Argishtis I of Urartu

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Red and dark tuff monument of king Argishti riding a chariot with two horses in Yerevan, Armenia in front of the Erebuni Museum.

Argishtis I (Urartian: Argištiše, Armenian: Արգիշտի, Argishti) was the sixth known king of the ancient country of Urartu (in eastern Anatolia) from 785 to 763 BC.

A son and successor of Menuas, he continued the series of conquests initiated by his predecessors. Victorious against Assyria, he conquered the northern part of Syria and made Urartu the most powerful state in the post-Hittite Near East. He also expanded his kingdom north to the Lake Sevan conquering much of Diauehi and the Ararat Valley. Argishtis built the fortress of Erebuni in 782 BC, and the fortress of Argishtikhinili, in 776 BC.

Some linguists believe that the name Argištiše has Indo-European etymology (Armenian, Phrygian or Luwian). Compare Greek Άργέστης – “bright” and Armenian արեգ (translit. areg) – “sun deity”, “sun”.