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On his initiative, in 301 Christianity in Armenia (before all countries of the world) was proclaimed the state religion.

Tiridates III the Great, son of Chosroes I, ascended the throne in 286; happily fought with the Sassanids (new Persian kings).

Christianity had already been preached since 279 by the Armenian apostle Gregory, but Christians were still subjected to severe persecution.

In 301, T. adopted Christianity, replaced pagan temples with churches and monasteries, called on many priests from Syria and Asia Minor, and made Christianity the state religion.

With the proclamation of Christianity as the state religion, the Armenian Apostolic Church, one of the oldest Christian churches, religiously dissociated itself from Sasanian Iran, which sought to subjugate Armenia.

In 303, the Cathedral of Etchmiadzin was built (near Yerevan), which became the religious center of all Armenians and the seat of the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of all Armenians. On behalf of the first Catholicos Grigory Partev A. a. c. sometimes called the Gregorian.

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Bibliography

• Armenians are the creator of alien civilizations: 1000 famous Armenians in world history / S. Shirinyan.-Yer.: Auth. ed., 2014, p.40, ISBN 978-9939-0-1120-2
• Boltunova A.I., Sargsyan G.Kh. Armenia the Great // TSB
• World History, vol. 2, M., 1956
• Mamulov S.S. Amazing people from Wonderland. Book 3. M., 2000
• Manandyan Ya. A., Tigran II and Rome, Yer., 1943
• Manandyan Ya. A., On the trade and cities of Armenia in connection with the world trade of ancient times (V century BC - XV century AD), 2nd ed., Er., 1954
• History of the Armenian people, part 1, Yer., 1951
• History of the USSR since ancient times, vol. 1, M., 1966
• Hovhannisyan S. N. Armenian Apostolic Church // TSB
• Essays on the history of the USSR. III-IX centuries., M., 1958, p. 167-93. TSB

During the reign of Trdat III, the central government is strengthened, as well as the army. The role of state departments in the leadership of the country and defense is growing. Trdat III appoints Ota Amatuni azarapet (Armenian thousand), and Artavazd Mandakuni sparapet. The country's economy is developing along with stabilization of the political and economic situation in the country, new development is given to trade, the main centers of which were Artashat in Greater Armenia and Mtsbin in Northern Mesopotamia.

Trdat III takes steps to provide for the economic support of the Armenian Church, distributing land to the priests of rural churches by 4 yards, and in village churches by 7. The Armenian Catholicos Gregory the Illuminator and Tsar Trdat organized educational activities. Some of the children gathered from different regions of Armenia were sent to Assyrian education, and the other to Greek. The goal was to train experienced translators of the Armenian language in order to make the spoken word of the Gospel more accessible to the people, as well as to simplify the task of conducting public affairs.

In 313, with the consent of Emperor Constantine the Great, the Edict of Milan was adopted, according to which Christianity in the Roman Empire was proclaimed as a free and equal religion to others. The Kingdom of Greater Armenia and the Roman Empire became countries of the same faith, and good and stable relations were established between them.

St. Gregory secluded himself from the secular world and lived the life of an ascetic in the Manya Airk cave in Mount Sepuh in the Daranakh region of Greater Armenia. King Trdat with the sons of Gregory Vrtanes and Aristakes arrived there. At the request of the king, Gregory ordained Aristakes as a bishop. The latter took part in the Nicene Ecumenical Council, which established the Creed. Aristakes, returning to Armenia, brought with him the Nicene canons. Saint Gregory adds his list of laws to this list.

At the request of the caretakers of the city of Paytakaran, the province of the same name of the Great In Armenia, King Trdat ordained the son of Vtranses Grigoris as bishop of these places. Under his spiritual authority were Artsakh, Utik and Paytakaran, as well as the bishoprics of Virk and Akhvank subordinate to the Armenian Apostolic Church. Gregory was brutally murdered during a Christian sermon on the orders of the king of Sanesan, the country of the Mazkuts, located on the western shore of the Caspian Sea. The body of St. Grigoris was brought by his fellow believers and interred in the village of Amaras of Artsakh, in the church built by his grandfather Gregory the Illuminator.

Danielian E.

Tiridates III the Great Arshakuni - the holy, Equal-to-the-Apostles king of Great Armenia in 286-342, the son of the Armenian king Khosrov I. In 305-306. approved Christianity in Armenia as the state religion. Together with the first archbishop of Armenia, St. Gregory the Illuminator king Tiridates in 324 visited Rome and meeting there with the emperor Constantine the Great and the pope Sylvester, approved a peace treaty and an "eternal alliance" between the Romans and Armenians against all pagans. As a symbol of allied relations, the emperor handed over to the king of Armenia a special banner with the image of the monogram of Christ (chrysm), and under this banner the Armenians fought with the Sassanid Iran. Tiridates III was killed in 342 by pagan nobles as a result of court intrigues.

Byzantine Dictionary: in 2 volumes / [ comp. Tot. Ed. K.A. Filatov]. St. Petersburg: Amphora. TID Amphora: RKhGA: Oleg Abyshko Publishing House, 2011, v. 2, p.376.

Tiridates III (Trdat) - the king of the Great Armenia (287-330). In the fight against Iran, he was guided by Rome, in alliance with which he defeated the Iranian troops in 297 and ensured the position of the Great Armenia independent of Iran. In an effort to strengthen the royal power, Tiridates in 301, together with the Armenian nobility, adopted Christianity, which has since become the state religion of the country. The Church was granted large land holdings, and the clergy were equated in their legal status to the privileged class (azats). The centralization of power, the adoption of Christianity and the anti-Iranian orientation of Tiridates met resistance from part of the nakharars, who killed Tiridates.

A. P. Novoseltsev. Moscow.

Soviet historical encyclopedia. In 16 volumes. - M.: Soviet Encyclopedia. 1973-1982. Volume 14. TAANAKH - FELEO. 1971.

Read further:

Byzantium (brief reference).

Armenia (selection of articles in the project "Historical Geography").

Chronological tables and by century -

1700 years ago, the classical country of the ancient world, Armenia, adopted Christianity. Today, our first historiographers and, in particular, Agatangelos, the secretary of King Trdat III, who, at his command, described the penetration and strengthening of Christianity, help to return to those distant times, evaluate this outstanding historical event, remember those who had the responsibility to make this important decision. in Armenia and adopting it as the state religion. At that time, Great Armenia stood on a par with advanced civilizations. In a rich country populated by many people, cities large and small flourished with running water, paved squares and streets, royal palaces, as well as palaces of noble citizens, temples decorated with statues of gods and deified kings. Almost no uncultivated land remained. New forests were planted, where swift-footed fallow deer, chamois, deer, kulans, wild boars lived. The kings and experienced commanders took care of the well-being and security of the people and tried to extend their care and patronage to everyone, and when necessary, with weapons in their hands, they defended the peace of the country from enemy invasions.

King Khosrov II (Nerseh), the father of Trdat III, won brilliant victories over enemies for eleven years, bringing victories and rich trophies to the people.

However, with the death of King Khosrov at the hands of the hired killer Anak (by a fatal coincidence, the father of Gregory the Illuminator), numerous raids on Armenia began, accompanied by the ruin of the country and the deportation of the population into captivity. Miraculously, they managed to save one of the sons of Khosrov II - little Trdat, who was taken to Rome in order to prepare for the kingship. When he grew up and matured, showed success in military affairs and military battles, he returned to his homeland, becoming the last king of pagan and the first king of Christian Armenia.

He went down in history as King Trdat the Great, who managed to establish strong power in the country, strengthen the Armenian statehood, and return Armenia to its former power. "Enemies could not defeat him; with his gigantic courage, he defeated everyone in battle, it was impossible to break him by force, the fame of his courage spread throughout the universe ... He reigned for more than 30 years."

In the seventeenth year of the reign of Trdat III, on the throne of the apostles Bartholomew and Thaddeus "after many and unbearable torments, a fifteen-year stay in a deep pit of the castle of the fortress in Artashat, Gregory the Illuminator sat down, becoming a priest of shrines, our spiritual parent and the beginning of our patriarchs."

Grigor Lusavorich, bypassing the Armenian lands with King Trdat, abolished pagan temples, dispersed the priesthood, broke idols, founding Christian churches.

The historian thus defines the limits of the spread of Christianity in Armenia in the 4th century: “It spread throughout Armenia from edge to edge, from the city of Satala along Haldia, along Kalardzhiya to the exodus of the Maskuts, to the gates of Alan, to the borders of the Caspian Sea - Paytakaran, the city of the Armenian kingdom, and from Amida, through the city of Nasibin, touching the outskirts of Syria, in the countries of Norshirakan and Corduene to the impregnable country of Media, to the region of Makhkert, up to Atropatena.

Having enlightened Armenia with the knowledge of God and all Christian institutions and statutes, having ordained more than 430 bishops, Grigor, together with the great sovereign Trdat, went to Rome to contemplate the relics of the apostles Peter and Paul, meet with the great emperor Constantine and the holy Patriarch Sylvester and conclude an agreement and alliance with him.

"Saint Constantine and the great patriarch of the gates of the world honored Saint Gregory as a confessor and as a living martyr they honored him with many kind and fitting honors. Constantine, falling on his knees, asked for his sacred prayers and blessings. He handed over to him particles of the relics of the apostles, the left hand of the Apostle Andrew and many other gifts: in Jerusalem they were granted Golgotha ​​- the place of the crucifixion of Christ, the temple of St. James and a place for liturgy at the bed of the holy resurrection. They say that St. Easter, and this sign takes place to this day. Trdat the Great was given the honors that he deserved with his courage.

By the blood of Christ and faith in Him, an agreement was sealed, so that even after them the friendship between peoples would be inviolably preserved. This document - "Dashants tukht" ("Contractual letter"), certifying the existence of an alliance and an agreement between the monarchs and patriarchs of the two countries, is not only mentioned by Agatangelos and Pavstos Buzand, but also exists to this day.

Having rendered honor in this way, Constantine seated Gregory and Trdat on a gilded chariot and set off with great pomp.

Returning in great jubilation and spiritual joy to Armenia, the patriarch ordained his son Aristakes as the head of the bishops of Armenia, Georgia, Agvank. He himself completely surrendered to the hermit way of life in order to achieve crowns: both apostolic, and ascetic, and patriarchal, and hermitic, which most of all bring a person closer to God, for they make it possible to calmly converse with Him. Since then, Grigor has not shown himself to anyone. He retired to the province of Daranali, where he retired to the cave of Mane. Having lived for many years, he rested in Christ, having spent 30 years as a patriarch.

Aristakes, having been a bishop for seven years, died as a martyr at the hands of an impious murderer. King Trdat placed on the patriarchal throne the eldest son of St. Gregory - the great Vrtanes. He himself, like St. Gregory, fell in love with a solitary lifestyle. He began to sometimes leave his army and spend time in 40-day fasts and prayers. Appearing to him, the soldiers begged him to return to rule, but he did not agree, calling them traitors to their master and feigned worshipers of God. They swore and signed a letter, promising to profess Christianity and faithfully serve it. Trdat, bowing to their persuasion, returned to the throne and was an example of all virtues.

And those, since they were tired of his piety, decided to treacherously kill him. And, having gone hunting with him, supposedly for amusement, they shot him with a bow and, as if inadvertently, wounded him. Then, seeing that he did not die from this, they gave him a deadly potion.

"People, rebellious in temper and stubborn, treacherously killed him and extinguished their radiant lamp themselves. So the pious and pious Trdatios died. His body was transported and buried in the gyukh Tordan, located on the banks of the Euphrates River, at the foot of Mount Sipicor (Surb Grigor) in Gavar Daranaleats, who occupied the valley of the Kemur River, next to the tomb of St. Gregory, to whom he is equal, for he removed everyone from the paths of the godless, being the second trustee of enlightenment with us. "

Several offtopic branches have developed about the film “Zeitgeist”, and in particular regarding the issue of the adoption of Christianity in the year 301. Dove, for example, considers both the very adoption of Christianity, and the events of subsequent decades, and maybe more, as a conspiracy of Sukopop © against Greater Armenia in general and the Syunik people in particular. Personally, I don’t think so at all, I am far from the version that Trdat turned into a boar, and from the version of the Sukopop © conspiracy. In my opinion, everything that happened is simply the result of the political calculations of Trdat the 3rd.

I will say right away that I share the point of view that Christianity was implanted by force, that during this time the cultural heritage of the ancestors was destroyed, well, and all the other charms, but at the same time I think that attacks on Christianity and the AAC on this basis are unfounded. In other words, I regard the destruction of pagan temples and the planting of a new religion simply as a fact, and not as something to be deduced from.

In general, the whole mess began in the 225th year. This date is very important in Armenian history, as it turned absolutely everything in it. Until the year 225, everything was very clear in Asia Minor: on the one hand, Rome, and on the other hand, the Arsacids, who ruled in most countries and thus represented a single alliance. There could be no internal conflict, because in fact all power was concentrated in the hands of one and the same family. In modern terms, a bipolar world.

But that was until the year 225. In 225, in Parthia, Artashir Sassanid overthrew King Artavan the 5th, and the surviving Parthian Arsacids fled to Armenia. The situation was very difficult for us: firstly, we lost a blood ally, and secondly, we got an equally blood enemy. The Sassanids understood that even without the Parthian Arsacids hiding in Armenia, the Armenian Arsacids themselves were also pretenders to their throne. The Armenian Arsacids understood that the Sassanids would not leave them alone. In a word, it was enmity by definition. In fact, we had only one choice: to establish friendship with Rome, which did not bode well, and also by definition.

Of course, long-term wars between Armenia and Persia immediately began, which continued with varying success. It all ended with the assassination of Khosrov the 1st in the year 247 (according to other sources, in the 253rd). During the next 40 years, proteges of the Sassanids ruled in Armenia. However, in the year 287, the son of Khosrov the 1st, Trdat, with the help of the Romans, regains power in Armenia.

The new king was well aware that the Sassanids would not leave him alone. He also understood that his power was vulnerable “For 40 years, strangers ruled the country and no one moved their ass (and this is a country with a 100,000th regular army). There were reasons for this: although Armenia and Persia were no longer political allies, they were still connected by a thousand threads, including numerous dynastic marriages, and culture and much more.

In turn, pagan religions were extremely unstable, they easily succumbed to the influence of foreign cults, and in particular, cults of neighboring regions predominated in the border areas. In this regard, the pagan religion of the Armenians was no exception, but in the current political situation, such religious fragmentation was dangerous for Trdat. Well, who will like that in the border regions with a blood enemy, a huge mass of the population worships the gods of this very enemy? Can you rely on this population? Unlikely. In short, there were no internal barriers against the influence of Persia, and another religion could become such a barrier.

All these circumstances apparently led Trdat to the conclusion that it was necessary to change the state religion and his choice fell on Christianity, which he pursued for 13 years. What are the advantages of Christianity? The main difference is that Christianity excludes the existence of any other gods. In Christianity, the mechanism of zealous defense of one's positions, if you like, the instinct of self-preservation was originally laid down, which is completely absent in all pagan religions. No fucking freedom of religion: "don't worship other gods, I'm the only god and that's the fattest point." Of course, this ruled out the possibility of penetration of other cults. There could not have been any 5 columns on religious grounds. The second, in my opinion, important fact is the prohibition of marriages with non-Christians. In the future, this would deprive the Persians of their second leverage in Armenia – dynastic marriages with Armenian princely houses. There are a number of other advantages (for example, more preferable to rule the country), but these two are in my opinion the main ones and they accordingly covered the two main vulnerabilities of the pagan religion.

It must also be assumed that most likely there was already a fairly large Christian community in Armenia, especially in the southwestern and western regions of the country, as well as in large cities, so Trdat also had a social platform.

Finally convinced of the correctness of such a step, the king set to work. In my opinion, the king's calculations were absolutely correct, but unfortunately the very form of changing religion was far from ideal. IMHO, it would be possible to arrange everything with less blood and with less losses, including without the total destruction of cultural heritage. However, it was precisely such a decision that most likely was also not unreasonable, apparently the tsar wanted to destroy all possible reactionary forces so that in the future he would not have an extra headache.