Varazdat

Varazdat ( Armenian Վարազդատ , Latin Varasdates ; * 4th century) was a king of Armenia who ruled the Arsakid Empire from 374 to 378 as governor for Rome .

origin

Vasardates was the nephew and successor of the Armenian King Pap of Armenia , who ruled the kingdom from 370 to 374. According to Saint Mesrop , historian of Nerses I the Great , Varazdat's father was Anob of Armenia , while his mother's name is unknown. His father was a half-brother of Pap on his father's side.

According to the history of Armenia by Faustus of Byzantium (Book 4, Chapter 37), Varazdat describes himself as Pap's nephew and the historian confirms his statement. Consequently, the paternal grandfather was the arsacadian King Arshak II , who also ruled as Roman governor from 350 to 368. The name of his paternal grandmother is also unknown.

Life

Some time before his rule, Varazdat took part in the Olympic Games . He is often viewed as the last named winner of the Games. The victory of Varazdat is mentioned in the history of Armenia by Moses von Chorene . After reigning as king from 374 to 378, it is believed that his victory was in the 360s. Varazdat is the second known Armenian participant in the Ancient Olympics. The first was Tiridates III. before he was crowned King of Armenia.

After the assassination of his uncle Pap, the Roman emperor sent Valens Varazdat, who was living in Rome at the time , home to ascend the Armenian throne. Varazdat ascended the throne while Musel Mamikonian was Sparapet . The Sparapet was a hereditary military rank, with which the supreme command of the troops was connected. In 378, Varazdat murdered Musel Mamikonian. Manuel Mamikonian , brother of the murdered man, quickly took the place of Sparapet . Manuel raised his arms against Varazdat, so that he had to flee from Armenia after four years of reign. Varazdat then sought asylum in Rome.

Valens banished him to the British Isles . Presumably Varazdat died there in exile. The place and date of his death are unknown.

family

Although there are no ancient sources to testify to marriage or children, Varazdat is listed in modern genealogies as the father of Khosrov IV and Wramshapuh .

Olympic honors

On the initiative of the Armenian Olympic Committee, on May 8, 1998, a bust in honor of Varazdat was placed in the International Olympic Academy in Olympia . The sculptor of the bust is Levon Tokmajyan.

literature

Martin Schottky: Warazdat. In: The New Pauly (DNP). Volume 12/2, Metzler, Stuttgart 2002, ISBN 3-476-01487-8 , Sp. 395.

Individual evidence

^ Richard G. Hovannisian (ed.): The Armenian People from Ancient to Modern Times. Volume 1: The Dynastic Periods. From Antiquity to the Fourteenth Century. St. Martin's Press et al., New York NY et al. 2004, ISBN 1-403-96421-1 , p. 94.

↑ Vahan M. Kurkjian: A History of Armenia. Indo-European Publishing, Los Angeles CA 2008, ISBN 978-1-60444-012-6 , p. 107.

↑ Nigel Wilson (Ed.): Encyclopedia of Ancient Greece. Routledge, New York NY et al. 2006, ISBN 0-415-97334-1 .

↑ Moses von Chorene 3:40.

^ David C. Young: A Brief History of the Olympic Games. Wiley-Blackwell, Malden MA et al. 2004, ISBN 1-4051-1130-5 , p. 135.

^ Noel Lenski: Failure of Empire. Valens and the Roman State in the Fourth Century AD (= The Transformation of the Classical Heritage. Vol. 34). University of California Press, Berkeley CA et al. 2002, ISBN 0-520-23332-8 , pp. 181-185.

^ David Marshall Lang: Armenia. Cradle of Civilization. George Allen & Unwin, London 1970, p. 162.

↑ ^a ^b Cyrille Toumanoff : Manuel de généalogie et de chronologie pour l'histoire de la caucasie chrétienne (Armenénie - Gèorgie - Albanie). Edizioni Aquila, Rome 1976, p. 76.

^ Christian Settipani : Continuité des élites à Byzance durant les siècles obscurs. Les princes caucasiens et l'Empire du VIe au IXe siècle. de Boccard, Paris 2006, ISBN 2-7018-0226-1 , p. 108.

↑ ^a ^b Nazik Khanjyan: Specially Protected Nature Areas of Armenia. ( Memento of the original from December 17, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The @1@ 2 archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF; 5.3 MB) Ministry of Nature Protection of the Republic of Armenia, Yerevan 2004, p. 8, with a picture of the bust.

personal data
SURNAME	Varazdat
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Varasdat, Varasdates
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	King of Armenia
DATE OF BIRTH	4th century
PLACE OF BIRTH	Armenia
DATE OF DEATH	4th century

[1] Richard G. Hovannisian (ed.): The Armenian People from Ancient to Modern Times. Volume 1: The Dynastic Periods. From Antiquity to the Fourteenth Century. St. Martin's Press et al., New York NY et al. 2004, ISBN 1-403-96421-1 , p. 94.

[2] Vahan M. Kurkjian: A History of Armenia. Indo-European Publishing, Los Angeles CA 2008, ISBN 978-1-60444-012-6 , p. 107.

[3] Nigel Wilson (Ed.): Encyclopedia of Ancient Greece. Routledge, New York NY et al. 2006, ISBN 0-415-97334-1 .

[4] Moses von Chorene 3:40.

[5] David C. Young: A Brief History of the Olympic Games. Wiley-Blackwell, Malden MA et al. 2004, ISBN 1-4051-1130-5 , p. 135.

[6] Noel Lenski: Failure of Empire. Valens and the Roman State in the Fourth Century AD (= The Transformation of the Classical Heritage. Vol. 34). University of California Press, Berkeley CA et al. 2002, ISBN 0-520-23332-8 , pp. 181-185.

[7] David Marshall Lang: Armenia. Cradle of Civilization. George Allen & Unwin, London 1970, p. 162.

[Toumanoff_1976_76-8] Cyrille Toumanoff : Manuel de généalogie et de chronologie pour l'histoire de la caucasie chrétienne (Armenénie - Gèorgie - Albanie). Edizioni Aquila, Rome 1976, p. 76.

[9] Christian Settipani : Continuité des élites à Byzance durant les siècles obscurs. Les princes caucasiens et l'Empire du VIe au IXe siècle. de Boccard, Paris 2006, ISBN 2-7018-0226-1 , p. 108.