ARTAŠAT. – Ancient city of Armenia, which was also a capital under the Ardašessian dynasty, in the province of Ararat on the Aras. In A.D. 177 Corbulo, after seizing it by treachery, burned it on the pretext that he was unable to defend II.
In A., in 449, Joseph I katholikós convened the historic Synod and replied to the letter of Yazdgherd II of Persia, which urged the Armenians to embrace Mazdaism under penalty of persecutions and destruction throughout Armenia. A. was destroyed during the subsequent invasion of the Arabs.
BIBL.: L. Ingiġian, Topografia dell'Armenia antica (in armeno), Venice 1822, pp. 485–97; L. Alisan, Topografia di Ararat (in armeno), Venice 1890, pp. 395–403; Eprikian, Dizionario geagr. dell'Armenia (in armeno), Venice 1902, pp. 318–23. Serafino Akelian