Arshakavan

Arshakavan (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.

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. 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.

Etymology

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." This naming convention paralleled other Armenian cities such as ''Artashat'' (Artaxias’ settlement) and ''Vagharshapat'' ( Vologases’ settlement), reflecting dynastic patronage. The 7th-century geographer Anania Shirakatsi recorded the city as ''Arshakavan'' in his ''Ashkharhatsuyts'' (''Geography''), linking it explicitly to the Arsacid lineage. Medieval chroniclers occasionally used the variant ''Arshakert'' ("built by Arshak"), though ''Arshakavan'' remained dominant in historiographical texts. 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.

Alternative names for the city, such as Arshakashen (Արշակաշեն) and Arshakert (Արշակերտ), follow similar naming conventions in Armenian historiography. 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). 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.

History

Foundation and strategic purpose

Arshakavan was established around 350 CE during Arshak II's efforts to centralize royal authority and counterbalance the power of the Nakharar nobility, who frequently aligned with the Sasanians. 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. 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.

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. 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''. 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.

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. Excavations in the 1980s revealed a 4th-century basilica, suggesting the city was a center for early Armenian liturgy. The city also housed a Zoroastrian fire temple, reflecting Armenia's religious syncretism before its official Christianization in 301 CE.

Layout and structure

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

Decline and destruction

Following Arshak II's capture by Shapur II in 368 CE, Arshakavan was razed by Sasanian forces. The 7th-century historian Sebeos recorded that Shapur II "burned the city to ashes, leaving no stone upon another." Survivors fled to Roman-controlled territories, as noted in Theodoret's ''Ecclesiastical History''. By the 5th century, the site was abandoned, though medieval Armenian chroniclers preserved its memory as a symbol of resistance.
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. 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.

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. The city is commemorated in Armenian literature, notably in Paruyr Sevak's poem "The Unsilenceable Belfry." In 2015, satellite imagery revealed previously unknown fortifications near Aparan, reigniting academic interest.

Historiographical debates

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

See also

* Dvin
* Arsacid dynasty of Parthia
*History of Armenia
*Ancient Near East

Notes

References

Bibliography

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Further reading

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* {{cite journal , last=Marciak , first=M. , title=Sophene, Gordyene, and Adiabene: Three Regna Minora of Northern Mesopotamia Between East and West , journal=Brill , date=2017 , isbn=978-90-04-35072-4 , url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hwEtDwAAQBAJ

Arsacid dynasty of Armenia
4th-century establishments
4th-century disestablishments
Former populated places in Armenia