Parandzem's mother was an unnamed noblewoman from the Mamikonian family and she had at least one known sibling, a brother called Babik (Bagben) who served as a Naxarar of Syunik in 379.

[6] Gnel was the son of the Arsacid Prince Tiridates[7] whose brother was Arshak II[8] who ruled as King of Armenia from 350 until 368.

During the reign of Arsaces II, Gnel was a popular prince in Armenia[9] and could have been seen as a potential successor to his uncle.

Parandzem's reputation for her beauty had become renown and widespread to the point as Gnel's paternal cousin Tirit had become passionately in love with her and desired for her to be his wife.

Arsaces II did eventually kill Gnel around the time of the festival of Nawasard (which was held in August) as his falsely lured his nephew and Parandzem into Shahapivan a native camping place of the Arsacids which was below a walled hunting preserve based on a lie that Arsaces II wanted to reconcile with Gnel.

[14] When Gnel was captured by Arsaces II's soldiers he was taken to a nearby hill of the mountain called Lsin where he was executed.

Tirit had sent a message to Arsaces II stating, “King, I want you to order that I be allowed to marry Gnel’s wife”.

Parandzem had arranged for Olympia to be poisoned in 361[31] administered to her in the Holy Sacrament of communion by a priest[32] from the royal court.

[33] The behaviours, actions of Parandzem and Arsaces II, in particular the deaths of Gnel, Tirit, Olympia and possibly the prior ruling King of Armenia Tigranes VII (Tiran) had totally outraged the reigning Catholicos St. Nerses I.

[38] Cylaces and Artabanes were also supported by the Armenian nobles Vahan Mamikonian and Meruzhan Artsruni who also defected to Shapur II.

[41] Cylaces and Artabanes defected from Shapur II to Parandzem in which Papas for his safety was sent to Asia Minor to the court of Valens.

[43] Valens was working to restore Papas to the Arsacid throne and withdraw the army of Shapur II from Armenia.

[46] Parandzem bravely defended herself and Armenia for 2 years from Shapur II, which famine and disease had left few survivors out of 11,000 soldiers and 6,000 women who had taken refuge in the fortress.

Shapur II wanting to humiliate Armenia and the Roman Empire, had Parandzem given to his soldiers whom they brutally raped until she died,[48][failed verification][49] although, Movses Khorenatsi never mentioned that, rather, he stated that she was taken away into captivity in Assyria, where she was impaled on the shafts of carts and put to death.