Medieval and Byzantine HistoryMedieval and Byzantine History Forum - Period of History between classical antiquity and modern times, roughly the 5th through 16th Centuries
I am reading a book (somewhat sporatically) called 428 AD : an ordinary year at the end of the Roman Empire by Giusto Traina. One of his premises is that the usurpation of the last Armenian King was a very important event. He doesn't understand the silence of the various sources of that time concerning what he feels is a momentus event. I know someone else here (possibly Kirilax) has read this book and can put me straight.
All I know about Armenia is that it was a buffer state between the Roman Empire of the East and the Persian Empire and that they fought over this territory.
Except as a buffer state, did Armenia have any other importance to either Rome or the Persia state? I can't discern any. Of course, the author specializes in Armenian history. Is he overemphasizing Armenia's role and importance to Rome?
Several emperors of the Byzantine Empire would be of Armenian descent including Heraclius, Philippicus, Basil I, and others. The "Macedonian dynasty" provided many emperors of Armenian descent and would preside over the Macedonian Renaissance. One must also not discount the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia which came into existence during the crusading era.
In addition, if I remember correctly, it was an Armenian architect who restored the Hagia Sophia in the 10th century.
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