Tigranes the Great: The Rise and Fall of an Ancient Empire (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781913166243)

Tigranes the Great ruled the Kingdom of Armenia from 95 to 55 BC. He formed a close alliance with Mithridates VI, Eupator and King of Pontus, to secure each other's flanks from the expansion of Rome.

Tigranes' troops, commanded by his generals, entered Mesopotamia and annexed the northern dynastic kingdoms under Parthian rule, turning them into his vassals. One invasion was followed by another in what became a growing imperial war of conquests. Those victories enabled Tigranes to take the Achaemenid proud title of "King of Kings", after which he conquered the crumbling Seleucid kingdom and the lands as far south as Phoenicia.

Around 70 BC, Tigranes reached the summit of his fame and glory as his kingdom was transformed into an empire, stretching from the Caspian Sea in the east to the Mediterranean Sea in the west. It was only a matter of time before Lucullus, followed by Pompey, marched their legions into Tigranes' dominion and reduced it to its original borders.

This book is a gripping account of the royal life and fate of this audacious Hellenistic king, who has left an everlasting mark in the annals of history. It provides valuable and crucial insights into the motivations leading up to the invasion of his empire and some corroborated dialogue that brings the main characters vividly to life.