Battle of Avarayr
Avarayr Plain, near Chors, West Azerbaijan Province, Iran (historic Armenia)
What happened
An Armenian Christian army led by Vardan Mamikonian fought the army of the Sasanian Persian Empire under King Yazdegerd II. The Persian king wanted Armenians to give up their own church or convert to Zoroastrianism, the Persian religion. Many Armenian nobles rebelled under their commander Vardan Mamikonian. At Avarayr the Armenians fought a much larger Persian army with war elephants; Vardan and many nobles fell, and the Persians won the battle.
Why it matters
Why it matters: Although the Armenians lost, the Persians later allowed religious freedom in Armenia. The battle is seen as one of the most important events in Armenian history and a defence of the Armenian Christian faith.
What came next
Vardan Mamikonian became a national hero and a saint of the Armenian Church. His feast is celebrated each year before Lent.
Did you know?
Armenia was the first nation to officially adopt Christianity, in 301 CE, which is part of why the stand at Avarayr matters so much to Armenians.
Timeline
- 301Armenia adopts Christianity.
- 450Armenian nobles rebel against Persian religious pressure.
- 451The Persian army defeats the Armenians at Avarayr.
- After 451Persia allows religious freedom in Armenia.