[Babelon, Rois de Syrie, d'Arménie, &c., Paris, 1890, Langlois, Num. de l'Arménie, 1859.]

Arsames, circ. B.C. 230. Obv. Head of Arsames in conical tiara. Rev. ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΑΡΣΑΜΟΥ Horseman wearing conical cap and holding spear. Æ .8. Babelon, op. cit., p. 211 and p. cxciii; cf. Th. Reinach, L'Hist. par les monn., pp. 239-40.

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Abdissares, circ. B.C. 200 (?). Obv. Bust of Abdissares wearing Armenian tiara open at the side. Rev. ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΑΒΔΙΣΣΑΡΟΥ Eagle standing. Æ. Also with rev. Horse’s head. Babelon, pp. 211-12 and p. cxciv. Cf. Reinach, op. cit., p. 240.

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Xerxes, circ. B.C. 170, Ruler of Arsamosata in Sophene. Obv. Bust of Xerxes wearing pointed tiara. Rev. ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΞΕΡΞΟΥ Athena standing, crowning name of Xerxes. Æ .55. B. M. C., Galatia, &c., p. 100. See also Babelon, p. 212, No. 6 and p. cxciv; cf. Reinach, op. cit., p. 240.

Zariadres, B.C. 134, King of Great Sophene, &c. Obv. Beardless head in Cappadocian tiara. Rev. ΔΣΑΡΙ ΑΝΙΣΑΔΩ (= Δσαριαδρις, the Zariadris of Strabo, son of ‘Ανισαδης ?) Anaitis standing facing, holding flower; at her feet, two sphinxes. Æ .75. Berlin. Babelon, p. cxcviii, citing Blau and Friedlaender.

Morphilig, B.C. 150-148. Obv. Beardless head in Cappadocian tiara. Rev. ΜΟΡΙ(φιλιγος) ΣΑΡΙ(αδριος), i.e. Morphilig, son of Zariadres. Anaitis standing facing, holding flower. Æ .65. Berlin. Babelon, pp. cxcix f., citing Blau and Friedlaender.

Tigranes I, B.C. 97-56. See infra, pp. 772 f.

Artavasdes I, son of Tigranes I, B.C. 56-34; ob. B.C. 30. Obv. Bust of Artavasdes I wearing Armenian tiara with spikes. Rev. ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΝ ΑΡΤΑΥΑΖΔΟΥ Chariot within which Artavasdes holding Nike. AR. Weight, 57 grs. B. M. C., Galatia, &c., p. 101, No. 1; Babelon, p. cciv.

Tigranes II, son of Artavasdes I, B.C. 20-12. Obv. Bust of Tigranes II, bearded, in Armenian tiara. Rev. ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΤΙΓΡΑΝΟΥ Tyche (?) seated, holding cornucopiae. Æ. Babelon, p. 215 and p. ccv.

Tigranes III, B.C. 12-6. Obv. Bust of Tigranes III, beardless, in Armenian tiara. Rev. ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΜΕΓΑΛΟΥ ΤΙΓΡΑΝΟΥ Nike standing. Æ. Also with rev. The king (?) as Zeus (?) standing, holding eagle and sceptre; inscr., ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΜΕΓΑΛΟΥ ΤΙΓΡΑΝΟΥ ΦΙΛΕΛΗΝΟ (sic). Also with rev. Horse and ΘΕΟΥ in inscr. (Babelon, p. 216 and

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Tigranes III, with his sister Erato, who abdicated B.C. 1. Obv. ΒΑCΙΛЄΥC ΒΑCΙΛЄΩΝ ΤΙΓΡΑΝΗC Bust of Tigranes III, beardless, in Armenian tiara. Rev. ЄΡΑΤW ΒΑCΙΛЄWC ΤΙΓΡΑΝΟΥ ΑΔΕΛΦΗ Bust of Erato. Æ. Babelon, p. 216 and p. ccvi. A variety (Hunter Cat., iii. p. 4) reads on the obv. ΒΑCΙΛЄΥC ΜЄΓΑC ΝЄΟC ΤΙΓΡΑΝΗC.

Artavasdes III, circ. A.D. 2-10, son of Ariobarzanes II, King of Media Atropatene, and Armenia. Obv. ΘΕΟΥ ΚΑΙΣΑΡΟΣ ΕΥΕΡΓΕΤΟΥ Head of Augustus. Rev. ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΜΕΓΑΛΟΥ ΑΡΤΑΥΑΖΔΟΥ Head of Artavasdes III. AR 54.7 grs. B. M. C., Galatia, &c., p. 101 and p. xlii.

Artaxias, A.D. 18-35, son of Polemo I, King of Pontus. Obv. GERMANICVS CAESAR TI. AVG. F. COS. II Head of Germanicus. Rev. ARTAXIAS GERMANICVS Germanicus crowning Artaxias with diadem. AR, weight 118 grs. Struck in Armenia? (Berlin Mus.; Z. f. N., xxi, 1898, p. 228: also the half-denomination, ibid., p. 228 n.).

A coin sometimes attributed to MITHRAPATES Philo.... of Armenia (cf. B. M. C., Galatia, p. 102) is referred to infra under ‘Kings of Commagene'.

UNCERTAIN (Regal). See Imhoof, Zur gr. u. röm. Münzk., p. 233, and Hunter Cat., iii. p. 3.

DICTIONARY OF ROMAN COINS

Please add updates or make corrections to the NumisWiki text version as appropriate.   ARMENIA - A region of Asia, now forming part of the Diar Bekir and Kourdistan in the Turkish empire. It was anciently divided into two provinces, Major and Minor.  Armenia Major was on the Eastern bank of the Euphrates, bounded on the north by Colchis and Iberia; on the south by Mesopotamia. Armenia Minor was on the Western bank of the Euphrates, bounded on the west by Cappadocia, of which it  originally formed part; on the south by the chain of the Taurus.   Armania, as a country, was distinguished by the bow, quiver of arrows, and oblong mitre in the shape of a hood (a covering for the head, which was common to its inhabitants of both sexes). - Lucullus was the first of the Roman generals, who under the Republic, invaded Armenia (B.C. 69). He vanquished its king (Tigranes II), son-in-law of Mithridates Eupator, and took Tigranocerta its capital (now Sert in Kourdistan). This king afterwards surrendered his crown to Pompey, the successor of Lucullus (B.C. 66), and who, after having despoiled him of Mesopotamia, permitted him to reign in Armenia. - Tigranes being dead, the Romans became almost the absolute masters of the kingdom. - M. Antonius filched its crown from Artavasdes the lawful sovereign, about the year u.c. 720 and 21 (B.C. 33). - Augustus gave a king to it, when at the death of Artaxias it was recepta, or taken into possession, by the Romans, A.U.C. 725 or 26, (B.C. 28), and succeeding emperors continued to exercise an oppressive power over its government.  At length Trajan united it as a province to the Empire; Antoninus (see REX. ARMENIS DATVS) bestowed a king upon it; and Armenia remained for ages afterwards the slave of Imperial Rome.