Kings of Armenia. Tigranocerta. Tigranes II "the Great" 95-56 BC. Struck circa 80-68 BC
Tetradrachm AR

29 mm, 15,65 g

Diademed and draped bust right, wearing Armenian tiara with five peaks and emblazoned with star between two eagles; within filleted border / BAΣIΛEΩΣ TIΓPANO[Y], Tyche of Artaxata seated to right on rock pile, holding palm branch, river god Araxes swimming to right below; no control marks; all within wreath.

Very Fine

SCADA Group 7, obv. die A49, var. (monogram on rock on all listed reverses with this die); Kovacs 75.3 var. (monogram on rock); M&D 12 var. (same).

Tigranes II, known as Tigranes the Great, was a significant king of Armenia from 95 BC to 55 BC during the Hellenistic period. A member of the Artaxiad dynasty, he expanded Armenia's borders significantly, earning the titles of "Great King" and "King of Kings." Tigranes allied with Mithridates VI of Pontus, marrying his daughter Cleopatra. His empire reached from the Pontic Alps to Mesopotamia and from the Caspian Sea to the Mediterranean, making it the most powerful state east of the Roman Republic for a brief period. Tigranes' imperial ambitions brought him into direct conflict with Rome. In 69 BC, he suffered a decisive defeat at the hands of the Roman general Lucullus in the Battle of Tigranocerta. Subsequent battles against the Romans led by Pompey resulted in Tigranes' surrender in 66 BC. Pompey allowed him to retain a diminished Armenia as a Roman buffer state. Tigranes ruled as a Roman ally until his death in 55 BC. Known for his diverse imperial ideology, Tigranes blended Achaemenid, Parthian, and Greek influences in his court. He was a follower of Zoroastrianism and adopted the title of Philhellene. Tigranes left a legacy, founding cities including the capital Tigranocerta. His empire, though short-lived, is a source of pride for modern Armenian nationalists, symbolized by the expression "sea to sea Armenia," reflecting the vast extent of his kingdom from the Caspian to the Mediterranean.