Armenia

Hatti expand [2500]. The Hatti, speakers of a Hurrian language, expanded southwest from the Caucausas Mountains and formed city-states in western and central Anatolia. Their Hurrian language is not related to the Semitic and Indo-European languages spoken in this region.
Hittites enter central Anatolia [2100]. The Hittites, who spoke an Indo-European langague, occupied lands that had been held by the Hatti. • Iron making. The Hittites learned to make iron [1900]. Their weapons remained bronze because they produced small quantities of iron.
Hittite Old Kingdom [1586]. A strong leader formed a kingdom ['Land of Hatti'], moved the capital [from Nesa] to Hattusa [Boghazkoy], took Syria from the Hurrians [1580], and expanded west across Anatolia 'to the sea'. They sacked Babylon [1531], ending its Amorite dynasty. • War chariots. Hittite warriors carrying long spears ['lances'] rode in horse-drawn chariots to attack enemy foot-soldiers.
Mitanni strong [1530]. A king's murder followed by succession problems weakened the Hittites. The Hurrian speaking Mitanni gained strength and became the most powerful kingdom in the region [1450/1380].
Hittite New Kingdom [1380]. The Hittites fortified their capital [Hattusas], developed a larger war chariot that carried three warriors, and defeated the Mittani [1380]. The son of a Hittite king traveled to Egypt to marry the widow of King Tut. He would have become pharaoh, but was murdered [1350]. The Hittites expanded to the southwest [1344].
Chariot warfare [1298]. The Hittites, while expanding, avoided powerful Egypt. The two states were drawn into battle after an Egyptian outpost [Kadesh] attack the Hittites. The resulting battle has been called the largest chariot battle in history [1298, Kadesh]. Hittite warriors using lances fought on 3-man chariots. Egyptian soldiers using bows and arrows rode faster 2-man chariots. Both sides claimed the victory.
• Peace Treaty. To end continuing attacks after the Battle of Kadesh [1298] the Hittites and Egyptians agreed on a border between the two states and signed peace treaty [1258]. A replica of the treaty is displayed at the United Nations headquarters because it is the earliest recorded peace agreement.
Hittites expand [1250]. The Hittites took the remaining Mitanni cities.
Phrygians attack Hittites [1190]. Indo-European speaking Phrygians entered Anatolia from the west and destroyed the Hittite capital [1190]. The Hittites continued to control other cities for another 400 years.
Phrygians settle [1100]. The Phrygians were one of the Sea Peoples that caused widespread destruction along the eastern Mediterranean coast. They formed a kingdom in central Anatolia. Their hostility to outsiders formed a barrier that separated eastern and western cultures.
Urartu form kingdom [860]. East of Phrygia, Hurrian speakers formed Urartu [860, 'Ararat'], established a capital at Van [830], and expanded [800/760].
• Menua Canal [Semiramis Canal]. This system of dams, canals, and cisterns for water storage enabled farming over a large area [732]. Parts remain in use today.
Urartu weak [714]. Raids by Semite Assyrians weaked the Urartu [714].
Phrygia destroyed [690]. North Iranian Cimmerians, fleeing from the North Iranian Scythians, destroyed Phrygia, ending its history [690]. Many Phrygians moved east and settled among the Urartu.
Urartu under Media [612]. The Iranian Medes conquered Urartu [612].
Armenians form kingdom [600]. Armenians formed a kingdom called 'Hayk' in memory of a legendary descendent of Noah whose ark landed nearby on Mt. Ararat. The name Armenia honors the first Urartian king [Arame]. The Armenian language evolved from the Hurrian language spoke by the Hatti, Mitanni, and Urartu and Indo-European language spoken by the Phrygians.
Under Persia [558]. Achaemenid Persia conquered Armenia [558] and introduced the Zoroastrian religion.
Armenia self-rule under Persia [401]. Persia controlled Armenia, but allowed Armenians to rule themselves as a partially independent state [401, Yervandi Dynasty].
Under Alexander [331]. Alexander the Great never entered Armenia, but it became part of his empire when he defeated Persia [331, Gaugamela].
Independent [321]. After Alexander died his general, Seleucus, took control of Armenia [321]. Armenia broke away four years after the Seleucids took power.
Armenia divided [211]. The Seleucids regained Armenia and divided it into two kingdoms [211, Armenia Major and Armenia Minor].
Two Kingdoms [190]. Rome defeated the Seleucids [190, Magnesia] and restored the two independent states [Armenia Major and Armenia Minor].
Armenia united [94]. The ruler of Armenia Minor [Tigran II] united the two Armenian states [94]. Armenia gained new territory and became the most powerful kingdom in the region.
Under Rome [69 BCE]. Rome conquered Armenia [69 BCE] and restored the borders that existed before Armenia's expansion.
Under Parthia [63 CE]. Rome and Parthia signed a treaty that permitted the Parthian king's brother to rule Armenia.
Rome takes Armenia [114]. Rome took Armenia [114] and Mesopotamia [115] from Persia, but abandoned the new lands three years later because they were too costly to defend.
Rome attacks [166]. Rome attacked Armenia [166] and Persia [167]. The Roman soldiers brought home a plague that caused widespread death.
Rome captures king [216]. Rome captured the Armenian king [216], but the Romans could not control Armenia.
Under Sassanid Persia [232]. Six years after coming into power in Persia [226], the Sassanids installed a Sassanid as ruler of Armenia [232].
Religious rebellion [284]. After Persia imposed the Zoroastrian religion the Armenians rebelled and won independence [284]. Persia regained Armenia [296], but Rome helped the Armenians recover their freedom [297].
Christianity [301]. Armenia became the first nation to adopt Christianity as its state religion [301]. Christianity played a prominent role in Armenia's national identity.
Armenia divided [387]. Rome and Persia divided Armenia [387] after wealthy Armenian landowners fought and weakened their kingdom. The smaller western portion became part of the Roman Empire. The larger eastern region remained independent under Persian influence.
• Alphabet. An Armenian monk [Saint Mesrop] created a 36 letter alphabet [404] and translated the Christian Bible into Armenian [425]. The alphabet, derived from the Greek alphabet, helped link Armenia with the west.
Religious persecutions [451]. Persia imposed the Zoroastrian religion on eastern Armenia [421]. The Armenians rebelled [451, Saint Vardan Mamikonian] and Persia agreed to end forced conversions [455, Treaty of Nvarsah].
Armenia independent [484]. The Persian army focused on Turkic Hepthalite raids far to the east. The Eastern Armenians rebelled [481] and became independent after the Turks defeated the Persian army [484].
Byzantium relocates Armenians [536]. The rule of Justinian [527] is often used as the starting point of the Byzantine empire. Western Armenia passed from Roman to Byzantine rule. Byzantium relocated many Armenians [536] to reduce the power of the landowners who had caused the break-up of Armenia 150 years earlier. Armenians rose to high offices and several Byzantine emperors were half-Armenian.
Church separation [554]. Armenian Christian leaders agreed [554, Council of Dwin] that Jesus had two separate personalities, god and man [Nestorius]. This cut-off the Armenian Christians from the Roman and Greek Christians who believed that Jesus had a single personality, both God and man.
Second Partition [591]. Byzantium helped restore the Persian ruler during a rebellion. As a reward Persia gave part of Armenia to Byzantium [591]. The Byzantines relocated thousands of Armenians to various locations within the Byzantine Empire to weaken the country and make it easier to control.
Under Umayyads [636]. Umayyad Arabs attacked Armenia [636, 642] and finally conquered it [653]. The Umayyads wanted Armenia to serve as a buffer zone to protect them from Byzantium. During a war with Byzantium the Umayyads persecuted Armenian Christians because their church headquarters was in Byzantium [705]. Many Christians fled to Byzantium.
Muslim Emirate [717]. The Umayyads established the Muslim Emirate of Armenia [717]. Wealthy landowners divided Armenia into regional Umayyad kingdoms [emirates]. Arab leadership passed from the Umayyads to the Abbasids [754].
Bagratuni Dynasty [861]. A native Armenian [Ashot I] rose to power [861] and Armenia was recognized as an independent state by the Abbasid [885] and Byzantine [886] rulers.
Civil War [913]. Two competing Armenian kingdoms [Azerbaijan and Vaspurakan] attacked the Bagratuni, starting a civil war [913]. The Byzantine emperor [Constantine VII], of Armenian descent, helped the Bagratuni remain in power.
Assist Byzantium [972]. Another Byzantine emperor of Armenian descent [John Tzimisces] wanted to attack the Muslim Buyids and asked the Armenians for permission to cross their land. Despite being a Muslim state, Armenia supported the Byzantine emperor.
Copyright © 2002-2010 Francis E Lodge
All Rights Reserved • atlasofworldhistory.com