Military campaigns of Tigranes the Great

His initial invasions of Cappadocia drew the attention of the Roman Empire and after being defeated in two separate campaigns, Tigranes was allowed to keep Armenia as a client kingdom of Rome while paying an indemnity of 6,000 talents and relinquishing all his conquests.

[1] By 95 bce, Tigranes had inherited the kingdom of Armenia from his father and secured his freedom by surrendering seventy valleys to the Parthians.

[4] In 91-90 BCE,[a][b] Tigranes was persuaded by his father-in-law, Mithridates VI Eupator, to attack the Roman client kingdom of Cappadocia.

[9] In Syria, the constant civil war between the Seleucids, and recent death of its ruler in 84 bce,[15] had prompted an appeal for Tigranes to accept the throne.

[17] This freed the kingdoms of Iberia, Albania and Media Atropatene from Armenian hegemony, while Adiabene and Mesopotamia were returned to their local rulers.

[18] In 66 bce, the Roman general Pompey allowed Tigranes to become a client-king of Rome and keep Armenia,[19] after paying a war indemnity of 6,000 talents and relinquishing all provinces and kingdoms taken in his previous campaigns.