Mjej II Gnuni
Encyclopedia
Mzhezh or Mjej Gnuni was an Armenian
sparapet of Byzantine Armenia
Initially serving under Heraclius
, the contingent of Armenian troops under his command were instrumental in the Byzantine success against the Sassanids during the Byzanto-Persian Wars that culminated in the overthrow of Khosrau II
in 628
. He also served as the sparapet
(commander in chief) of Byzantine Armenia from about 630 to 638, and during this time may have been responsible for the founding of the Cathedral of Mren
. He was succeeded in this position by David Saharuni
, from middle-ranking Armenian nobility after being accused of plotting against the life of Heraclius. While being sent into exile he escaped and made his way back to Armenia. There he raised an army, but Davit, the Byzantine-appointed governor, defeated and then slew Mjej Gnuni and, by uniting various local princes, declared himself ruler of Armenia. Faced with such a fait acompli, and recognizing Armenia's strategic importance, in 638 Heraclius confirmed Davit in his position and awarded him the titles of curopalate, sparapet, and prince of Armenia and Syria.
He is also known to have approached the Armenian Catholicos Ezra for a union of the Armenian and Greek Churches, who initially refused, but later yielded to the menaces of the general.
Armenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....
sparapet of Byzantine Armenia
Byzantine Armenia
Byzantine Armenia is the name given to the Armenian part of the Byzantine Empire. The size of the territory varied over time, depending on the degree of control the Byzantines had over Armenia....
Initially serving under Heraclius
Heraclius
Heraclius was Byzantine Emperor from 610 to 641.He was responsible for introducing Greek as the empire's official language. His rise to power began in 608, when he and his father, Heraclius the Elder, the exarch of Africa, successfully led a revolt against the unpopular usurper Phocas.Heraclius'...
, the contingent of Armenian troops under his command were instrumental in the Byzantine success against the Sassanids during the Byzanto-Persian Wars that culminated in the overthrow of Khosrau II
Khosrau II
250px|thumb|Khosrau II 250px|thumb|Khosrau II 250px|thumb|Khosrau II (Khosrow II, Chosroes II, or Xosrov II in classical sources, sometimes called Parvez, "the Ever Victorious" – (in Persian: خسرو پرویز), was the twenty-second Sassanid King of Persia, reigning from 590 to 628...
in 628
628
Year 628 was a leap year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 628 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Asia :* January – Third Perso-Turkic War: Emperor...
. He also served as the sparapet
Sparapet
Sparapet was a hereditary military rank that originated in the 2nd century BC, under the reign of King Artashes I, and was used in the Kingdom of Armenia and the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia , was supreme commander of the armed forces. It was the equivalent of the Parthian Spahbod Sparapet was a...
(commander in chief) of Byzantine Armenia from about 630 to 638, and during this time may have been responsible for the founding of the Cathedral of Mren
Cathedral of Mren
The Cathedral of Mren is a 7th century Armenian church now in the Kars region of Turkey near the border with Armenia, about 1.5 km west of the Akhurian River.The church of Mren is a domed triple-nave basilica.- See also :...
. He was succeeded in this position by David Saharuni
David Saharuni
David Saharuni was sparapet, curopalates, ishkhan, and presiding prince of Byzantine controlled Armenia from 635 to 638.David was a nakharar from the princely noble House of Saharuni. When the marzpan of Persarmania Varaz-Tirots Bagratuni was in the imperial court in Osroene, he entered in a plot...
, from middle-ranking Armenian nobility after being accused of plotting against the life of Heraclius. While being sent into exile he escaped and made his way back to Armenia. There he raised an army, but Davit, the Byzantine-appointed governor, defeated and then slew Mjej Gnuni and, by uniting various local princes, declared himself ruler of Armenia. Faced with such a fait acompli, and recognizing Armenia's strategic importance, in 638 Heraclius confirmed Davit in his position and awarded him the titles of curopalate, sparapet, and prince of Armenia and Syria.
He is also known to have approached the Armenian Catholicos Ezra for a union of the Armenian and Greek Churches, who initially refused, but later yielded to the menaces of the general.