Sparapet
Sparapet (Template:Lang-hy) was a hereditary military rank that originated in the 2nd century BC,[1] under the reign of King Artashes I, and was used in the Kingdom of Armenia and the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia (in Cilicia, the bearer of the title was known as a Constable; Template:Lang-hy), was supreme commander of the armed forces. It was the equivalent of the Parthiann Spahbed (cf. Georgian spaspet "high constable, commander in chief"). The House of Mamikonian traditionally held the title the first centuries of the rule of the Arsacid kings of Armenia until their weakening and eventual settlement in the Byzantine Empire in the 8th century, when Bagratuni and Artsruni feudal lords adopted the rank. See սպարապետ for etymology.
Modern usage
Following his assassination during the [[Armenian parliament shooting|parliament shooting in 1999], former Defense Minister Vazgen Sargsyan was referred to as the Sparapet in reference to his military leadership during the Nagorno-Karabakh War.[2][3]
The title is also used for the Grand Commander of the Knights of Vartan, an Armenian-American fraternal order. The title was held by Alex Manoogian during his leadership of that organization.[citation needed]
References
- ^ Template:Hy icon Yeremyan, Suren. "Հայաստանը հելլենիստական դարաշրջանում" ("Armenia During the Hellenistic Era"). Soviet Armenia volume of Soviet Armenian Encyclopedia. Yerevan, Armenian SSR: Armenian Academy of Sciences, 1987, p. 98.
- ^ "50th Anniversary of Birth of Sparapet". Yerevan State University. 20 March 2009. Retrieved 3 July 2014.
- ^ "Armenians commemorate Sparapet Vazgen Sargsyan". A1plus. 5 March 2014. Retrieved 3 July 2014.
See also
External links
- The Sparapetutyun in Armenia in the Fourth and Fifth Centuries
- "Cilician Kingdom", Dictionary of the Middle Ages
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