[5] Artaxias II was the eldest son of Artavasdes II of Armenia[6] by a mother whose name is unknown and was the namesake of his paternal ancestor, a previous ruling Armenian King Artaxias I. Artaxias II had two siblings: a younger brother called Tigranes III[5] and a sister,[7] name unknown, who possibly married King Archelaus of Cappadocia.

[8] Artaxias II managed to escape and fled to King Phraates IV of Parthia.

[4] As the Armenians lost faith in their ruling monarch, they sent messengers to Augustus requesting him to remove Artaxias II from his throne and to install his brother, Tigranes III as his successor.

[1] Augustus sent his step-son Tiberius, with Tigranes III[1] and a large army to depose Artaxias II.

Before Tiberius and Tigranes III arrived in Armenia, a cabal within the palace was successful in murdering Artaxias II.