Queen Pharantzem was an ancient Armenian noblewoman and through marriage was a relation to the Arsacid (Arshakuni) dynasty of Armenia. Pharantzem was from the Syunik Province in Armenia. She was the daughter of Andovk also known as Andok or Antiochus who served as a Naxarar of the Siunia Dynasty in the Syunik Province. Pharantzem in 359 married the Arsacid Prince Gnel. Gnel was the son of the Arsacid Prince Tiridates whose brother was Arsaces II (Arshak II) who ruled Armenia from 350 until 368. During the reign of Arsaces II, Gnel was a popular prince in Armenia. After the death of Gnel Pharantzem married to Arshak II as her second husband. Through marriage to Arsaces II, Pharantzem became an Armenian Queen consort and a very powerful, wealthy and influential woman in Armenian society. Sometime after her marriage to Arsaces II, Pharantzem fell pregnant. In 360 Pharantzem bore Arsaces II a son, whom they named Papas (Pap). Pap was the only known child born to Pharantzem and the only known child born to Arsaces II during his Armenian Kingship. Pharantzem was also a stepmother to Anob, as Anob was the first son of Arsaces II born to him from a previous union prior to his Kingship of Armenia. In the year 367 or 368 the Sassanid King Shapur II, had turned to treachery to capture Arsaces II as he was taken as a political prisoner by the Sassanid monarch, in which Arsaces II had died in prison. This was a part of Shapur II’s plan to conquer Armenia once and for all, as Shapur II was in military conflict and failed diplomatic treaties with the Roman emperors Jovian and Valens. Shapur II after successfully capturing Arsaces II, he sent his army to invade Armenia. When the Sassanid army were heading to invade Armenia, Pharantzem and her son, Pap took the Armenian treasury and hid themselves in the fortress of Artogerassa (Artagers), where the fortress was defended by a troops of Azats. The Armenian invasion was led by Cylaces (also known as Cylax Zig) and Artabanes (also known as Artabnan Karen), two Armenians who defected to Shapur II. Shapur II wanted to suppress Arsacid rule in Armenia and replace the dynasty with Persian administrators and traditional Armenian aristocrat Lords to govern over Armenia. Parandzem send your son to Byzantium. The Persian forces that were sent by Shapur II finally conquered Armenia and captured the fortress after two years. Pharantzem bravely defended herself and Armenia for 2 years from Shapur II, which famine and disease had left few survivors out of 11,000 soldiers and 6,000 women who had taken refuge in the fortress. Before of it fortress began a plague and almost all of soliders died. According a legend in fortress stay only Parandzem and her 2 servants. At nights Parandzem lighted the lapmps of fortress that the enemy think that in fortress still stay a soliders. Pharantzem with the Armenian royal treasure were taken to the palace of Shapur II. Shapur II wanting to humiliate Armenia and the Roman Empire, had Pharantzem given to his soldiers whom they brutally rape until she died. After her death, Papas was restored to his Armenian Kingship.
Posted on: Sat, 10 Jan 2015 05:23:51 +0000
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