[2] According to Cyril Toumanoff, Artavasdes I can be identified with the Armenian king who, according to the medieval Georgian annals, interfered in Iberia at the request of local nobility and installed his son, Artaxias, on the throne of Iberia, thereby inaugurating the Iberian Artaxiad dynasty.

[3] Artavasdes is the Latinized version of the Old Iranian name Ṛtavazdā, identical to the Avestan Ašavazdah, presumably meaning "powerful/persevering through truth"[4] or "he whose justness is constant/lasting".

[6] Khorenatsi writes that Artavasdes expelled his brothers from the royal province of Ayrarat to Aghiovit and Arberan, except for his heir Tigranes.

[7] According to the Roman historian Justin, in 120 BC, the Parthian king Mithradates II invaded Armenia and defeated Artavasdes.

[3] According to The Georgian Chronicles the eristavis (princes) of Iberia requested the aid of the Armenian king to dethrone King Paranjom, who was attempting to spread the Zoroastrian faith among his people, and in his place enthrone Artavasdes's son Artaxias, who was married to a Pharnavazid princess.

Unable to bear this, one of Argam's son instigated a rebellion, which was put down by Artavasdes, who slaughtered all the eminent men of the Muratsean family.

[14] After quelling the Caspian uprising, Smbat Bagratuni was awarded by Artaxias the royal portion of Goghtn and the springs of Ught.

Seeking justice for the wrongdoings caused against Smbat, Mazhan requested that Artavasdes and his brother Tigranes be exiled and that the kingdom instead be entrusted to Artaxias's other son Zariadres.

[15] In 165/4 BC, Antiochus IV Epiphanes invaded Armenia, capturing King Artaxias and pushing Tigranes's army to Basen.

[16] Artavasdes and Smbat hastened and joined Tigranes, while Zariadres headed north to counter the Iberian invasion.

"[7] Khorenatsi writes that Armenian elders in his time would tell the tale that Artavasdes was imprisoned in a cave, with two dogs constantly gnawing at his chains so that their master would be freed and destroy the world.

According to Eznik, just as the Jews expected the coming of their king David, so did Armenians believe that Artavasdes will return and rule the world.

[20] Khorenatsi's realistic interpretation of the folk traditions is that just a few days after becoming king, Artavasdes went on a hunting trip near Mount Ararat and, "confused by some giddiness," he turned on his horse and fell into a large pit and disappeared.

[23] The tradition also shares features with the story of Little Mher, one of the heroes of the Armenian national epic Daredevils of Sassoun, who is imprisoned in a mountain because of his father's curse.