Artaxias

Արտաշես Ա

Artaxias, also known as (Artashes I) to Armenians, was the ruler of Armenia in 189-159 BC. He revolted against the Seleucid king Antiochus the Great and thereby Armenia became an independent nation. He also built the city of Artaxata (by modern day Artashat) in 166 BC on the Araks River. He is mentioned in the works of Strabo and Plutarch.