Tigranes IV

Tigranes IV (flourished 1st century BC, died about 2 BC) was a Prince of the Kingdom of Armenia and member of the Artaxiad Dynasty who served as a Roman Client King of Armenia from 10 BC until 5 BC.

Tigranes IV was the son born to Tigranes III by an unnamed mother. His known sibling was his younger paternal half-sister Erato who was born to another unnamed woman. Although Tigranes IV was the namesake of his father, the name Tigranes was the most common royal name in the Artaxiad Dynasty and was among the most ancient names of the Armenian Kings. Tigranes IV was born and raised either in Rome where his father lived in political exile for 10 years from 30 BC until 20 BC or during his father’s Kingship of Armenia in which he ruled from 20 BC until 10 BC.

Tigranes III died before 6 BC. In 10 BC, the Armenians installed Tigranes IV as King as the successor to his father. In accordance with Oriental custom or Hellenistic custom, Tigranes IV married his sister Erato in order to preserve the purity of the Artaxiad Royal blood line. Erato through marriage to her brother, became Queen and his Queen consort. From their sibling union at an unknown date, Erato bore Tigranes IV an unnamed daughter who later married King Pharasmanes I of Iberia who ruled from 1 until 58, and by whom he had three sons: Mithridates I of Iberia, Rhadamistus and Amazaspus (Amazasp) who is known from a Greek inscription found in Rome.

Although Tigranes IV and Erato were Roman Client Monarchs governing Armenia, they were both anti Roman and were not the choices of the Roman emperor Augustus for the Armenian throne, as their dual rule did not have Roman approval and they leaned towards Parthia for support.

Rome and Parthia competed with one another for their protégés to have influence and govern Armenia. Roman Historian of the 4th century, Sextus Rufus informs us that anti-Roman sentiment was building in Armenia during the reign of Tigranes IV and Erato. Rufus also emphasizes that the Kingdom of Armenia was very strong during this period.

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