Arab Invasion And Byzantine Empire

Arab invasion and Byzantine Empire

By the end of the IV century the Byzantine Empire and Sassanid Persia officially established their spheres of influence in Armenia. The Arshakuni dynasty was dissolved in the year 428, and eastern part of Armenia was annexed to Persia, while the western part was put under Byzantine rule. The Sassanids were forcing Armenians to convert to Zoroastrianism, causing the Armenian revolt of 451 under the leadership of prince Vartan Mamikonian, commander-in-chief of the Armenian army. Although the Armenian forces, outnumbered by the Persians, actually lost the legendary battle of Avarayr, and Vartan Mamikonian himself was killed, this turned out to be a significant victory for Armenians, as Persians eventually gave up their efforts to convert and assimilate Armenians, and were forced to agree to much higher level of autonomy for Armenia.

The spiritual independence of Armenia was further asserted in 554, when the second Council of Dvin (capital of Armenia of that period) rejected the dyophysite formula of the Council of Chalcedon (451), a decisive step that cut Armenians off from the Roman and Greek churches as surely as they were already ideologically severed from the East.

By the time of Arab invasion in 634 Armenia, ruled by prince Theodore Rshtuni, was virtually independent. After conquering Persia, the Arabs started to concentrate their armies against Armenia, but didn't manage to conquer the country until 654.

Armenian History

Table of contents

1. Armenians
2. Artashisian Dynasty
3. Arshakunian Dynasty
4. The Armenian Alphabet
5. Arab Invasion and Byzantine Empire
6. Bagratunian Dynasty
7. Rubinian Dynasty
8. Armenia Under Turkish Rule
9. Armenian Question
10. Armenian Genocide
11. Armenian Soviet Republic
12. Nagorno-Karabakh movement
13. Armenia Today
14. Coat Of Arms
15. The Flag
16. Timeline
17. Mer Hayrenik