Assyria

Argishti I (Արգիշտի) of Ayrarat (Urartu) - The Armenian-Assyrian wars

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• published: 15 Mar 2012
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Argishti I (Armenian: Արգիշտի, Argishti) was the sixth known king of Ararat, reigning from 785 BC to 763 BC. He founded the citadel of Erebuni in 782 BC, which is the present capital of Armenia, Yerevan. A son and the successor of Menua, he continued the series of conquests initiated by his predecessors. Victorious against Assyria, he conquered the northern part of Syria and made Armenia (Ararat) the most powerful state in the post-Hittite Near East. He also expanded his kingdom north to the Lake Sevan conquering much of Diauehi and the Ararat Valley. Argishtis built the Erebuni Fortress in 782 BC, and the fortress of Argishtikhinili in 776 BC. He was succeeded by his son, Sarduri II. Some linguists believe that the name Argištiše has Indo-European etymology (Armenian). Compare Armenian արեգ (translit. areg) -- "sun deity", "sun". Argishti II was king of Urartu from 714 BC to 680 BC. He succeeded his father, King Rusa I. During the Armenian-Assyria War, Argishti was responsible for orchestrating major Armenian (Araratian) counter-offensives against the invading Assyrians. His forces drove the Assyrians back across the pre-war border and deep into the Assyrian heartlands, reconquering major towns and cities around Lake Urmia, including Mushashir, Ushnu, and Tepe, and conquering the territory as far south as the city of Nimud on the Tigris River. These victories forced the Assyrians to accept a lengthy peace and cede large tracts of territory north of the Tigris. The remainder of Argishti's lengthy reign was characterized by a "Golden Age", a period of lengthy peace and economic prosperity, which carried into the reigns of Argishti's two successors, his son Rusa II and his grandson Sarduri III. Song Dice, By Deleyaman