We’re going to discuss the differences and the generalities of 2 kings of 2 different nations. We are going to look through the lives and reigns of Armenian king Tigranes the Great and English-Norman king William I. 

Tigranes the Great

We’ll start from Tigranes the Great. He lived from 140-55 B.C. Tigranes was the most powerful representative of the royal house of Artaxiad. He replaced his father Tigranes I. He has reigned over Great Haik during the 95-55 B.C.

During the reign of Tigranes’ uncle Artavasdes I Tigranes was given as a hostage to king Mitharadates II of Parthia  who defeated the Armenians in 105 B.C. After the death of King Tigranes I in 95 B.C., Tigranes bought his freedom, according to Strabo, by handing over "seventy valleys" in Atropatene to the Parthians.

So Tigranes II became king in 95 B.C (he was 45 years old at that time).  In 85 B.C. Tigranes claimed to the title Great King. Just after his coronation the 45-year-old king set about strengthening the state and the national armyas he wanted to create a centralist empire. In 94 B.C. he captured Tsopk and deposedArtanes, the last king of Armenian Sophene and a descendant of Zariadres. Thus Tigranes finished what his grandfather Artashes had started-the unification of the lands of Armenia.

But he also had to unite Small Haik which then was a part of the kingdom of Pontus. The kingdom of Pontus was ruled by Mithridates VI. During his reign Pontus had grown into a great and powerful kingdom. Its first and foremost aim was fighting to Rome so the last wouldn’t become a leader in Asia Minor. So Tigranes the Great executed a contract with Mithridates VI in 94-91 B.C. and married his daughter Cleoptra.

During his reign Tigranes fought with Parthia,Seleucid and Rome. HeHeb hjgghuhuhhfcfdfDFFFF He fought with famous Roman commanders such as Lucius Cornelius Sulla and Pompey. On October 6, 69 B.C., Tigranes' much larger force was decisively defeated by the Roman army under Lucullus in the Battle of Tigranocerta In 66 B.C. Pompey advanced into Armenia with the younger Tigranes, and Tigranes the Great, now almost 75 years old, surrendered. Pompey treated him generously and allowed him to retain his kingdom shorn of his conquests in return for 6,000 talents of silver. Tigranes continued to rule Armenia as an ally of Rome until his death in 55/54. He had 3 sons- Zariadres, Artavasdes II and Tigranes & a daughter with Cleopatra.

Under the reign of Tigranes the Great Armenia became the strongest state east of the Roman Republic for a short time. He fought many battles and united the greater parts of the lands of Armenia. During 80-70 B.C. in the state of Aghdsnik Tigranes the Great erected his new metropolis of Tigranakert. It was stated on the left bank of the river Western Tigris. Preliminary the place of the town was a famous center of heathen cult. Many of the inhabitants of conquered cities were sent to Tigranakert. The town soon was filled up with inhabitants that were like of 120.000. The town had had walls of 25 meter height. They were so wide that workshops and arsenals were built in them. Tigranakert had an impregnable stronghold, too. In short time the town became one of the most crowded centers of culture and trade in Middle Asia.

A recent ABC News article on May 19, 2004 noted that according to the Armenian and Italian researchers the symbol on the crown of Tigranes the Great that features a star with a curved tail may represent the passage of Halley's Comet in 87 B.C. Tigranes could have seen Halley's comet when it passed closest to the Sun on August 6 in 87B.C., according to the researchers, who said the comet would have been a 'most recordable event'– heralding the New Era of the King of Kings.

William the Conqueror

Now we’ll look through the life and reign of William I.  He was the first Norman King of England from 1066 until 1087. He was also Duke of Normandy from 3 July 1035 until his death. William was born in either 1027 or 1028 in Falaise, Normandy, France, most likely in the autumn of the later year. His mother Herleva   later married Herluin de Conteville and had two sons with Herluin – Odo of Bayeux and Robert, Count of Mortain. Thus William was called William the Bastard. But his father duke Robert convened a council and had the assembled Norman magnates swear fealty to William as his heir. Duke Robert died in early July 1035 at Nicea.

The new duke faced a number of challenges, including his illegitimate birth and his young age. One factor that helped William was his marriage to Matilda of Flanders, the daughter of Count Baldwin V of Flanders. The marriage itself was important for William's power, as Flanders was one of the more powerful French territories, with ties to the French royal house as well as to the German emperors.

The Battle of Hastings.

After the death of King Edward Duke Harold became the next king. So William felt cheated as he hoped to become the next king. He prepared an army to invade England. In 1066 on 14 October in a little neighbourhood near the village called Hastings the battle began at about 9am and lasted all day.  Although the numbers on each side were about equal, William had both cavalry and infantry, including many archers, while Harold had only foot soldiers and few if any archers. William I won the battle. After that he was proclaimed the King of England and invaded Britain completely in a few years.

William initiated many major changes. He increased the function of the traditional English shires (autonomous administrative regions), which he brought under central control; he decreased the power of the earls by restricting them to one shire apiece. In 1085, in order to ascertain the extent of his new dominions and to improve taxation, William commissioned all his counsellors for the compilation of the Domesday Book, which was published in 1086. The book was a survey of England's productive capacity similar to a modern census. His conquest also led to French replacing English as the language of the ruling classes for nearly 300 years. William's conquest of England decisively changed English history in terms of customs culture, politics, economics and, most dramatically, the language itself. William I had nearly 8 or 9 children. William showed a magnificent appearance, possessing a fierce countenance.

Now as we have looked through the lives and the reigns of both of them let’s discuss and find out their differences and generalities.

William the Conqueror reigned over England during 1066-1087 A.D., but Tigranes the Great ruled over Armenia during 95-55 B.C. So they lived and reigned during different periods. They both came after their fathers. William had difficulties because he was supposed to be an illegitimate child. Tigranes also had difficulties as he had been a hostage in Parthia for 20 years. They both had mentors. It’s just that Tigranes’ mentors were always with him but a lot of mentors of William were killed. Both of them were married and their marriages were important for their reign. Tigranes married Cleopatra who was the daughter of the King of Pontus and this marriage affected the power of Tigranes as Pontus had grown into a powerful kingdom. William married Matilda of Flanders, the daughter of Count Baldwin V of Flanders and this marriage also affected William's power as Flanders was one of the most powerful French territories. Both of the kings were for centralist empire. That’s why Tigranes strengthened the army and William created a central government and replaced Witenagemot by the Great Council.I think both of them were corpulent kings. Tigranes only had 3-4 children but William had 8-9 children. There is no evidence that one of them had any illegitimate children.

       Both of them were wise and corpulent kings and during their reigns their kingdoms became powerful and wide territories.

(the links I used to prepare this comparison.

                                     Kirakossyan Emma, 10-3 form

                                                                                       Submitted by Sh. Azatyan