Download Romans in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia

Romans in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia
Rome's conquests reached the Caucasus area at the end of the 2nd century BC, when the
Roman Republic started to expand in Anatolia and the Black Sea.
Armenia
From Pompeius' campaign Armenia was, in part or whole, subject to the Roman Empire for
nearly four centuries. Roman emperor Trajan created even a short-lived Province of Armenia
between 114 and 117 AD.[26]
Armenia was often a focus of contention between Rome and Parthia.[28] The Parthians forced
Armenia into submission from 37 to 47, when the Romans retook control of the kingdom.
Under Nero, the Romans fought a campaign (55–63) against the Parthian Empire, which had
invaded the kingdom of Armenia, allied to the Romans. After gaining (60) and losing (62)
Armenia, the Romans under Gnaeus Domitius Corbulo, legate of Syria entered (63) into an
agreement of Vologases I of Parthia, which confirmed Tiridates I as king of Armenia, thus
founding the Arshakuni Dynasty. A formal compromise was made: a Parthian prince of the
Arsacid line would henceforth sit on the Armenian throne, but his nomination had to be
approved by the Roman emperor.
Because this agreement was not respected by the Parthian Empire, in 114 Trajan from
Antiochia in Syria marched on Armenia and conquered the capital Artaxata. Trajan then
deposed the Armenian king Partamasiri (imposed by the Parthians) and ordered the
annexation of Armenia to the Roman Empire as a new province.
The new province reached the shores of the Caspian sea and bordered to the north with
Caucasian Iberia and Caucasian Albania, two vassal states of Rome. As a Roman province
Armenia was administered by Catilius Severus of the Gens Claudia.
After Trajan's death however, his successor Hadrian decided not to maintain the province of
Armenia. In 118 AD, Hadrian gave Armenia up, and installed Parthamaspates as its "vassal"
king.
Another campaign was led by Emperor Lucius Verus in 162–165, after Vologases IV of
Parthia had invaded Armenia and installed his chief general on its throne. To counter the
Parthian threat, Verus set out for the east. His army won significant victories and retook the
capital. Sohaemus, a Roman citizen of Armenian heritage, was installed as the new client
king.[29]
The Sassanid Persians occupied Armenia in 252 and held it until the Romans returned in 287.
In 384 the kingdom was split between the Byzantine or East Roman Empire and the
Persians.[30] Western Armenia quickly became a province of the Roman Empire under the
name of Armenia Minor; Eastern Armenia remained a kingdom within Persia until 428, when
the local nobility overthrew the king, and the Sassanids installed a governor in his place.
Azerbaijan
Albania
Albania (Latin: Albānia, Greek: Ἀλβανία, Albanía,[4] in Old Armenian: Աղուանք Ałuankʿ
(Aguank),[5] Parthian: Ardhan, Middle Persian: Arran); usually referred to as Caucasian
Albania for disambiguation with the modern state of Albania; the native name for the country
is unknown[6][7]) is a name for the historical region of the eastern Caucasus, that existed on the
territory of present-day republic of Azerbaijan (where both of its capitals were located) and
partially southern Dagestan.
There was an enduring relation of Albania with Ancient Rome.[57]
The Latin rock inscription close to Boyukdash mountain in Qobustan, Baku, which mentions
Legio XII Fulminata, is the world's easternmost Roman evidence known.[58] In Albania,
Romans reached the Caspian Sea for the first time.[58]
In 69-68 BC Lucullus, having overcome Armenian ruler Tigranes II, approached the borders
of Caucasian Albania and was succeeded by Pompey.[60] After the 66-65 BC wintering
Pompey launched the Iberian campaign. Pompey reached the Albanian border at modern
Qazakh Rayon of Azerbaijan. After the battle of Alazan River, Pompey set out to march to the
Caspian Sea, but was turned back by a multitude of deadly reptiles when he was only three
days march distant, and withdrew into Lesser Armenia".[63]
During the reign of Roman emperor Hadrian (117-138) Albania was invaded by the Alans, an
Iranian nomadic group.[70] This invasion promoted an alliance between Rome and the
Albanians that was reinforced under Antoninus Pius in 140 AD. Sassanians occupied the area
around 240 Ad but after a few years the Roman Empire regained control of Caucasian
Albania.
Indeed in 297 the treaty of Nisibis stipulated the reestablishment of the Roman protectorate
over Caucasian Iberia and Albania. But fifty years later Rome lost the area that since then
remained an integral part of the Sasanian Empire.
Georgia
Roman Georgia was the area of Georgia under Roman control. Between the 1st century BC
and the 7th century AD Rome controlled directly or indirectly the kingdoms of Colchis and
Iberia in the Caucasus region (corresponding approximately to western and eastern
contemporary Georgia).[1]
Roman presence was huge in coastal Georgia, where some Roman Forts were defended for
centuries by legionaries (and had even some Roman colonists living in the related cities). The
fortress of Gonio, in the ancient Colchis city of "Apsaros", is considered by some scholars
(like Theodore Mommsen) to have been the center of Roman power in western Georgia since
the 2nd century AD.
Indeed Roman culture -according to archeological findings- was widespread in western
Lazicum, diminished in eastern Colchis but was minimal in Caucasian Iberia (with the
exception of the capital Mtskheta).
Colchis
In the area of what is now western Georgia there was the Kingdom of Colchis that in those
years had fallen under control of the Kingdom of Pontus (an enemy of Rome), while further
east there was the "Kingdom of Iberia". As a result of the brilliant Roman campaigns of
Pompey and Lucullus in 65 BC, the Kingdom of Pontus was completely destroyed by the
Romans and all its territory, including Colchis, was incorporated into the Roman Empire as its
province. Iberia, on the other hand was invaded and became a vassal state of the empire.
From this point on Colchis became the Roman province of Lazicum, with Emperor Nero later
incorporating it into the Province of Pontus in 63 AD, and successively in Cappadocia by
Domitian in 81 AD. At the same time, Iberia continued to be a vassal state because it enjoyed
significant independence and with the lowlands frequently raided by fierce mountain tribes,
paying a nominal homage to Rome in exchange of protection was viewed as a worthwhile
investment.[2]
The following 600 years of Georgian history were marked by struggle between Rome and
Parthians and Sassanids of Persia who fought long wars against the Romans for the control of
the region.
Despite the fact that all major fortresses along the seacoast were occupied by the Romans,
their rule was pretty loose. In 69 AD, the people of Pontus and Colchis under Anicetus staged
a major uprising against the Romans which ended unsuccessfully.
Iberia
While the Georgian kingdom of Colchis was administered as a Roman province, Caucasian
Iberia freely accepted the Roman Imperial protection. A stone inscription discovered at
Mtskheta speaks of the 1st-century ruler Mihdrat I (AD 58-106) as "the friend of the Caesars"
and the king "of the Roman-loving Iberians." Emperor Vespasian fortified the ancient
Mtskheta site of Arzami for the Iberian kings in 75 AD.
In the 2nd century AD, Iberia strengthened her position in the area, especially during the reign
of King Pharsman II who achieved full independence from Rome and reconquered some of
the previously lost territories from declining Armenia.
Furthermore, in the early 3rd century, Rome had to give up the Georgian areas of Caucasian
Albania and Armenia to Sassanid Persia, but all what is now Georgia was back under Roman
control with Marcus Aurelius and Diocletian around 300 AD.[5]