ASOT I. — King of Armenia, the first of the Bagratid dynasty, from 885 to 890, created by the caliph Maometto Pullah at the unanimous request of the Armenian princes. He greatly favored religious worship and supported the work of Zaccaria I katholikós for the union of the Armenian Church with the Byzantine Church, in order to create concord, especially in matters concerning the Council of Chalcedon. For this purpose, when the Council of Siragavan (862) was convened, A. personally took part in its sessions. He died while returning from Constantinople, where he had gone to conclude a pact of friendship with the Greeks, leaving a large part of his possessions to the poor and to the churches.
BIBL.: L. Alšan, A. I e l'Armenia prima del mille, in Pazmačeb (Armenian journal), year 1863; H. Thopdschian, Politische und Kirchengeschichte Armeniens unter A. I. und Sembat I., Berlin 1905; K. Aslan, Études historiques sur le peuple arménien, Paris 1928, pp. 293–304. Giacomo Ciantalan