Tigranes the Great

Tigranes II (140-55 BCE), also known as Tigranes the Great, was the Emperor of Armenia between 95-55 BCE.
At its height his Empire stretched from the Caspian to the Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean. Tigranes worshipped Zoroastrianism.

Tigranes ruled from his capital at Tigranocerta between 77-69 BCE, which replaced the old capital at Artaxata. The location of Tigranocerta has never been found but is thought to have been near modern Silvan in Armenia.

Tigranes became an ally of Mithridates VI of Pontus but avoided becoming directly involved in the First Mithridatic War (89-85 BCE).
Whilst Mithridates conducted a massacre of 80,000 Italians in Asia Minor, Tigranes attempted to control Cappadocia.

Between 88-83 BCE, Tigranes took advantage of the weakened Parthian Empire to occupy the area called the ‘seventy valleys’ in western Parthia and then moved south and occupied Mesopotamia.
Tigranes then moved into the Seleucid Empire of Syria, accepting the crown in 83 BCE, and placing his Governor in Antioch, and was then given the allegiance of all the cities of the Levant and Cilicia, which ended the former Seleucid Empire. Ten years later the Seleucid Princes arrived in Rome.

In 73 BCE, the Siege of Cyzicus was lifted by the Roman General Lucullus. As Mithridates’ army left Cyzicus, it was attacked and overwhelmed by Lucullus. Of an initial army of 300,000 at the beginning of the campaign, Mithridates was left with only 20,000 men. He fled to Armenia.
In 71 BCE, Lucullus sent a request to Tigranes to return Mithridates, which he refused.
In 69 BCE Lucullus made a surprise invasion and besieged Tigranocerta. Tigranes returned from Syria and confronted Lucullus, but was routed at the Battle of Tigranocerta in October and had to regroup at his old capital of Artaxata.
In the summer of 68 BCE, Lucullus moved north through the mountains towards Artaxa. Tigranes confronted him at the river Artanias, but was again defeated. He was saved by the Armenian winter which made Lucullus’ army refuse to advance. Lucullus was forced to withdrew, and instead successfully besieged the Fortress of Nisibis, which became his base in 67 BCE.
During 67 BCE, Lucullus left his army and went to conduct negotiations in Syria to diminish Tigranes power in the region. When Mithridates entered Pontus, Lucullus returned to his army, but for the second time his army refused to follow his orders.

In 66 BCE, the Senate sent Pompey to replace Lucullus, as he had failed to capture either Mithridates or Tigranes.
Pompey entered Armenia at the head of the army, accompanied by Tigranes the Younger, Tigranes disloyal son.

Tigranes, now aged 75, surrendered and was allowed to remain in power as a Roman Client Kingdom without his former possessions. He lived until he was 85.

Tigranocerta