Erato of Armenia facts for kids

Erato was a powerful queen of Armenia from the Artaxiad dynasty. She ruled during a time when Armenia was caught between the mighty Roman Empire and the Parthian Empire.

Erato first became queen around 10 BC. She ruled alongside her half-brother, King Tigranes IV, until about 2 BC. After some time away, she returned to power from 6 AD to 12 AD, possibly ruling with Tigranes V, who was a distant relative. Erato is seen as one of the last rulers from her family line to hold the throne of Armenia.

Erato's Family and Early Life

Erato was the second child and only known daughter of King Tigranes III. She had an older half-brother named Tigranes IV. It's thought that Erato grew up either in Rome, where her father lived for 10 years, or in Armenia during her father's rule.

When her father, Tigranes III, passed away, the people of Armenia chose Tigranes IV to be their new king in 10 BC. To keep their royal family's bloodline pure, Tigranes IV married his half-sister, Erato. This made Erato queen of Armenia. Erato and Tigranes IV had a daughter. This daughter later married King Pharasmanes I of Iberia and had three sons.

Ruling with Tigranes IV: 10 BC – 2 BC

Even though Armenia was a "client kingdom" of the Roman Empire (meaning it was somewhat under Roman control), Tigranes IV and Erato didn't want to be ruled by Rome. The Roman emperor, Augustus, didn't approve of them as rulers. Instead, the royal couple looked to the Parthian Empire for support. Both Rome and Parthia wanted to have the most influence over Armenia.

During Erato and Tigranes IV's rule, many Armenians also felt strongly against Rome. The kingdom of Armenia was very strong at this time. The Armenian rulers and their people were unhappy with Rome, which led to a conflict. The King of Parthia, Phraates V, helped them at first.

However, to avoid a big war with Rome, Phraates V stopped supporting the Armenian rulers. Because of this, Tigranes IV and Erato decided to accept Rome's authority. They sent messages of good will and submission to Rome. Emperor Augustus then allowed them to continue ruling.

Around 2 BC, Tigranes IV was killed in a battle. This battle might have been an uprising by Armenians who were angry that the royal couple had become allies with Rome. After this, Erato gave up her throne and went into exile. The Armenians then asked Augustus for a new king. Augustus chose Ariobarzanes II of Atropatene to be the new king of Armenia.

Ruling Again with Tigranes V: 6 AD – 12 AD

In 6 AD, Artavasdes III, who was the son and successor of Ariobarzanes, was killed by his unhappy subjects. The Armenians were tired of having foreign kings. So, Emperor Augustus changed his plan and appointed Tigranes V as king. Tigranes V was a relative of the old Armenian royal family.

Tigranes V traveled to Armenia with his grandfather and the future Roman emperor Tiberius. He was made king in the capital city of Artaxata. At first, Tigranes V ruled alone. But later, Armenian nobles rebelled against him and brought Erato back to power. Erato wanted to work with Rome, so she ruled alongside Tigranes V.

We know about their shared rule from ancient coins. It's possible they even got married. They were removed from power in 12 AD, but the reasons are not fully known. Augustus kept Armenia as a client kingdom and appointed Vonones I of Parthia as the new king. What happened to Erato after this is not known. Tigranes V may have stayed in Armenia.

What We Know About Erato

Historians learned about Erato from Roman writers like Tacitus, Cassius Dio, and Festus.

We also have images of Erato from ancient coins. One coin, kept in Paris, shows her and is inscribed "Erato, sister of King Tigranes." Other coins from her rule with Tigranes IV show him and are inscribed "great king, Tigranes." Coins also exist from her time ruling with Tigranes V.

See also

In Spanish: Erato de Armenia para niños