Augustus 27 BC-14 AD

Under Emperor Augustus, Rome established a lasting framework for control over Armenia through deft diplomacy backed by force. After Antony’s downfall, Armenia had fallen into instability: the new king Artaxias II harbored anti-Roman sentiments and aligned with Parthia. In 20 BC, disaffected Armenian nobles appealed to Augustus to remove Artaxias. Seizing this opportunity, Augustus dispatched his stepson Tiberius east with a Roman army and a replacement candidate – Tigranes III, a pro-Roman member of Armenia’s Artaxiad dynasty who had been in Roman custody. Before the Romans arrived, Artaxias was assassinated by his own courtiers, clearing the path. Tigranes III was installed on the throne as a client king with no resistance, affirming Armenia’s status as a Roman-dependent kingdom.

This intervention was part of Augustus’ broader Parthian diplomacy: that same year, the Parthian king returned the legionary standards lost by Crassus, and Augustus agreed that Rome would nominate Armenian kings thereafter. Indeed, a Roman-Parthian accord emerged to treat Armenia as a neutral buffer: Rome’s right to approve or appoint Armenian monarchs was recognized by Parthia.

Augustus soon faced further succession troubles in Armenia. When Tigranes III died, his successors (Tigranes IV and others) often leaned toward Parthia or came to power without Roman consent. Augustus repeatedly asserted Rome’s prerogative: he sponsored and deposed claimants to check Parthian influence. Notably, around 2 BC – 4 AD, Augustus sent his grandson Gaius Caesar to handle an Armenian succession dispute, reflecting the importance of the client kingdom’s stability. He even placed a foreign-born prince (Ariobarzanes of Media) on the Armenian throne. When Armenians ousted this outsider and briefly reinstated their own queen Erato, Augustus again approved a new client, Tigranes V, a descendant of the Herodian dynasty.

Through these measures, Augustus balanced Roman and Parthian interests while preventing either empire from outright annexing Armenia. His reign set the precedent that Armenia’s crown would be decided in Rome’s halls or on its battlefields – a delicate diplomatic equilibrium that would endure for decades.