The Role of the Armenians in the Political and Military Developments of Byzantium during the Seventh Century

At the beginning of the seventh century, the Byzantine Empire had extensive borders, which included important provinces, such as Africa, Egypt, Syria, Palestine and the region of the Black Sea. Τhe influence of Byzantium, as is well known, extended to areas in proximity to these territories as well. Of particular interest is the case of Armenia, which at the beginning of the seventh century was under the control of the Byzantines and the Persians, while later the Arabs also showed an aggressive attitude towards the territories of Armenia. The emperors of the period, in order to associate themselves with the Armenian aristocrats, awarded them high titles and military offices, integrating thus a large number of Armenians in the Byzantine army. The pressure to unite the Armenians with the Byzantines on an ecclesiastical level had a negative impact on their relations. Due to this situation, the Armenian nobles mistrusted the central administration of Constantinople and therefore participated in subversive movements against the Byzantine rulers. This paper will present key aspects of the political and military activity of the Armenians in Byzantium during the seventh century.