Maximinus Daia 310-313 AD

The relationship between Rome and Armenia took an unusual turn during the tumultuous civil wars of the early 4th century. Maximinus Daia, as eastern Augustus (311–313 AD) in the Tetrarchy’s final phase, found himself in conflict not with Persia, but with Christian Armenia – formerly a steadfast Roman ally. Armenia at this time was ruled by Tiridates III, an Arsacid king who, remarkably, had converted to Christianity around 301 AD, making Armenia the world’s first officially Christian kingdom. Maximinus, a pagan and a fierce persecutor of Christians, sought to impose the old religion by force. According to the church historian Eusebius, Maximinus demanded that the Christian Armenians resume pagan worship, effectively turning his friends into enemies. The Armenians, “ancient friends and allies of the Romans” and devoutly Christian, refused and resisted his mandates.

This standoff led to a military clash. Maximinus Daia marched against Armenia (c. 310 or 312 ??? AD) to coerce its obedience, but the campaign ended in disaster for him. Eusebius records that Maximinus “was defeated in the war with the Armenians” – the Armenian forces handed the Roman emperor a humiliating loss. Concurrently, Daia’s domains were struck by famine and plague, which Christian writers saw as divine retribution for his impiety. The failure of Maximinus’ Armenian campaign had significant fallout. It preserved Armenia’s religious and political autonomy at a critical moment: Armenia remained officially Christian and aligned with Rome’s emerging Constantine faction.

Indeed, after Maximinus’ defeat (and death in 313), Constantine the Great cultivated Armenia as an ally in his upcoming war against Persia. Armenian sources and later Roman actions suggest Maximinus’ aggression pushed Armenia even closer to Constantine. In 314, Constantine formalized alliance with King Tiridates III, and shortly after, Constantine’s nephew was earmarked for an Armenian throne (a plan in 335 AD).