Tigranes the Great

Either son or nephew of Artavasdes I, Tigranes was handed over as a hostage to Parthia after Armenia fell under its suzerainty. After taking the Armenian throne in 95 BC, he moved fast: invading and annexing Roman and Parthian client-kingdoms, marrying the daughter of Mithridates VI of Pontus, dragging the populations of conquered cities to his new capital Tigranocerta, and filling his court with Greek philosophers. For a short time his state was the most powerful east of Rome. Then Mithridates VI sought refuge at his court, and Rome came for both of them. Lucullus crushed him at Tigranocerta in 69 BC, then again at Artaxata a year later. A brief reprieve ended when Pompey invaded in 66 BC - aided by Tigranes' own son. Tigranes surrendered, lost every conquest, and spent his last decade as a Roman client-king until his death around 55 BC at eighty-five.