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The Armenite

Armeniaca Person

Tiridates III

ChristianityHistoryAlso: Trdat III, Trdat the Great, Tiridates the Great and 2 more

Armenian
Տրդատ Գ

Tiridates III, called Trdat in Armenian, was king of Armenia at the beginning of the fourth century. In the History of Agathangelos he is restored to his throne, imprisons Gregory the Illuminator, and is then converted with his court, after which the pagan temples are destroyed and a Christian clergy is established.1 The Armenian Church credits his proclamation, together with Gregory’s preaching, with making Christianity the state religion in 301.2 UNESCO dates the building of the cathedral of Etchmiadzin to 301 to 303, under Tiridates and Gregory.3 The story is told in the entry on the Conversion of Armenia to Christianity.

Sources

  1. Thomson, Robert W. “Agathangelos.” Encyclopaedia Iranica, vol. 1, fasc. 6 (1984), pp. 607–608; online edition updated 6 June 2018. link. ↩
  2. Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. “Armenian Apostolic Holy Church” (overview). Holy Etchmiadzin. link. ↩
  3. UNESCO World Heritage Centre. “Cathedral and Churches of Echmiatsin and the Archaeological Site of Zvartnots.” World Heritage List, no. 1011 (inscribed 2000). link. ↩

Further reading

  • Agathangelos. History of the Armenians. Translation and commentary by Robert W. Thomson. Albany: State University of New York Press, 1976. link