David Saharuni

David Saharuni ( Armenian Դաւիթ Սահարունի Dawit 'Saharuni ) was Sparapet , Kuropalates , Ischchan and Primary Prince (Ishkhan Ishkhanats ′) of Armenia under Byzantine suzerainty from 635 to 638.

Life

David was a noble neighbor from the royal family of the Saharuni . When the Marzban of Persarmenischen (Պարսկահայաստան - Parskahayastan) principality . Waras-Tiroz II Bagratuni , in the Byzantine court Osrhoene was staying, he took part in an assassination attempt against Emperor Heraclius , which the illegitimate son of John Athalarichos had prepared. David was also involved in this plot. The assassination failed and Varaztirots was exiled to an island off the coast of North Africa. David Saharuni was attacked by the general and ruler of Byzantine Armenia, Mschesch B Gnunin (Mjej II Gnuni, Mzhezh Gnuni, Մժեժ Բ Գնունին), but was able to escape capture and even kill Mschesch Gnunin with the help of his own troops. Many of the soldiers were Armenians who were friendly to Saharuni. David quickly gained support from the local feudal lords and Herakleios was forced to name David as Kuropalates . The historian Johannes Katholikos still knows to report that the Armenians awarded him the title of Ishchan of Armenia . Three years later, the Saharuni nobility collapsed and Theodoros Rsxhtuni took his place as ruler of Armenia. The most detailed source of these events can be found in the historiographer Sebeos in his story of Herakleios .

Web links

Primary source: Sebeos' History of Heraclius, Chapter 29. Translated from Old Armenian by Robert Bedrosian

Individual evidence

↑ Cyril Toumanoff . Studies in Christian Caucasian History . Washington DC: Georgetown University Press 1963: 214.
^ Walter Emil Kaegi: Heraclius, Emperor of Byzantium. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 2003: 260.
^ Sebeos : Sebeos History: A History of Heraclius . History workshop. Retrieved October 22, 2009: "Chapter 29"
↑ JR Martindale (ed.): The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire 2 volume set: Volume 3, 527-641 (Vol 3) . Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 1992: 389.

predecessor	Office	successor
Waras-Tiroz II. Bagratuni	Ishkhan Ishkhanats ′ 635-638	Theodoros Rštuni

personal data
SURNAME	David Saharuni
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Դաւիթ Սահարունի (Armenian); Dawit 'Saharuni
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Armenian prince
DATE OF BIRTH	6th century
DATE OF DEATH	7th century

[1] Cyril Toumanoff . Studies in Christian Caucasian History . Washington DC: Georgetown University Press 1963: 214.

[2] Walter Emil Kaegi: Heraclius, Emperor of Byzantium. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 2003: 260.

[Sebeos-3] Sebeos : Sebeos History: A History of Heraclius . History workshop. Retrieved October 22, 2009: "Chapter 29"

[4] JR Martindale (ed.): The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire 2 volume set: Volume 3, 527-641 (Vol 3) . Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 1992: 389.