ARTASAT. - An ancient city of Armenia, which was also a capital under the Ardašessian dynasty, in the province of Ararat on the Araxes. In 177 AD, Corbulo, after seizing it treacherously, burned it down on the pretext of being unable to defend II.
In A., in 449, Joseph I the katholikós convened the historic Synod and replied to the letter of Yazdgherd II of Persia, who urged the Armenians to embrace Mazdaism, threatening persecutions and destruction throughout Armenia. A. was destroyed during the subsequent invasion of the Arabs.
BIBL.: L. Ingigian, Topografia dell'Armenia antica (in Armenian). Venice 1822, pp. 485-97; L. Alisán, Topografia di Ararat (in Armenian), Venice 1890, pp. 395-403; Eprikian, Dizionario geogr. dell'Armenia (in Armenian), Venice 1902, pp. 318-23. Serafino Akelian