Argishti II
Encyclopedia
Argishti II was king
of Urartu
from 714 BC to 680 BC. He succeeded his father, King Rusa I. During the Urartu-Assyria War
, Argishti was responsible for orchestrating major Urartuan counter-offensive
s against the invading Assyria
ns. His forces drove the Assyrians back across the pre-war border and deep into the Assyrian heartlands, reconquering major towns and cities around Lake Urmia
, including Mushashir, Ushnu
, and Tepe
, and conquering the territory as far south as the city of Nimud on the Tigris River. These victories forced the Assyrians to accept a lengthy peace and cede large tracts of territory north of the Tigris. The remainder of Argishti's lengthy reign was characterized by a "Golden Age
", a period of lengthy peace
and economic prosperity
, which carried into the reigns of Argishti's two successors, his son Rusa II
and his grandson Sarduri III
.
Monarch
A monarch is the person who heads a monarchy. This is a form of government in which a state or polity is ruled or controlled by an individual who typically inherits the throne by birth and occasionally rules for life or until abdication...
of Urartu
Urartu
Urartu , corresponding to Ararat or Kingdom of Van was an Iron Age kingdom centered around Lake Van in the Armenian Highland....
from 714 BC to 680 BC. He succeeded his father, King Rusa I. During the Urartu-Assyria War
Urartu-Assyria War
The Urartu–Assyria War was a conflict between the Kingdom of Urartu, the Neo-Assyrian Empire, and Assyria's successor state, the Babylonian Empire, after it was conquered. The war began around 714 BC, with the invasion of Urartu by the Assyrian King Sargon II. Sargon led multiple offensives deep...
, Argishti was responsible for orchestrating major Urartuan counter-offensive
Counter-offensive
A counter-offensive is the term used by the military to describe large-scale, usually strategic offensive operations by forces that had successfully halted an enemy's offensive, while occupying defensive positions....
s against the invading Assyria
Assyria
Assyria was a Semitic Akkadian kingdom, extant as a nation state from the mid–23rd century BC to 608 BC centred on the Upper Tigris river, in northern Mesopotamia , that came to rule regional empires a number of times through history. It was named for its original capital, the ancient city of Assur...
ns. His forces drove the Assyrians back across the pre-war border and deep into the Assyrian heartlands, reconquering major towns and cities around Lake Urmia
Lake Urmia
Lake Urmia , ancient name: Lake Matiene) is a salt lake in northwestern Iran, near Iran's border with Turkey. The lake is between the Iranian provinces of East Azerbaijan and West Azerbaijan, west of the southern portion of the similarly shaped Caspian Sea...
, including Mushashir, Ushnu
Ushnu
An ushnu is a pyramid-shaped, terraced structure that was used by the Incas to preside at the most important ceremonies of the Tawantinsuyu.- Name :Little is known of Ushnu's Quechua root, but it seemed to mean the place of stones where the water filters...
, and Tepe
Tépe
Tépe is a village in Hajdú-Bihar county, in the Northern Great Plain region of eastern Hungary.-Geography:It covers an area of and has a population of 1176 people ....
, and conquering the territory as far south as the city of Nimud on the Tigris River. These victories forced the Assyrians to accept a lengthy peace and cede large tracts of territory north of the Tigris. The remainder of Argishti's lengthy reign was characterized by a "Golden Age
Golden Age
The term Golden Age comes from Greek mythology and legend and refers to the first in a sequence of four or five Ages of Man, in which the Golden Age is first, followed in sequence, by the Silver, Bronze, and Iron Ages, and then the present, a period of decline...
", a period of lengthy peace
Peace
Peace is a state of harmony characterized by the lack of violent conflict. Commonly understood as the absence of hostility, peace also suggests the existence of healthy or newly healed interpersonal or international relationships, prosperity in matters of social or economic welfare, the...
and economic prosperity
Prosperity
Prosperity is the state of flourishing, thriving, good fortune and/or successful social status. Prosperity often encompasses wealth but also includes others factors which are independent of wealth to varying degrees, such as happiness and health....
, which carried into the reigns of Argishti's two successors, his son Rusa II
Rusa II
Rusa II was king of Urartu between around 680 BC and 639 BC. It was during his reign that the massive fortress complex, Karmir-Blur, was constructed....
and his grandson Sarduri III
Sarduri III
Sarduri III was a king of Urartu between around 639 BC and 635 BC.Argishti left a record of fourteen years of his reign on the walls of chambers hewn in the Rock of Van, while Sarduri III's victories are inscribed on a monument erected on a spot called "the Treasury Gate" in the fortress of Van...
.