Origins & Early Life

Tiridates III (c. 250s – c. 330), also known as Tiridates the Great or Tiridates IV, was the Armenian Arsacid king from c. 298 to c.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

330. In the early 4th century (301, according to tradition) Tiridates adopted Christianity as the state religion of Armenia, thus making the Kingdom of Armenia the first state to officially embrace Christianity. The name Tiridates is the Greek variant of the Parthian name Trdat, meaning "created by Tir." Although Tir does not appear in the Avesta, he is a prominent yazata (angelic divinity) in the Zoroastrian religion. The name also appears in other Greek variants, such as Terdates, Teridates, Teridatios, and Tiridatios. It appears in Syriac as Turadatis and in Latin as Tiridates.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Tiridates III was the son of Khosrov II of Armenia, the latter being assassinated in 252 by a Parthian agent named Anak under orders from Ardashir I. Tiridates had at least one sibling, a sister called Khosrovidukht and was the namesake of his paternal grandfather, Tiridates II of Armenia. Anak was captured and executed along with most of his family, while his son, Gregory the Illuminator, was sheltered in Caesaria, in Cappadocia. As the only...

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