb erected because Yervand was a mixture of the Arsacid dynasty.[13] Following the death of King Yervand IV, Greater Armenia was divided between Artaxias and his brother Zariadres. This territorial division is corroborated by the ancient geographer Strabo, who notes that the division occurred only after the reign of Yervand IV. According to Strabo: “The last ruler of Armenia was Orontes... Then Artaxias and Zariadres, the generals of Antiochus the Great, divided the country into two parts. They ruled under the authority of the king.” [17]
With this events Orontids ended their rule in Greater Armenia, but they became roman client kings of Kingdoms of Sophene and Commagene. Years later, after gaining independence from Seleucid empire, Smbat enters royal palace, finds the crown of Sanatruk and puts on the head of Artaxias, thus making him a King of armenia. Artaxias becomes founder of one of the powerful dynasties in the history of Armenia, Artaxiad dynasty[18]
↑ According to historian Hakob Manandian, this episode is reflected in one of the fragments of ancient tragedies discovered in Armavir. In one fragment, a messenger informs the king’s sister that the king perished while defending the capital. Another fragment contains references to the names Orontes and Mithras, suggesting a possible connection to the final period of the Orontid dynasty. These dramatic fragments provide literary evidence that may correspond to the historical events surrounding the fall of King Yervand IV and the subsequent division of Greater Armenia.[16]
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