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Mt. Ararat is located in the heart of Armenia, and since prehistoric times Ararat has been a Holy Mountain and the lands around it as Holy Land for the people of the ancient world. The Sumerians, one of the first civilizations in the world called Ararat, Arrata. In the Sumerian epic poems, they describe the Great Flood and the rebirth of life after the deluge that fell unto the lands of Mesopotamia. The Egyptians, also believed that life began from a mountain, surrounded by a vast expanse of water. All of the traditional inscriptions and scriptures of the Ancients, including the Biblical accounts, place the Garden of Eden in the Land of Armenia. The Holy Bible and the Hebrew scriptures, tell us of Noah's Ark and of the Great Flood. ' When the downpour of rain stops and the water secedes, Noah descents from upon the Holy Mt. Ararat into the Araratian Valley of Armenia'. Japheth, Noah's oldest son decides to stay with Noah in Armenia and is believed to become the Forefather of the Armenian People. The Holy Mt. Ararat is the symbol of Armenia and the Armenian nation and it will remain so eternally.
Prehistoric Armenia starts with, the Hayasa-Azzi tribes, also known as Proto-Armenians, were indigenous to the Armenian Highland in Eastern Anatolia. These tribes formed the Nairi tribal union, which existed until late 13th century BC.
Date: 2800 BC
The Armens Armenian History begins with the story of Haig. Haig, the chieftain of the tribe of Armens, one of the most powerful, organized and biggest of the Armenian tribes in Armenian Highland and as well as Northern Mesopotamia or better known as Armenian Mesopotamia. Haig organizes Armens against the invading forces of Baeleus of Babylon attacking from Mesopotamia into the Land of Ararat. As the Armenian Traditional Date or Calendar of Vahagn, tells us it was August 11 in the year 2492 BC, in a battle that takes place near the shores of Lake Van, Haig fires a triple headed broad arrow from his long bow into the chest of Baeleus of Babylon. According to Movses Khorenatsi (5th C AD Historian) the ample arrow splits the breastplate of Baeleus, who falls to the ground and dies on the spot. The unorganized horde flees in the face of the death of their leader. Haig calls on his kinsmen to unite into one single nation and kingdom in order to defend and to continue cultivate, improve and enrich the ancestral homeland. Haig establishes a town - Haigashen which becomes the nucleus of later Armenian Kingdom. Haig places his sons in charge of strategically important areas of Armenia to guard and prevent any further hostilities from foreign empires. Haig, once thought to be a mythical folk legend hero, is now accepted by some historians as the actual Armenic leader of the third millennium BC and the traditional establisher of the First Armenian Kingdom. Even now, Armenians call themselves Hai
(pronounced high), and their country - Haig or Haiastan, in honor of Haig. One of Haig's most famous scions, Aram, considerably extended the borders of his country, transforming it into a powerful state. Since then, Greeks and Persian began to call the country Armenia, translates to 'the country of Aram'. According to a Greek myth, which actually reflects this tribal migration, the forefather of Armenians, Armenios or Armen in as known by Armenians - was one of the Argonauts, accompanying Jason in his quest for the Golden Fleece. Aram's son, Ara the Beautiful succeeded him. An Armenian legend tells that Ara was so handsome that the Assyrian Queen Semiramis (the same who founded Babylon and planted its marvelous hanging gardens) fell in love with him. Ara repeatedly rejected her love proposals until the desperate queen began a war with him. The Assyrians troops won the furious battle, and Ara was killed, in despite of Semiramis's order to preserve his life. Inconsolable Semiramis reputed to be sorceress took his body and tried in vain to enliven him. When Armenians advanced to avenge their leader, she disguised one of her lovers and spread the rumor that Gods brought Ara back to life. As a result, the war was ceased. In the year 1115 BC, king Tiglath Pileser I of Assyria reports a battle with a force of 20,000 Armens in the Gadmokh province of Assyria. Yerevan, capital of today's Republic of Armenia. Its foundation dates from 782 BC, which is reported in a cuneiform writing of King Argiste. The inscription reads: by the Greatness of God Haig, Argiste son of Menua built the city of Yerebuni... Kingdom of Urartu
Date:
860-843 BC
Arameh Some 50 years after the fall of Nineveh which brought the Assyrian power to an end, the king Tigranes the First (direct descendant of the Haig Dynasty) in 565 BC in alliance with Cyrus the Great, founder of Achaemenid dynasty conquered the lands controlled by the Medes and reinforced the Armenian Kingdom. Tigranes the First had three sons; the third son's name was Vahagn the Dragonfighter. The Armenian pagan tradition covered Vahagn with glory and legends, he was even worshipped like Hercules.
Kingdom of Armenia
Date:
558-553
BC
Yervant I.
(Yervanduni
Dynasty) 215-190 BC Zareh, father of Artashes the Great (Artashisian Dynasty)
After the death of Alexander the Great, and the monarchy was split into many parts, in 190 BC, Prince Artashes, the governor of Greater Armenia, united the shattered Armenian lands, establishing the Atashesian dynasty. He built the city of Artashat. According to some Roman historians, the construction of this new Armenian capital was supervised by famous commander Hannibal the Carthaginian, who took refuge in Armenia fleeing from the Romans. The country enjoyed peace and prosperity under the rule of Vagharshak, who came to throne in 149 BC. He set up the institute of nobility in his kingdom and established the new senior official ranking system. Vagharshak made the city of Armavir his royal residence. Several Greek inscriptions from around that period found in Armavir witness about the influence of the Greek culture in Armenia.
Kingdom of Armenia continues
Date: 190-160
BC
Ardavazt I
145-123
BC
Diran I
After the death of Tigranes II, Armenia was reduced back to its ethnic Armenian territory and found itself in the middle of a long war campaign between Rome and Persia, with each superpower trying to have Armenia as its ally, as the military assistance with Armenia was crucial for gaining political superiority in Asia Minor. King Artavazt III, governed Armenia for 20 years until Anthony and Cleopatra had him brought to Egypt in chains. Artavazt refused to name Cleopatra as his queen and was executed. Kingdom of Armenia continues AFTER CHRIST (Anno Domini) In the middle of the I century AD a new royal dynasty - the Arshakouni (the Arsacids) - was established in Armenia. This dynasty was related to the royal family of Persia, which bared the same family name. At this period Armenia and Persia enjoyed a long period of peace and cooperation.
Date:
2-4
AD
Arioparzan
35-47
AD
(Transition Period)
287-294 AD
unknown king
387
AD
Division of Armenia into two reigns:
387-451
AD
Vartan Mamigonian
Period of Marzbans
885-890 AD
Ashod I
(Pakradouni's Dynasty)
1080-1095
AD
Prince Ruben
(Rubenian Dynasty)
1187-1198 AD
Levon the Mezakordz
(as baron) 1224-1269 AD Hetoum I (Hetoumian Dynasty)
1206
AD
Tartars and Gengis Khan invasion
1342-1344
AD
Guidon
(Lusignan
Dynasty)
1885 AD Armenagan-Ramgavar Political Party created 1887 AD Henchakian Political Party created
1890 AD
Tashnakzutiun
Political Party created
1909
AD
Massacre of Adana in Cilicia 100,000
Armenians massacred
1918 AD (May 26) Sardarabad battle verses Turks and Tatars
1918-1920
AD
Establishment of
Independent Armenia proclamation on May 28.
1955
AD
Consecration of His
Holiness Vasken l, Catholicos of All Armenians, in Etchmiadzin.
(Oct.16) Levon Der-Bedrosian Elected 1st President.
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He succeeded his father in 95 BC. Brother-in-law and true ally of Mithridates
the Great, the glorious King of Pontus, he struggled together with his
formidable relative against the Roman dominance. Tigranes became known as
the
Great, extended the Armenian borders from Caspian Sea to Egypt, gaining full
control over the vast territories. After having subdued the provinces in Syria, Cappadocia and Mesopotamia, Tigranes also conquered Palestine, taking many
thousands of prisoners. He united all the Armenian lands and built 4 large
cities in different parts of his empire all 4 called Tigranakert.