Lesser Armenia

Lesser Armenia (Armenian Փոքր Հայք, lat Armenia Minor) is a former Armenian -populated, ancient land on the Black Sea in northeastern Anatolia, which is separated by the upper Euphrates in the south east of Greater Armenia. It is bordered to the west and south to the historical regions of Pontos and Cappadocia, in the north- east by Colchis and Iberia in the Caucasus.

The ancient geographer Strabo describes the region as " a pretty blessed land ", crossed by well-watered and wooded mountain ranges. As Strabo mentions to Mithridates VI. Eupator the country in which he had invested 75 mountain fortresses, have used in his fight against the encroaching Romans as a retreat. The Roman general Pompey founded here at an important crossroads, the main town of Nicopolis - today Koyulhisar in the province of Sivas - and populated it with veterans and rural residents from the area. A further important city of Armenia was small Satala.

In the Hellenistic period Lesser Armenia was an independent kingdom. After the empire of Mithridates VI. had heard of Pontus, the Romans left the control of the country various client kings, and the latter ( as Deiotaros ) were newly collected either or " friends of Rome " have already been able to govern another domain (see Ruler list). At a time direct Roman control ( from 17 AD) as took place in 38 AD, the appointment of a Thracian king dynasty ends entstamme prince named Cotys ( IX ) to the king of Lesser Armenia. Cotys is mentioned by the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus as one of the participants in a meeting of six middle eastern client kings in the Galilee Tiberias, which took place around 42/43 AD. He tried 47 AD - in vain - that's why, to be king of the east of Greater Armenia and adjacent to unite in this way, both parts of Armenia. From 54 to 71/72 AD Lesser Armenia was of Aristobulus, a great-grandson of the Jewish king Herod the Great, and ruled his wife Salome. There are several coins with portraits and inscriptions of Aristobulus and Salome as a royal couple of Lesser Armenia.

In the year 72 the Romans Lesser Armenia of 17 AD affiliated with created province Cappadocia.

Lesser Armenia is sometimes equated in the literature falsely with Cilicia or the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia.