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Arshakavan

Ancient Armenian city founded by King Arshak II in the 4th century CE From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Arshakavan
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Arshakavan[a] (Armenian:Արշակավան (reformed); Արշակաւան (classical)), also known historically as Arshakashen or Arshakert, was an ancient fortified city founded by King Arshak II of the Arsacid dynasty of Armenia.

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Strategically positioned in the central Armenian highlands, the city served as a political and military bastion during Arshak II's tumultuous reign, marked by conflicts with the Sasanian Empire, internal dissent among the Armenian nobility, and shifting alliances with the Roman Empire.[2] Although its precise location remains debated, archaeological evidence near modern Aparan and textual accounts suggest it lay within the Ayrarat province of the Armenian Kingdom.[3][4][5]

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Etymology

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The name Arshakavan (Armenian: Արշակավան) is a compound of two elements: Arshak (Արշակ), the name of its founder, King Arshak II, and the suffix -avan (-ավան), a common Armenian toponymic element denoting "town" or "settlement."[6][7][8] This naming convention paralleled other Armenian cities such as Artashat (Artaxias’ settlement) and Vagharshapat (Vologases’ settlement), reflecting dynastic patronage.[9] The 7th-century geographer Anania Shirakatsi recorded the city as Arshakavan in his Ashkharhatsuyts (Geography), linking it explicitly to the Arsacid lineage.[10] Medieval chroniclers occasionally used the variant Arshakert ("built by Arshak"), though Arshakavan remained dominant in historiographical texts.[11][12][13] The suffix -avan derives from the Old Armenian word avan (աւան), meaning "hamlet" or "dwelling," and shares linguistic roots with the Persian term ābād (آباد), used to signify cultivated or inhabited places.[14]

Alternative names for the city, such as Arshakashen (Արշակաշեն) and Arshakert (Արշակերտ), follow similar naming conventions in Armenian historiography.[15][16] The suffix "-ashen" (-աշեն) means "built by," while "-kert" (-երտ) derives from the Old Iranian *kr̥ta- ("made, created"), commonly used in Armenian city names (e.g., Tigranocerta).[17][18] The multiplicity of names reflects Arshak II's efforts to legitimize his rule through urban patronage, a practice common among Hellenistic and Near Eastern monarchs.[19]

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History

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Foundation and strategic purpose

Arshakavan was established around 350 CE[b] during Arshak II's efforts to centralize royal authority and counterbalance the power of the Nakharar nobility, who frequently aligned with the Sasanians.[22] The city was designed as a refuge for peasants, soldiers, and loyalists emancipated from feudal obligations, a policy criticized by the nobility as destabilizing traditional hierarchies.[23][24][25] According to the Roman historian Ammianus Marcellinus, Arshak II's alliance with Emperor Constantius II (r. 337–361) provided architectural and military expertise for the city's construction, reflecting Roman urban planning principles.[26]

Political and military role

Arshakavan became a linchpin in Arshak II's resistance against Sasanian incursions. The 5th-century historian Lazar Parpetsi notes that the city housed a royal garrison and minted coins bearing Arshak II's effigy, symbolizing defiance against Sasanian suzerainty.[27] The Armenian cavalry, renowned for its heavy cataphracts, used Arshakavan as a base for raids into Atropatene, as documented in Procopius' History of the Wars.[28] However, the city's radical social reforms—granting land to freed peasants—alienated the nobility, who conspired with Sasanian king Shapur II to undermine Arshak II.[29]

Cultural and religious significance

Arshakavan hosted one of the earliest Christian communities in Armenia, reflecting Arshak II's alignment with the Roman-sponsored Christianization of the region.[30] Excavations in the 1980s revealed a 4th-century basilica, suggesting the city was a center for early Armenian liturgy.[31] The city also housed a Zoroastrian fire temple, reflecting Armenia's religious syncretism before its official Christianization in 301 CE.[32]

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Layout and structure

Arshakavan's design mirrored Roman military camps, with a grid layout centered on a fortified acropolis.[33] Soviet excavations in 1985 uncovered cyclopean walls, granaries, and a palace complex with Roman-style hypocaust heating.[34] Faustus of Byzantium described Arshakavan as "a city of freemen, unshackled by the chains of the nobles," emphasizing its role as a social experiment.[c][22] Coins minted in the city blended Roman iconography (e.g., Victoria) with Armenian motifs (Mount Ararat), underscoring its hybrid identity.[36]

Decline and destruction

Following Arshak II's capture by Shapur II in 368 CE, Arshakavan was razed by Sasanian forces.[37] The 7th-century historian Sebeos recorded that Shapur II "burned the city to ashes, leaving no stone upon another."[38] Survivors fled to Roman-controlled territories, as noted in Theodoret's Ecclesiastical History.[39] By the 5th century, the site was abandoned, though medieval Armenian chroniclers preserved its memory as a symbol of resistance.[20] The 5th-century Armenian historians Faustus of Byzantium and Movses Khorenatsi provide divergent narratives about the fall of Arshakavan. According to Buzand, the city was depopulated by a devastating epidemic, interpreted as divine punishment for the moral transgressions of its inhabitants.[40] In stark contrast, Khorenatsi attributes Arshakavan's destruction to secular political strife, claiming it was razed by rebellious ministers seeking to undermine Arsacid royal authority.[41][42]

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Legacy

The city has been mythologized in Armenian literature and political thought. Nineteenth-century nationalist writers like Raffi portrayed Arshakavan as a proto-democratic enclave where "king and peasant stood as equals," an idealized narrative reflecting anti-feudal sentiments in Russian-ruled Armenia.[43][44][45] The city is commemorated in Armenian literature, notably in Paruyr Sevak's poem "The Unsilenceable Belfry."[46] In 2015, satellite imagery revealed previously unknown fortifications near Aparan, reigniting academic interest.[47]

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Historiographical debates

Scholars dispute Arshakavan's exact location. Robert H. Hewsen locates it near modern Talin, citing toponymic parallels,[48] while Nina Garsoïan argues for Aparan based on road networks described by Ptolemy.[35] Others, like Cyril Toumanoff, suggest it was a mobile royal camp rather than a permanent city.[49] Recent LiDAR surveys (2021) near Mount Aragats support the Aparan hypothesis.[50]

See also

Notes

  1. Also spelled as Arshakawan[1]
  2. While most scholars agree Arshakavan was founded c. 350 CE, Nicholas Adontz argued for an earlier date (c. 345 CE) based on numismatic evidence.[20] This aligns with Paul Bedoukian's analysis of Arshak II’s coinage, which shows Roman influence predating his formal alliance with Constantius II.[21]
  3. Faustus of Byzantium’s description of Arshakavan as a "city of freemen" may reflect later 5th-century social ideals rather than historical reality.[35]
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References

Further reading

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