Ancient Armenia: history, dates, culture. History of Armenia, fictional and true

History of Armenia, fictional and true. In recent years, many states have begun to create their own history, which would correspond to populist and nationalist interests. In these new national histories, all world research is completely rejected (they are replaced by new writings and manipulations). This was already the case in Hitler’s Germany, whose historians argued that the Germans were the chosen people, who were given the right to rule the whole world. They argued that the Germans are true Aryans, while the name “Aryans” (ancient Indo-Iranians) was replaced by their own, according to which “Aryans” are the ancestors of all white peoples (white Indo-Europeans). All other peoples (except the Anglo-Saxon Scandinavians) were not considered true Aryans. But Germany was not the very first country where history was revised in its own nationalist interests. This was the case in Ancient Greece, when the Greeks considered all other peoples to be barbarians. This was the case in Rome, where they also considered all other peoples to be barbarians. The same story prevails today in Israel and among the Jews, who to this day consider themselves “God’s chosen” people. According to their theory, all people descended from Adam (according to the Bible), so that all other peoples can be considered descendants of the ancient Jews. Currently, many peoples (and countries) are dominated by their own (nationalist) theories about their people. Armenia did not stand aside either. Since its independence from the Soviet Union, new versions of Armenian history have begun to spread in Armenia (especially among its new young historians), where it is believed that the Armenians are the most ancient people among all the peoples of the Middle East. Only in Armenia is the dominant theory that all Indo-European peoples (from the Portuguese to the Indians) descended from the ancient Armenians, and the Armenian Highlands are the homeland of all Aryans (very similar to the German theory of the times of fascism). Thus, modern Armenians are (according to their theory) genuine Aryans. Let me remind you once again that I have encountered similar nationalist theories among many other peoples - Russians, Israelis, Germans, Bulgarians, Ukrainians, Bashkirs, Kurds, Persians, etc. But in this article I will consider the ancient history of Armenia, its claims and justifications. First, I will give some statements (statements) of the new Armenian “historians” with which the Internet is flooded: - the homeland of all Indo-European peoples is the Armenian Highlands. This is a hypothesis developed by Ivanov and Gomkrelidze), which means the Armenians are the most ancient people among all Indo-European peoples, - the Hurrians are the ancient Armenians (Aryans), and not the ancestors of all Caucasian peoples (ancient Urartians, Mannaeans, Colchians, Albanians and the ancestors of modern Caucasian peoples - Georgians, Abkhazians, Chechens, Ingush, Avars, Lezgins, etc.), - Armenians are the people of God, created by God himself (this is so similar to the Jewish theory), - Armenia is God’s country, - Ararat - this is the mountain of God, - the state of Urartu never existed (it was ancient Armenia, only it had a mistakenly different name “Urartu”), and such a people as the Urartians also never existed (they were Armenians), - Armenia and the Armenians existed during the Sumerian civilization , - all ancient civilizations originated from the Armenian Highlands (Sumer, Elam, Egypt, Harappans), - the history written by Movses Kharenatsi is popular among Armenian historians, which is largely written (copied) from the Bible, the history of the Armenians begins from Adam, - sacred to all Sumerians the country of Aratta existed precisely in Armenia, which means the Armenians are the ancestors of the Sumerians, - the Etruscan civilization was created by the Armenians, - the Etruscans and Basques are also descendants of the ancient Armenians, - the Hittites were the ancient Armenians, - the Celts, like all Aryans, originate from the territory of Armenia (Armenian Highlands ), which means the Celts of Britain (Britons) and the Celts of France (Gauls) are the descendants of the ancient Armenians - there were never Caucasians on the territory of Russia, there were only Finno-Ugric peoples, Finns, Hungarians are not Caucasians, but the descendants of Asian (Altai) peoples, - the Germans and Slavs are not the descendants of the Aryans, but of some other group - the “Nordics”; - the Yamnaya archaeological culture (the culture of the steppes from the Irtysh to the Danube) is not the culture of the ancient Indo-Europeans, as is recognized by many archaeologists of the world; - the location of the city of Arkaim (South. Ural) one of the centers of the Aryans does not change anything in their theory about the origin of all Indo-Europeans from the territory of Armenia - in the death of the state of Greater Armenia during the time of Tigran II, all peoples are to blame except the Armenians themselves and their rulers - that significant territories of Armenia are inhabited now the Kurds, again all the backgammon (Turks, Kurds, Russians) are to blame, but not the Armenians and their rulers. There are many more fantastic statements - anyone who wants can read them on any Armenian sites that talk about the history of Armenia and the Armenian people, especially in groups of the Odnoklassniki.RU network. To substantiate their new historical theory, Armenian historians even compiled their own map (map of Armenian pseudo-historians) of the settlement of all Indo-European peoples. Let me remind you that this theory (the hypothesis proposed by Ivanov and Gomkrelidze) is one of many (there are more than twenty) hypotheses proposed by world-famous archaeologists and historians. It is a pity that the Chinese and Japanese civilization and Africans are not included in the descendants of the Armenian people (probably because they are not very similar to the Armenians). Let me remind you that the first mention of the name of Armenia is found in the Behistun inscription, dating back to 520 BC. e. And the first Armenian state (Ayrat kingdom) arose in 323 BC when, after the death of Alexander the Great, his power began to disintegrate and the satrap of Eastern Armenia Ervand proclaimed himself king, founding the Orontid dynasty. And I will repeat the TRUE HISTORY OF ARMENIA and THE ARMENIAN PEOPLE. Armenians belong to the Indo-European language family of peoples of the world. The Armenian language does not belong to any group of peoples of the Indo-European family, therefore many researchers (historians) interpret the history of the origin of the Armenians differently. At the end of the 3rd millennium BC. there were no Indo-European peoples in the territory of the South Caucasus and Asia Minor. Indo-Europeans at that time already lived in the North Caucasus (tribes of the Maykop archaeological culture). At the turn of the 3rd and 2nd millennia BC. these tribes penetrated into the territory of Asia Minor. These are the tribes of the Luwians, Hittites and Palais. The Luwians settled on the southern coast of Asia, the Hittites settled in the central part of Asia and created at the beginning of the 2nd millennium BC. powerful power - the Hittite kingdom. But we are interested in the Palai people, who settled in the northeast of Asia. They did not create a powerful state, but since their settlement, the territory in the northeast of Asia began to be called the country of Pala (country of the Palayans). I think (many other historians also think so) that the Palayans were one of the most ancient components of the Armenian people. The most ancient core of the formation of the Armenian people should be considered the population of the country in the northeastern part of Asia Minor, which in the early (16-15 centuries BC) Hittite inscriptions was called Armatana, and later (14-13 centuries BC) - Hayasa. It was from this territory that the ancestors of the Armenians, known as the Urumeans, invaded the Assyrian province of Shupria, located southwest of Lake Van, in the 12th century BC. From that time on, Shupria was also called Urum by the Assyrians. Around 1200 BC, a new people invaded the northwestern part of Asia from the territory of the Balkan Peninsula - the Phrygians (at first they were known under the name Mushki, but among the eastern Phrygians there was also a people called the Hayas). Apparently the Phrygians were related to the Thracians who remained in the Balkans, and possibly also to the Greek tribes - the Dorians and Ionians. These tribes began their advance into Greece around the same time. The bulk of the Phrygians settled in the western part of Asia and subsequently founded a new state - Phrygia, which took the place of the Hittite kingdom in Asia. But we are interested in another part of the Phrygians, namely those who moved east along the northern coast of Asia (eastern flies, Hayas). Apparently these tribes came into contact with the Palayans who lived in the northeast of Asia. I consider this fusion of two peoples to be the basis of the ancient Armenian people. And the name itself (Hayyas) was acquired from the Eastern Phrygians. Moreover, the Eastern Mushki were sometimes called Hayas tribes, and modern Armenians still call themselves Hayas. It seems that in ancient times the name of the Eastern Mushki gradually passed on to the designation of the Palayans (when they merged with the Eastern Mushki-Hayas). This happened around 1100 B.C., and by 1000 B.C. the ancient Armenian people in the northeast of Asia were basically formed. At the same time, the new people increasingly penetrated to the east, into the territory of the state that existed there - into Urartu and Assyria (to Shupriya). Already about 900 years ago. In the western part of Urartu there was a country called Sukhme, in which a union of tribes lived, headed by the Hayi (ancient Armenians), in the southwestern part of Urartu there was a country called Shupriya, ancient Armenians also began to live there at that time, the country later became known as Arme-Shupriya. (some things are repeated in my article because the article is compiled based on different sources). In the middle of the 8th century BC, Arme-Shupriya was annexed to Urartu under the name Urme (or Arme). The population of these regions (Haias and Arme) by this time spoke the proto-Armenian language (it was not yet the Armenian language, the process of formation of the Armenian language had only begun). In 610 BC. Urartu was conquered by the Media, most of the territory of Urartu went to the Media. Urartu as a people began to disappear, it was assimilated by the Armenians (became part of the Armenian people). After the fall of Urartu, on its territory there was a union of tribes (according to some historians it was an ancient Armenian kingdom), called Armina, but in 520 BC it was conquered and included in the ancient Persian power of the Achaemenids. The Achaemenid monuments contain the earliest images of Armenians bringing tribute to the Achaemenid king. Two satrapies were formed from the Armenian lands with centers in Van (Tushpa) and Armavir. In the 4th century BC, the process of formation of the Armenian people was completed. In 331 BC, after the victory of Alexander the Great over the Persians, the Armenian satrapies submitted to him. In 323 BC, the first Armenian state (Ayrat kingdom) was created, when, after the death of Alexander the Great, his power began to disintegrate and the satrap of Eastern Armenia Ervand proclaimed himself king, founding the Orontid dynasty (Ervanduni). The independent existence of this state was short-lived; it was conquered by Antiochus III (at the turn of the 3rd-2nd century BC). In 321 BC the state of Armenia Minor became independent. In 190 BC, after the defeat of Antiochus from the Romans, the local ruler (strategist) Artashes I led the Armenian uprising against the Seleucids and declared himself an independent king. This was the beginning of the state of “Great Armenia”. In 189 BC Sophene became an independent kingdom. In 95-56 BC, the state of Greater Armenia reached its maximum power under King Tigran II, who ruled in 95-56. dne. At this time, this state stretched from the shores of the Caspian to the shores of the Mediterranean Sea and was the largest power in the Middle East. Sophene also became part of Greater Armenia. Subsequently, the territory of Greater Armenia began to shrink rapidly. The state became constantly dependent on its neighbors (Rome and Iran). In 301, Armenia adopted Christianity, Armenia became the first Christian country. In 387, Armenia was finally divided between Sasanian Iran and the Roman Empire. From this true history it is clear that the Armenians could not possibly have been the ancestors of the Sumerians, Egyptians, Elamites, or the ancestors of the Etruscans, since at the time of the appearance of these peoples the Armenian people did not yet exist. In 396, Mesrop Mashtots invented the Armenian alphabet. Since the middle of the 7th century, Arabs have been invading the territory of Armenia. At the beginning of the 8th century, the territory of all Armenia and Georgia (Iberia-Krtli) was turned into a province of the caliphate called "Armenia". At the end of the 8th century, the weakened caliphate was forced to agree to the existence of semi-independent and then independent feudal entities in Armenia. These were the Ani kingdom, Tashir, Vanand, Vaspurakan. In 908, the Vaspurakan kingdom was formed. In 963, the Kars kingdom was formed. In 978, the Tashir-Dzoraget kingdom was formed. In 987, the kingdom of Syunik was formed. In the mid-11th century, Armenia was subjected to Byzantine aggression and then conquered by the Seljuks. The prerequisites for the unification of the country were eliminated. In the 12th century, the Seljuk state collapsed, Armenia fell under the rule of Georgia (Georgian Bagratids). Several Armenian principalities became vassals of Georgia. In 1080, an Armenian state arose in Cilicia, which existed until 1375. In the mid-14th century, Armenia became the scene of struggle between the Hulagudids and the khans of the Golden Horde. In 1375, the Kingdom of Cilicia was conquered by the Turks, and there were no more independent Armenian states left. At the end of the 14th century, Armenia was devastated by the campaigns of Takhtomysh and Timur. At the beginning of the 15th century, Armenia came under the rule of the Turkmen tribes Kara-Koyunlu and then Ak-Koyunlu. This was accompanied by the extermination of the Armenian population and the destruction of cities. The lands of the Armenians were captured by the Tata, Turkmen and Kurdish nobility. The emigration of Armenians, which began with the Seljuk invasion, intensified. In the 16th-18th centuries, Armenia became the object of struggle between Ottoman Turkey and Safavid Iran. Tens of thousands of Armenians were forcibly deported to Iran. By order of Shah Abbas I, the city of Julfa was destroyed, and its population was resettled in the vicinity of Iranian Isfahan. The Armenians lost hope for their state. The remnants of the territory of Armenia became part of the Erivan Beglerbeg and the Nakhichevan Khanate. The last remnants of Armenian statehood were the 5 melikates of Nagorno-Karabakh, which existed before joining Russia. In 1828, as a result of the Russian-Iranian war, the Erivan and Nakhichevan khanates were annexed to Russia. From them the Armenian region was created. More than 40 thousand Armenians were resettled from Iran at the request of Russia. The Armenians again had hope of creating their own statehood. In 1915, a large number of Armenians were exterminated in eastern Turkey (genocide of the Armenian people). On May 28, 1918, the independent Republic of Armenia was created. On November 29, 1918, the Armenian SSR was created, which became part of the USSR. On September 23, 1991, Armenia became an independent state. Now let’s look at the story of Ammeni according to MOVSES KHORENATSI, which some young Armenian “historians” like to repeat very much as an indisputable truth. Movses Khorenatsi (Moses of Khorensky) is the largest Armenian medieval historian, the author of the “History of Armenia”, for the creation of which, despite the existence of earlier historical works in the Armenian language, he was called “the father of Armenian historiography.” It is believed that he lived from 410 to 490. But some scientists believe that he lived perhaps in the 7th-9th century. But this is not very important. The important thing is that he lived in Christian Armenia, and only from the point of view of Christianity could he present the history of Armenia. He did not take into account modern archaeological research, he did not know modern (created in the 20-21st century) ethnic studies. He did not take into account ancient Armenian (pre-Christian) myths and legends. He took the simplest option - he took the Christian Bible as a basis. And from her began the history of all Armenians. I will remind readers once again that the Bible was written in the 13th-11th centuries BC (probably by Moses himself, one of the prophets of the Israeli people). Let me also remind you that the Bible was created as a history of the Israeli people; when writing the Bible, ancient Sumerian legends were used, which were written back in 4-3 thousand days. At the same time, all names used in the Bible were replaced with Israeli names. The name Adab was replaced by the name Adam, the name Ziusudra was replaced by the name Noah. The place of salvation for Noah and his sons was not the country of Dilmun with Mount Sham, but for some reason the Ararat Mountains became. And in the Bible there are many distortions of Sumerian events for the sake of Israeli history. Therefore, the Christian, Armenian historian Movses Khoreatsi took the distorted source of history as a basis. He rewrote the genealogy of Noah and chose from it the legendary (mythical) ancestor of all Armenians - Hayk. It looks like this: Noah gave birth to Japheth, Japheth to Gamer, Gamer to Tiras, Tiras to Torgom, Torgom to Hayk. Hayk (Hayk Nahapet) ruled the ancient Armenians from 2107 to 2027 BC. What are the exact dates? He was also the founder of the Haykazkni royal dynasty. But in other sources (Wikipedia) someone became generous and wrote that he was the first king of Armenia since 2492 BC. Someone went too far with the date. Well, it happens. In addition, the legend about Ayu says that the ruler of Babylon, the tyrant Bel, invades the kingdom created by Hayk and on August 11, 2492 BC, in the town of Ayon Dzor (literally. "Valley of Hayk") a battle takes place between them. In this battle, Ike kills Bel with one blow of his spear. But in 2492 there was no Babylonian state yet???? The Babylonian kingdom was founded only in 1895 by the Amorite leader Sumu-abum. And this was one of the Amorite states in Mesopotamia. At that time, the strong states in Mesopotamia were Ashur, Mari, and Larsa. Who did Ike fight with??? There was no such king as Bela. It seems that the Armenian historian was carried away by the biblical legend about the Armenians and mistakenly combined ancient Urartian legends with it, only he was very mistaken with the dates. But why didn’t Movses Khorenatsi start Armenian history with ancient Armenian legends and myths (which were created even before the advent of Christianity in Armenia)??? Perhaps by the time this historian lived, Christian theologians had already destroyed most of these Armenian legends (the Christian religion considers all religions that existed before the adoption of Christianity to be pagan). But perhaps the legends of the Armenians were not as ancient as the historian would like. After all, in fact, the Armenian people were finally formed only in the 6th century BC (this is written above), but you always want to show that the Armenian people are very ancient. From ancient Armenian legends. The initial cult of worship of the ancestors of the Armenians was a certain incomprehensible Higher Power, the Mind, called Ar. The physically visible embodiment of Ara was considered the Sun (Arev), which was worshiped by the ancient Armenians, who called themselves Arevordi (children of the Sun). Since ancient times, Solar religious symbolism has occupied a special place in Armenian religiosity, existing outside of time and outside the history of its development. Also among the most ancient cults that have common Indo-European roots, one can name the cult of the eagle and the lion, the veneration of Heaven. Many ancient Armenian myths were based, in a modified form, on the motives of the fierce struggle between the Urumeans and Assyria, and from the 9th century. BC e. - between the state of Biayna (Urartu) and Assyria. Over time, the Armenian pantheon is updated, new deities appear in it, having Armenian, and not common Aryan origin. Here, the Creator God, the personification of a higher power and the head of the pantheon is Hayk - the prototype of the legendary Hayk the Archer (but not Hayk from the Judaic Bible). Also, according to Alishan Ghevond (an Armenian historian who lived 1820-1901), Vanatur, who was later replaced by Aramazd, was considered the supreme figure of the Armenian pantheon. The latter, although it appeared under the influence of Zoroastrianism, partially retained its original Armenian features). In a similar way, the original Armenian ditsui of fertility and motherhood, Nar, was replaced by Anail. In the Hellenistic era (III-I centuries BC), ancient Armenian ditsy were compared with ancient gods: Aramazd - with Zeus, Anahit - with Artemis, Vaaghi - Hercules, Astik - with Aphrodite, Nana - with Athena, Mihr - with Hephaestus , Tire - with Apollo. And this is quite understandable - after all, the Greeks (Dorians, Ionians, Aetolians) have a common beginning of their history with the Phrygians and common ancient roots, which means that the ancient Armenians (descendants of the Eastern Phrygians - Hayas) have common roots, including in legends. After the official adoption of Christianity in Armenia, new mythological images and stories appear, ancient myths and beliefs undergo transformation. Biblical characters take on the functions of archaic gods and spirits, for example, John the Baptist (Armenian: Hovhannes Mkrtich) receives some features of Vahagn and Tyr. Ancient myths transmitted in written tradition are characterized by historicization of their content. Archaic gods and heroes were transformed in them into eponyms of Armenians, the founders of the country and state (Hayk, Aram, Ara Getserik, Vahagn, etc.). Mythical events were embedded in a specific geographical environment. Evil cosmic or chthonic spirits and demons began to appear as “alien” ethnic leaders, kings or queens of enemy states (Azhdahak, Hayk’s opponent - Bel from Babylon, Barshamin, etc.). The central plot in ancient Armenian mythology is the resistance of the proto-Armenians or Armenians to foreign enslavement. Epic kings (such as Tigran, Artashes, Artavazd) were also automatically considered the descendants of the legendary (fictional in the Bible Hayk. It is possible that the two mythical ancestors of the Armenians Hayk and Aram were ethnic deities of two powerful tribal unions (Hayas and Armenians) who played in the process of ethnogenesis Armenians played a decisive role. After the creation of the first Armenian state formations, a new pantheon of gods was formed, based on the cults of ancient deities and under the influence of Iranian and Semitic ideas and headed by the father of all gods, Aramazd. The beliefs of the ancient Armenians, as well as almost all Proto-Indo-Europeans, are associated with the veneration of the multitude. cults, the main of which were: the cult of ancestors, cults of celestial bodies (cult of the Sun, cult of the Moon, cult of the Sky), worship of totems: lions, eagles and bulls. But the main cult, of course, was the worship of the gods of the Armenian pantheon of gods. the Indo-European god Ar (as the beginning of the beginning), then Vanatur. Later (during the Armenian-Persian relations) Aramazd, identified in the era of Hellenistic influence with Zeus, became the Creator God. In the Armenian epic, ethnogonic myths (about the eponyms of the Armenians Heike and Aram), myths about twins and cultural heroes (Ervand and Yervaz, Demeter and Gisane, Sanasar and Baghdasar, etc.), and a mythological motif about the struggle of chaos with space were developed. Eschatological myths show the influence of Mithraism and Christianity. In “David of Sassoun,” the god Mihr (goes back to Mithras) in the image of Mher the Younger enters the rock, from which he will emerge only when the sinful world is destroyed and a new world is reborn (according to another version, when Christ comes to the final judgment). According to another myth, people will gradually decrease in size and eventually turn into acuchuch-pacuchas, and then the end of the world will come. But myths remain myths if they have no connection with actual history. Quite a few texts, collections of myths and fairy tales have survived from Armenian paganism, the most significant of which is “David of Sassoun”. Monuments of folk art preserve information about the beliefs of Armenians, their prayers and animistic interpretation of nature. Of historical, educational and artistic value are fairy tales, legends, proverbs, riddles, antuni-songs, songs of the wanderer - pandukhta, as well as legends and tales (“Haik and Bel”, “Ara the Beautiful and Shamiram”, “Tork Angeh”, “Birth Vahagna”, “Tigran and Azhdahak”, “Artashes and Artavazd”, “Artashes and Satenik”), which depict the struggle of the Armenians against foreign invaders, glorify the exploits of heroic heroes, love of freedom and independence. The poetry of the Gusans, who continued the traditions of folk poetry of pagan times, occupies a special place in song creativity. The genre of aireps, which in the literary adaptation of Nahapet Kuchak (16th century) entered the treasury of world poetry, is artistically unique. Masis is the Armenian name for Ararat. In the Armenian translation of the Bible, in some Armenian versions of the myth of the flood, the ark of Xisutra (Noah) stopped on Mount Masis. Anahit, Anahit, Anahita - mother goddess, goddess of fertility and love, daughter (or wife) of Aramazda. She was identified with the Persian Anahit, the ancient Greek Artemis, the ancient Georgian Dali, and the ancient Roman Diana. She is called the Great Lady, patroness and defender of the Armenian land. After the adoption of Christianity in Armenia as the state religion in 301, the worship of the goddess Anahit was transformed into the worship of the Mother of God. The main temples of Anahit were located in Erez, Armavir, Artashat and Ashtishat. The mountain in Sophen was called the "Throne of Anahit" ("Ator Anakhta"). The whole district (gavar) in Erez in the province of Akilisena (Ekegiats), where her main temple was located, was called “Anakhtakan Gavar”. Celebrations in her honor began the harvest festival during the celebration of Navasard (ancient Armenian New Year) (August 15). Aramazd is the supreme god in the ancient Armenian pantheon, the creator of heaven and earth, the god of fertility, the father of the gods. According to one hypothesis, his name is a variant of the original Armenian name Ara; according to another, it comes from the name of the Persian creator god Ahura Mazda (Ohrmazd). The cult of Aramazd came perhaps in the 6th-5th centuries BC, merging with the cult of local deities. The main sanctuary of Aramazd was located in Ani (modern Kamakh in Turkey) and was destroyed at the end of the 3rd century during the spread of Christianity. Arev, Arev, Aregak, literally - “Sun” (in a figurative meaning - “life”) - personification of the Sun, sometimes in the form of a wheel emitting light, more often in the image of a young man. Nane, Nane - the goddess of war, motherhood and wisdom - the daughter of the supreme creator god Aramazd, looking like a young woman in warrior clothes (like Athena), with a spear and shield in her hands. Karapet (predecessor, harbinger) is a character in Armenian mythology, after the adoption of Christianity by the Armenians, identified with John the Baptist, although most of the plots of the myths associated with him are of pre-Christian origin. Usually he is represented as similar to the thunder god - he is a long-haired man thundering in the clouds with a purple crown on his head, with a cross, in clothes sparkling like flames. The mythology of the ancient Armenians is very rich, but due to the adoption of Christianity, many myths and legends became highly susceptible to distortion for the sake of Christian theology. The Armenian people are an ancient people, but there is no need to make them into some kind of “God’s chosen” people. What if tomorrow the Turks, Kurds, Ukrainians or Greeks will convince everyone that they are “God’s chosen”, the most ancient and most intelligent people in the world? I considered and continue to consider the asuras to be the most ancient people on Earth, who lived 200 million years ago, from whom all the peoples of the world descended. But this people is not currently on the modern ethnic map of the world (although it still exists).

The history of Ancient Armenia goes back more than one thousand years, and the Armenians themselves lived long before the emergence of the nations of modern Europe. They existed before the advent of ancient peoples - the Romans and Hellenes.

First mentions

In the cuneiform writings of the Persian rulers the name "Arminia" is found. Herodotus also mentions “armen” in his writings. According to one version, they were Indo-European people who migrated from Europe in the 12th century. BC e.

Another hypothesis states that proto-Armenian tribal unions arose for the first time in the 4th-3rd millennium BC. It is they, as some scientists claim, that are found in the poem “Iliad” by Homer under the name “arima”.

One of the names of Ancient Armenia - Hay - according to the proposals of scientists, comes from the name of the people "Hayasy". This name is mentioned on clay Hittite tablets in the 2nd millennium BC. BC, discovered during archaeological excavations of Hattusashi, the ancient capital of the Hittites.

There is information that the Assyrians called this territory the country of rivers - Nairi. According to one hypothesis, it included 60 different peoples.

At the beginning of the 9th century. BC e. the powerful kingdom of Urartu arose with its capital Van. It is believed that this is the oldest state on the territory of the Soviet Union. The civilization of Urartu, of which the Armenians became successors, was quite developed. There was writing based on Babylonian-Assyrian cuneiform, agriculture, cattle breeding, and metallurgy.

Urartu was famous for its technology of constructing impregnable fortresses. There were two of them on the territory of modern Yerevan. The first - Erebuni, was built by one of the first kings of Argishti. It was she who gave the name to the modern capital of Armenia. The second is Teishebaini, founded by King Rusa II (685-645 BC). This was the last ruler of Urartu. The state was unable to resist the powerful Assyria and perished forever from its weapons.

It was replaced by a new state. The first kings of Ancient Armenia were Yerwand and Tigran. The latter should not be confused with the famous ruler Tigran the Great, who would later terrify the Roman Empire and create a great empire in the East. A new people appeared, formed as a result of the assimilation of Indo-Europeans with the local ancient tribes of the Hayami and Urartu. From here came a new state - Ancient Armenia with its own culture and language.

Persian vassals

At one time, Persia was a powerful state. All the peoples living in Asia Minor submitted to them. This fate befell the Armenian kingdom. The Persian rule over them lasted more than two centuries (550-330 BC).

Greek historians about Armenia during the times of the Persians

Armenia is an ancient civilization. This is confirmed by many historians of antiquity, for example, Xenophon in the 5th century BC. e. As a participant in the events, the author of Anabasis described the retreat of 10 thousand Greeks to the Black Sea through a country called Ancient Armenia. The Greeks saw developed economic activity, as well as the life of the Armenians. Everywhere in these parts they found wheat, barley, aromatic wines, lard, various oils - pistachio, sesame, almond. The ancient Hellenes also saw raisins and legumes here. In addition to crop products, Armenians raised domestic animals: goats, cows, pigs, chickens, horses. Xenophon's data tells descendants that the people living in this place were economically developed. The abundance of different products is striking. The Armenians not only produced food themselves, but also actively engaged in trade with neighboring lands. Of course, Xenophon didn’t say anything about this, but he listed some products that do not grow in this area.

Strabo in the 1st century n. e. reports that ancient Armenia had very good pastures for horses. The country was not inferior to Media in this regard and supplied horses annually to the Persians. Strabo mentions the obligation of the Armenian satraps, administrative governors during the reign of the Persians, to supply about two thousand young foals in honor of the famous festival of Mithras.

Armenian wars in ancient times

The historian Herodotus (5th century BC) described the Armenian warriors of that era and their weapons. The soldiers wore small shields and had short spears, swords, and darts. On their heads were wicker helmets, and they were wearing high boots.

Conquest of Armenia by Alexander the Great

The era of Alexander the Great redrew the entire map of the Mediterranean. All the lands of the vast Persian empire became part of the new political union under the rule of Macedonia.

After the death of Alexander the Great, the state disintegrates. The Seleucid state is formed in the east. The once unified territory of a single people was divided into three separate regions within the new country: Greater Armenia, located on the Ararat Plain, Sophene - between the Euphrates and the upper reaches of the Tigris, and Lesser Armenia - between the Euphrates and the upper reaches of the Lykos.

The history of ancient Armenia, although it speaks of constant dependence on other states, shows that it concerned only issues of foreign policy, which had a beneficial effect on the development of the future state. It was a kind of prototype of an autonomous republic as part of successive empires.

Often called basileus, i.e. kings. They maintained only formal dependence, sending tribute and troops to the center in wartime. Neither the Persians nor the Hellenistic Seleucid state made any attempts to penetrate the internal structure of the Armenians. If the former ruled almost all of their remote territories in this way, the successors of the Greeks always changed the internal structure of the conquered peoples, imposing on them “democratic values” and a special order.

Collapse of the Seleucid state, unification of Armenia

After the defeat of the Seleucids from Rome, the Armenians gained temporary independence. After the war with the Hellenes, Rome was not yet ready to begin new conquests of peoples. The once united people took advantage of this. Attempts began to restore a single state, which was called “Ancient Armenia”.

The ruler of Greater Armenia, Artashes, declared himself an independent king, Artashes I. He united all the lands that spoke the same language, including Lesser Armenia. The last region of Sophen became part of the new state later, 70 years later, under the famous ruler Tigran the Great.

The final formation of the Armenian nationality

It is believed that under the new Artashesid dynasty a great historical event took place - the formation of the Armenian nationality with its own language and culture. They were greatly influenced by their proximity to developed Hellenistic peoples. Minting their own coins with Greek inscriptions indicated the strong influence of their neighbors on culture and trade.

Artashat - the capital of the ancient state of Great Armenia

During the reign of the Artashesid dynasty, the first large cities appeared. Among them is the city of Artashat, which became the first capital of the new state. Translated from Greek, it meant “the joy of Artaxius.”

The new capital had an advantageous geographical location in that era. It was located on the main route to the Black Sea ports. The appearance of the city coincided with the establishment of overland trade relations between Asia and India and China. Artashat began to acquire the status of a major trade and political center. Plutarch highly appreciated the role of this city. He gave it the status of “Carthage of Armenia,” which translated into modern language meant a city that unites all nearby lands. All Mediterranean powers knew about the beauty and luxury of Artashat.

The rise of the Armenian kingdom

The history of Armenia since ancient times contains bright moments of the power of this state. The golden age occurred during the reign of Tigran the Great (95-55), the grandson of the founder of the famous dynasty Artashes I. Tigranakert became the capital of the state. This city became one of the leading centers of science, literature and art throughout the Ancient World. The best Greek actors performed in the local theater, famous scientists and historians were frequent guests of Tigran the Great. One of them is the philosopher Metrodorus, who was an ardent opponent of the growing Roman Empire.

Armenia became part of the Hellenistic world. The Greek language penetrated the aristocratic elite.

Armenia is a unique part of Hellenistic culture

Armenia in the 1st century BC e. - a developed advanced state in the world. She took all the best that was in the world - culture, science, art. Tigran the Great developed theaters and schools. Armenia was not only the cultural center of Hellenism, but also an economically strong state. Trade, industry, and crafts grew. A distinctive feature of the state was that it did not adopt the system of slavery that the Greeks and Romans used. All lands were cultivated by peasant communities, whose members were free.

The Armenia of Tigran the Great spread over vast territories. This was an empire that covered a huge part from the Caspian to the Mediterranean seas. Many peoples and states became its vassals: in the north - Tsibania, Iberia, in the southeast - Parthia and Arab tribes.

Conquest by Rome, end of the Armenian Empire

The rise of Armenia coincided with the rise of another eastern state on the territory of the former USSR - Pontus, led by Mithridates. After long wars with Rome, Pontus also lost its independence. Armenia had good neighborly relations with Mithridates. After his defeat, she was left alone with powerful Rome.

After long wars, a unified Armenian Empire in 69-66. BC e. fell apart. Only one remained under the rule of Tigran, who was declared a “friend and ally” of Rome. This is what all the conquered states were called. In fact, the country has turned into just another province.

After entering the Roman Empire, the ancient stage of statehood begins. The country fell apart, its lands were appropriated by other states, and the local population was constantly in conflict with each other.

Armenian alphabet

In ancient times, Armenians used a writing system based on the Babylonian-Assyrian cuneiform script. In the heyday of Armenia, during the time of Tigran the Great, the country completely switched to the Greek language in business transactions. Archaeologists find Greek writing on coins.

The Armenian alphabet was created by Mesrop Mashtots relatively late - in 405. It originally consisted of 36 letters: 7 vowels and 29 consonants.

The main 4 graphic forms of the Armenian letter - erkatagir, bolorgir, shkhagir and notrgir - developed only in the Middle Ages.

Sumerians around 2800 BC Armenia was called Aratta, and the god of the Armenians was called Haya, and the Akkadians, who replaced the Sumerians in the second half of the third millennium BC, called Armani or Armanum.

The Hittites, who appeared in the second millennium BC, used the names Hayas and Armatan to designate Armenia, and the Assyrians, who arose in the second half of the second millennium BC, used Uruatri or Urartu and Armi (Ararat in the Bible). The Persians called it Arminia, the Elamites called it Harminuya, and the Egyptians called it Ermenen.

Hittite inscriptions, deciphered in 1920 by the Swiss scholar Emil Forer, the German archaeologist and historian Hugo Winkler, and the Czech orientalist and linguist Bedřich Grozny, testify to the existence of the mountainous country of Hayasa, located around Lake Van in the Armenian Highlands.

The particle SA in the name Hayasa is a suffix and corresponds to the ending STAN of the modern name of Armenia Hayastan. The Greeks knew about this country (Haias) and their authors wrote about the Armenians or hayer.

The Armenian people associate their self-name with the name of the Deity HAY(a) /HAY(a), who was revered as the Creator of the Cosmos.

According to some scholars, the name HAY comes from the original root AY or AYA, dating back to the Neolithic era and the early veneration of the cult of the Mother Goddess, who transferred her name to the later male Deity HAY (a) / HAY ( A).

The god HAYA-EA was also worshiped throughout Mesopotamia. The earliest written references to the God HAY(A)/HAY(A), also called the "God of Wisdom" and the "God of Cosmic Water", can be found in Sumerian inscriptions dating back to around 2800 BC.

The god EA-HAY(A) was later also worshiped by the Akkadians, who knew him under the name ENKI. Inscriptions from the city of Eblaik (an ancient city in Syria), dating back to around 2600 BC, also note both the Deity and people called "AY" who lived in the Armenian Highlands.
The name "Ay" was also used by the Hittites to designate Armenia and the Armenian people.

Hittite inscriptions dating back to around 1500 BC record the history of the kingdom of Hayasa (with the root Haya and the Hittite ending "sa" meaning place), located in the Armenian Highlands.

The name Hay/Hay is also contained in the name Hayk, traditionally considered the patriarch of the Armenian people, which was reflected in the records of a number of medieval historians. Hayk was considered by the Armenian people as a divine descendant of the primordial God of all things, HAY(A)/HAY(A).

Armenian

The name Armenian contains the sacred root "Ar" (Ararich/Creator/Sun) with the addition of the root "men" (which in Proto-Indo-European simply means a person or people), and the ending "ian" - "ian", which means "from/from".

According to a number of scientists, Ar was an abbreviated version of Ara or Arar(ich), the Creator. The worship of Ara was widespread among the ancient Armenians, who worshiped this deity and simply called him the Creator (Ara or Ararich).

Many place names, such as Ereban-Erevan (Yerevan)-Arivan, contain the sacred root Ar, which is the root of many other words, such as Ari (courageous).

IE the word Man - Man is still used in English to designate people, nations. For example, Turkmen is used to refer to the Turkic tribes of Central Asia, the modern inhabitants of Turkmenistan.

There are many other examples where Man/Men (Man) is used in English to denote various peoples, such as Frenchman - Frenchman, Chinaman - Chinese, Englishman - Englishman, etc.

We also have the Armenian archaic word Man(uk) [baby], which carries the original meaning of Man (the plural of which, of course, is People).
The ending “yan” in the word Armenian means “offspring” or simply “from/from”.

This ending "yang" (which is rendered in two ways in English - as yan or ian) is preserved in many Indo-European languages and can be found in terms describing nations and even concepts with the same connotation of "of". For example, we see this in the endings of the names of various peoples, such as Norwegians - Norweg(ianS), Romanians - Roman(ianS), Belgians - Belg(ianS), etc.

In English we also use the ending "yang" to indicate the sense of belonging, of origin, "of/from." For example, Jefferson (of Jefferson) America - Jefferson's America, or Clinton (of Clinton) faction - Clinton faction, etc.

Armenian surnames still retain the archaic ending Yan/Yan, (yan/ian) which means “from/from” (for example, Arayan, which means “from Ara”, or “descendant of Ara” or Nahapetyan - “from Nahapet” or “ descendant of Nahapet”, etc.).

At all times, elders personified wisdom and experience. They always had power in their hands, which they were endowed with because they possessed a serious amount of knowledge. They symbolized the veneration of folk customs and traditions. An elder is a person who could lead the social and economic life of the clan and resolve all disputes that arose within it. All controversial issues were carefully studied and discussed, then brought to the people's meeting.

The Elder is...

Tribal communities or tribes had their own council of elders, which considered pressing issues and resolved disputes that arose between neighboring tribes, clans or clans. The elder of the tribe or clan participated in resolving disputes in economic or any other joint activity. And to study this topic, it is best to plunge into ancient history, where you can see how, after the emergence of statehood in Ancient Greece, the council of elders was reformatted into the Areopagus, in Ancient Israel - into the Sanhedrin, in Ancient Rome - into the Senate.

Elder of the clan

In our modern world, some peoples still have clan elders, for example, the Chechens, Ingush and the small population of Batsbis. Turkic peoples call their elders aksakals, that is, gray-bearded.

And here’s another interesting thing: in some European parliaments there is still a council of elders, whose members are chosen from representatives of factions. It may seem surprising, but the German Bundestag also has a similar body. It was also present in the Russian Empire until the October Revolution of 1917.

Arguing on the topic “Who is the elder?”, it should be noted that the council of elders was also called an advisory working body. Until 1989, it was not legally enshrined and worked due to prescribed traditions. The Council of Elders, in accordance with the "Regulations of the Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR" dated December 20, 1989, adopted legal status (Article 62).

It was created in each chamber according to a quota: the council of elders of the Council of Unions included one representative from the deputies, two representatives from the union republics and one from the autonomous ones, as well as one from the regional and autonomous districts.

Their task was to make preliminary decisions on the organization of the work of the Supreme Council (working hours, agenda, procedure for discussing reports, etc.).

France at the end of the 18th century

But in France in 1795, one of the chambers of parliament was called the Council of Elders. By the way, it was liquidated by the coup of the 18th Brumaire (November 10, 1799). It was Napoleon Bonaparte who destroyed ruling bodies like the Council of Elders and the Council of Five Hundred. He took power and created his new government.

So, when analyzing the topic “Who is the Elder?”, first of all, we need to focus on the fact that an elder could not be called a random person of advanced age. At all times, these were the best representatives of a clan, tribe or clan who could give practical advice, linking together the real history and experience of their ancestors. It’s a pity, but often many people neglected their advice, and then received the appropriate instructive lessons from life itself, which teaches better than any sage.

The oldest mentions of Armenia

In one of the oldest sources - the Bible, Armenia is presented as the Ararat country, mention of which in this book occurs in two places:

Possible ancestors of Armenians

Cyrus the Great in 550 BC e. crushed the Median state and founded an even more powerful and extensive state, which included Armenia. According to unverified data, the son of the tenth Armenian king Ervand the Brief (who had two sons, Tigran and Sabaris), Tigran, was a classmate and hunting companion of Cyrus the Great.

After the victory in the struggle for the throne in Achaemenid Persia, Darius, the son of Hystaspes, who was a representative of another branch of the same Achaemenid family, Armenia rebelled like most of the countries that were part of the state of Cyrus. In 522-520 BC. e. Darius suppresses uprisings. Armenia at this time was ruled by satraps from the Yervandakan (Orontid) clan.