Tigranes the Younger 77/6-66 BC

Tigranes the Younger was the ambitious son of Tigranes the Great, whose turbulent fate reflects Armenia’s internal dynastic struggles amid foreign meddling. Around 77 BC, King Tigranes II appointed his son as co-ruler, and the young prince proved himself in military affairs. Stationed in Antioch and Damascus during the late 70s BC, he governed newly acquired territories in Syria. It was during this time apart from his father that Tigranes the Younger forged a secret alliance with Parthia. Marrying a daughter of King Phraates III of Parthia, he secured backing to claim Armenia’s throne. This betrayal of his father’s trust shows an Armenian power struggle exploited by Parthia: the son sought to overturn the father with foreign support, diminishing Armenia’s unity.

When Roman forces under Lucullus invaded in 69 BC, father and son initially united against the common threat. However, as Roman pressure mounted, the elder Tigranes retreated north in 66 BC, leaving the capital in his son’s hands. Seizing the moment, Tigranes the Younger turned on his father and welcomed Pompey’s advancing legions, hoping Rome would crown him sole king of Armenia. This act of treason – an Armenian prince delivering his kingdom to a foreign general – was unprecedented. Yet the gambit backfired: Pompey was wary of the young Tigranes’ Parthian ties and mistrusted his patricidal ambition. In Pompey’s settlement of 66 BC, the elder Tigranes II was restored as a Roman client King of Armenia Major, while Tigranes the Younger was granted only a small consolation – the border province of Sophene.

Humiliated and unable to pay the heavy tribute Pompey imposed, the younger Tigranes was soon stripped even of Sophene. Within months, Pompey removed him from power entirely (some sources say he was taken to Rome in chains). Thus ended his brief and tumultuous bid for the throne. From an Armenian viewpoint, Tigranes the Younger’s story is a cautionary tale: his attempt to leverage foreign powers for personal gain led to Armenia’s partial dismemberment. The episode underscored the importance of unity – his rebellion weakened Armenia’s position, forcing the nation to bow to Rome’s arbitration. Tigranes the Younger spent the remainder of his life in obscurity, while Armenia, under his father’s late rule, licked its wounds as a reduced yet still sovereign kingdom.