Tigranes II the Great

Tigranes the Great ruled Armenia from about 95 to 55 BC and briefly made it the strongest state between Rome and Parthia. Born around 140 BC, he spent his youth as a hostage of the Parthians, and bought his release on his accession by ceding seventy valleys in the east — territory he recovered by force within a few years. He married Cleopatra, the daughter of Mithridates VI of Pontus, and the two coordinated against Rome for decades. He annexed Sophene, then took advantage of Seleucid collapse to overrun Syria and Phoenicia in 83 BC, ruling Antioch for fourteen years, and extended his authority over Media Atropatene, Corduene, Osroene and parts of Mesopotamia. He took the Persian title King of Kings, which the Parthians had claimed. He founded a new capital, Tigranocerta, and populated it by deporting the inhabitants of Greek and Cappadocian cities — a common practice, and one that gave him a city whose people had no reason to fight for it. Rome intervened when he sheltered Mithridates after the Third Mithridatic War. Lucullus invaded in 69 BC, and at Tigranocerta Tigranes is said to have looked at the small Roman force and remarked that they were too few for an army and too many for an embassy. His much larger army, heavy on cataphracts and unwieldy, was destroyed, and the city's Greek garrison opened the gates. Lucullus's troops mutinied, and Pompey took over in 66 BC. Tigranes, whose own son had rebelled with Parthian backing, surrendered in person, was allowed to keep Armenia as a Roman client, and paid a large indemnity. He died around 55 BC.

• Lived: 140 BCE – 55 BCE
• Nationality: Armenian
• Roles: king