Artavasdes III 5-2 BC

Artavasdes III was the youngest son of King Artavasdes II and thus the brother of Artaxias II and Tigranes III. When his nephew Tigranes IV and Queen Erato established a pro-Parthian regime in 8 BC, Emperor Augustus decided to restore Roman influence in Armenia. In 5 BC the prince, already resident in Rome, marched east under Roman escort, displaced Tigranes IV, and was crowned at Artaxata as Rome’s client-king.

Ascending with clear Roman backing, Artavasdes III opened Armenia to Roman merchants, adopted imperial honors, and sent noble hostages to Rome to cement the alliance. Augustus withdrew his legions once Armenia appeared secure, trusting the new king to guard the eastern flank of the empire.

Domestically, the arrangement deepened factional rifts. The pro-Parthian nobility rallied around the dowager queen Erato and the deposed Tigranes IV, portraying Artavasdes as a foreign puppet who violated traditional succession. By 2 BC the opposition raised a revolt; Tigranes IV returned from exile at the head of Parthian-supported forces, expelled Artavasdes III, and reclaimed the throne with Erato. Roman commentators record the episode as a setback for Roman prestige; Armenian sources emphasize popular resistance to external control.