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Barbegal, just outside of the city, and Aries boasted a number of architectural masterpieces within its
limits.
There was a hippodrome and a theater, constructed later in the 1st century B.C. The architect
REBURRUS designed the ampitheater in a fashion similar to his amphitheater at Nimes. Situated on the
Rhone River, some 45 miles from the Mediterranean, Aries developed into a major economic center. It was
a gateway for merchants traveling by land from Italy to Spain, and was accessible to sea traffic by a canal.
By the 2nd century A.D., Aries had replaced Massilia as the leading port of trade along the Gallic coast,
and maintained this importance well into the late period of the Empire.
With barbarian invasions commonplace in the 5th century A.D., the city was of administrative value
because it was close to the direct lines of communications with Italy and was far enough south to remain a
key element in defensive operational plans. The prefect of Gaul maintained his watch from there, and
eventually a mint was established in the city. Mirroring its power base, the church in Aries was powerful
and ambitious, aspiring to acquire other sees (or dioceses) in Gallia Narbonensis. In 417, Pope Zosimus
gave the bishop of Aries permission to consecrate the bishops of neighboring episcopacies. Pope
Boniface and Pope Celestine revoked this authority, which had made Aries supreme, and Pope Leo
reduced the powers that had been held normally. Two councils of the church were held there, one in 314
and the other circa 450. See also GALLIA.
¤ ARMENIA AND ARMENIA MINOR Territory located to the east of ASIA MINOR, between the
Caspian Sea and Black Sea; the focal point of struggles between the Roman Empire and the empires of
the Persians and Parthians. The country was divided geographically by the Euphrates River, and the
Armenians were distributed in two regions: Armenia Minor and Armenia Major. Armenia Minor was
between Pontus and Cappadocia, while across the great river, Armenia Major extended along part of the
wide Parthian frontier. This area was of vital importance to Rome; Armenia Major was the more familiar
territory.
For centuries the Caucasian-descended Armenians governed themselves, but the Greek Seleucid Dynasty
came to rule the country as heir to the Persian Empire. In 189 B.C., the Seleucid hold was broken, and an
Armenian king controlled Armenia Major. This lasted until the time of King Tigranes I, who allied
himself with his father-in-law, Mithridates VI, the great king of Pontus who had fashioned his domain
into one of the greatest kingdoms in Asia and who fought the third Mithridatic War (75-65 B.C.).
Following the victory of General Lucullus at Cabira in 72 B.C., Mithridates lost Pontus and fled into
Armenia. Tigranes refused to yield to the Romans and was himself invaded and broken at Tigranocerta in
69 B.C. Lucullus was forced by the hardships of the campaign to withdraw, but Pompey soon arrived and
all of Armenia was subdued. Armenia Major was henceforth to be a protectorate, a client state
answerable to Rome, while Armenia Minor was attached to Cappadocia.
The next year brought the Armenians into the middle of wider global politics as Rome and the Arsacids
fought for control of Asia. Marc Antony invaded the Parthian Empire through Armenia in 36 B.C. but
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