Artavasdes II of Armenia

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Artavasdes II
King
Reign	Armenia: 53 BC - 34 BC
Died	31 BC
Predecessor	Tigranes II
Successor	Artaxias II
Father	Tigranes the Great

King Artavasdes II (Armenian: Արտավազդ Երկրորդ) ruled Armenia from 53 to 34 BC. He succeeded his father, Tigranes the Great. Artavasdes was an ally of Rome, but when Orodes II of Parthia invaded Armenia following his victory over the Roman general Marcus Licinius Crassus at the Battle of Carrhae in 53 BC, he was forced to join the Parthians. He gave his sister in marriage to Orodes' son and heir Pacorus.

In 36 BC the Roman general Mark Antony invaded Armenia and Artavasdes again switched sides, but abandoned the Romans once they had left Armenia. Antony reinvaded Armenia in 34 BC, captured Artavasdes, and took him to Alexandria, in 31 BC he was beheaded by Cleopatra VII of Egypt without revealing the whereabouts of the royal treasury. He was succeeded by his son Artaxias.

According to Plutarch, Artavasdes was an accomplished scholar who composed Greek tragedies and histories.

[edit] References

• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
• Plutarch, Life of Crassus.

Preceded by Tigranes II

King of Armenia 54 BCE–34 BCE

Succeeded by Artaxias II