The Story of Armenia: Survival Through Empires and Genocide — Fexingo History

In 451 AD, the Armenian army faced the mighty Sassanid Persian Empire on the plain of Avarayr. Led by Vardan Mamikonian, the Armenians were vastly outnumbered but fought to preserve their Christian faith against forced conversion to Zoroastrianism. While the battle was a tactical defeat, it became a moral victory that ensured Armenian religious and cultural survival. This episode explores the even...

Long before the First Republic of Armenia's secret constitution of 1918, there was the 1773 'Snare of Glory' — the first ever Armenian constitution, drafted in the diaspora by a wealthy merchant named Shahamir Shahamirian. This episode explores Shahamirian's radical vision for a democratic, representative Armenian state, an idealistic blueprint that would have established a parliament, a bill of r...

In the shadow of Mount Ararat, the Temple of Garni stands as a defiant testament to Armenia's pagan past and Hellenistic heritage. This episode explores how King Tiridates I — a Zoroastrian monarch on the Roman payroll — commissioned a Greco-Roman temple in the first century AD, blending architectural traditions from across the ancient world. We examine the site's unique survival: unscathed by ear...

Long before Armenia adopted Christianity as its state religion in 301 AD, the kingdom was a battleground of faiths — Zoroastrianism, local mountain cults, and Hellenistic influences. This episode traces Armenia's deep Zoroastrian heritage, from the Achaemenid period to the Sassanian era, exploring how Armenian kings like Tiridates I blended Persian fire worship with Armenian traditions. We discuss...

In 1639, the Treaty of Zuhab (also known as the Treaty of Qasr-e Shirin) formalized the division of historic Armenia between the Ottoman Empire and Safavid Persia—a border that largely persists today. This episode explores the brutal war that led to the treaty, Shah Safi's desperate negotiations, Sultan Murad IV's conquest of Yerevan, and how ordinary Armenians endured forced relocations, heavy ta...

In May 1918, as Ottoman forces closed in on Yerevan, a hastily assembled Armenian National Council declared independence in a dusty Tiflis apartment. But the First Republic of Armenia — born at Sardarabad — had no written constitution, no codified laws, and barely a functioning government. This episode traces the frantic months between Sardarabad and the drafting of Armenia's first constitutional...

In this episode of The Story of Armenia, Lucas and Luna explore the extraordinary story of Mesrop Mashtots, the monk who created the Armenian alphabet in 405 AD. They discuss how Mashtots, working with King Vramshapuh and Catholicos Sahak Partev, developed a 36-letter script that gave Armenians a written identity. The conversation covers the invention's political and religious context—how the alph...

In 451 AD, the Armenian general Vardan Mamikonian led a desperate revolt against the Persian Sassanid Empire. The Battle of Avarayr became a defining moment for Armenian identity. Emperor Yazdegerd II demanded Armenians convert to Zoroastrianism, but Vardan refused. With only 66,000 men against a Persian army three times larger, the Armenians fought to the death. Vardan fell, but the battle preser...

In this episode of The Story of Armenia, Lucas and Luna explore the little-known Kingdom of Commagene — a Hellenistic-Armenian state that flourished on the Euphrates frontier between Rome and Parthia. They discuss the kingdom's founder Mithridates I Callinicus, its most famous king Antiochus I Theos, and the spectacular tomb-sanctuary of Nemrut Dagi with its colossal statues and horoscope. The con...

This episode explores the life and legacy of Hovhannes Tumanyan, Armenia's beloved poet and folklorist who gathered ancient oral tales and reshaped them into modern Armenian literature. Born in 1869 in the village of Dsegh, Tumanyan spent years traveling through the Caucasus, collecting stories from villagers and transcribing epics like 'David of Sasun.' We discuss how the Vernatun literary circle...

In the late 9th century, Armenia's Bagratid kingdom reached new heights, but one of its most pivotal kings—Smbat I Bagratuni—met a tragic end that echoes through Armenian memory. This episode explores the reign and martyrdom of Smbat I, who faced betrayal from his own nobles, pressure from the Byzantine Empire, and a devastating invasion by the Arab Yusuf ibn Abi'l-Saj. Unlike his father Ashot I,...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the centuries-old story of the Armenian diaspora, tracing its roots from the fall of the Bagratid kingdom and the Mongol invasions through the Safavid deportations under Shah Abbas I, which created a merchant colony in New Julfa, Isfahan. They discuss how Armenian trade networks spanned the Silk Road from India to Amsterdam, the role of the Armenian Church i...

Before the Bagratids, before the Mamikonians, Armenia reached its zenith under King Tigran II — Tigran the Great. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the rise of the Artaxiad dynasty, Tigran's alliance with Mithridates VI of Pontus, and the creation of an empire that stretched from the Caspian to the Mediterranean. They discuss the founding of Tigranakert, Armenia's magnificent Hellenistic cap...

The Bagratid kingdom of Armenia is remembered for its golden age, but its economy ran on silver. This episode traces the rise of Ani as a Silk Road hub, the coinage that financed its cathedrals, and how the city's wealth made it a target. We explore the role of the Armenian merchant class, the diplomatic tightrope between Byzantium and the Seljuks, and the economic collapse that preceded Ani's fal...

Armenia's great national epic, David of Sasun or Sasuntsi Davit, is a thousand-year-old tale of a hero who defied the Arab Caliphate. Passed down orally for generations, the epic weaves together pre-Christian mythology, Christian faith, and centuries of resistance. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the origins of the epic in the region of Sasun, the historical context of Arab rule in Armenia...

In the early 10th century, Armenia's Bagratid kingdom faced its gravest threat: an Arab invasion led by the Sajid emir Yusuf ibn Abi'l-Saj. King Ashot II, called Yerkat (the Iron), retreated to the island fortress of Sevan in Lake Sevan. There, with a small band of loyal nakharars, he mounted a desperate defense against a far larger Arab fleet. This episode dives into the Battle of Sevan (924 AD),...

In 1514, the Ottoman sultan Selim the Grim marched east with cannons and Janissaries to confront the Safavid shah Ismail I at Chaldiran. The battle, fought on the plains of present-day northwestern Iran, introduced gunpowder to the Caucasus in a decisive way. Ismail's cavalry and Qizilbash mystics were no match for Ottoman artillery. The Armenian homeland, split between the two empires, was devast...

In the aftermath of the Earthquake of 1188 that devastated much of Greater Armenia, a monk named Mkhitar Gosh set out to rebuild not just stone but justice. This episode explores how Gosh compiled the first written Armenian law code, the Datastanagirk, blending biblical commandments with feudal custom and Byzantine precedent. We trace his journey from a scholarly monastery in Getik to the court of...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the dramatic end of Cilician Armenia through the story of its last queen, Isabella (also known as Zabel). After the death of her father, King Levon I, the young princess was forced into marriage with a Byzantine nobleman, but seized control to rule with her chosen husband, Hethum I. They discuss Isabella's reign, her alliance with the Mongols, and the eventu...

In the shadow of the Mongol Empire, a noble Armenian family rose to power, ruling a semi-autonomous principality that preserved Armenian culture, rebuilt churches, and kept the flame of Armenian statehood alive. The Zakarids (Zakare and Ivane) served the Ilkhanate as vassals, managing to protect their people from the worst of Mongol demands while maintaining Armenian identity. This episode explore...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the fascinating history of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia, a Crusader-era state that emerged from the ashes of the Byzantine Empire. They delve into the rise of the Rubenid dynasty, beginning with Prince Ruben I's revolt in 1080, and trace the kingdom's development under figures like Levon I and Levon II. The conversation covers Cilicia's unique blend of Ar...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the brief but brilliant Bagratid golden age of Armenia, centered on the medieval capital of Ani. They follow the rise of the Bagratid dynasty under Ashot I, the architectural triumphs of King Gagik I and his architect Trdat, and the political maneuvering between Byzantium and the Seljuks. The episode delves into Ani's famed Cathedral and its walls, the city'...

In May 1918, as the Ottoman army advanced on Yerevan, a ragtag Armenian force—mostly farmers and refugees—stood their ground at Sardarabad. Against overwhelming odds, they halted the Turkish offensive and secured a brief window of independence for the First Republic of Armenia. This episode follows the desperate weeks leading to the battle, the key commanders like Movses Silikyan and Daniel Bek-Pi...

In episode 51 of The Story of Armenia, Lucas and Luna explore the final decades of Bagratid rule, focusing on the reign of King Gagik I and his successor Hovhannes-Smbat. They delve into the construction of the Cathedral of Ani by the architect Trdat, the political maneuvering between Byzantium and the Seljuk Turks, and the eventual betrayal that led to the fall of Ani. Key figures include Gagik I...

Between the 13th and 14th centuries, Armenia found itself caught between the Mongol Ilkhanate and the Mamluk Sultanate. This episode explores how Armenian king Hethum I of Cilician Armenia voluntarily submitted to the Mongols, hoping to secure protection against the Seljuks and Mamluks. We trace Hethum's journey to the court of Möngke Khan in Karakorum, the subsequent alliance, and the devastating...