Satenik
The Artashes in the tradition is identified with the 2nd-century BC king Artaxias I, although it is generally believed that the real historical basis for the story came from the invasion of Armenia by the Alans in the 1st century AD, during the reign of Tiridates I.
Movses notes that the story, which he directly quotes from, was a well-known epic during his time among the common people of Armenia told by traveling storytellers and minstrels.
[3] D. Lavrov was the first scholar to note the similarity between the names of Satenik and Satana, the heroine of the North Caucasian Nart sagas.
[6][a] Sonja Fritz and Jost Gippert propose a connection with the Scythian name Xarthanos, which is thought to derive from the Iranian word *xšathra- 'rule'.
Satana, however, cannot be the inherited Ossetian form of a name deriving from *xšathra- because of phonological rules; it must have been re-borrowed from another language where the cluster -rt- was replaced with -t-.
Manuk Abeghian considers the stories about Satenik and Artashes to be part of the Armenian folk epic called Vipasankʻ.
"[14] Scholars have noted numerous parallels between the legend of Artashes and Satenik and the traditions regarding the North Caucasian heroine Satana.
Զի վասն միոյ քինու ոչ է օրէն դիւցազանց՝ Այլոց դիւցազանց զարմից բառնալ զկենդանութիւն.
Կամ ծառայեցուցանելով ի ստրկաց կարգի պահել, Եւ թշնամութիւն յաւիտենական Ի մէջ երկոցունց ազգաց քաջաց հաստատել։ Kʻez asem, ayr kʻaǰ Artašēs, Or yałtʻecʻer kʻaǰ azgin Alanacʻ, Ek hawaneacʻ banicʻ ačʻagełoy dsters Alanacʻ Tal zpatanid.
Ew šat cʻawecʻoycʻ zmēǰkʻ pʻapʻuk ōriordin, Arag hasucʻanelov i banakn iwr: Brave King Artashes mounted his handsome black [horse], And taking out a red leather rope studded with golden rings, And crossing the river like a sharp-winged eagle, And throwing his red leather rope studded with golden rings, Cast it upon the waist of the Alanian maiden, And greatly hurt the delicate maiden's waist, Quickly taking her back to his camp.
[22] According to another interpretation, the passage is not allegorical and is a literal account of bride abduction,[23] which was considered more honorable during this period than formal acquiescence.
It was a popular tradition among the Armenian king, according to Movses, to stand in front of the entrance of a temple and scatter money and to shower the queen's bedroom with pearls.
[29] Earlier in History of Armenia, Khorenatsi writes that, according to the songs of Goghtn, Satenik had fallen in love with Argavan, who is described as a descendant of a race of dragons (vishaps in Armenian).
The story of Satenik's marriage to Artashes is mentioned by the c. 10th-century historians Ukhtanes and Movses Kaghankatvatsi; the latter confuses the Alans (alankʻ) for the Caucasian Albanians (ałuankʻ).
[32] At some point, Artashes and Satenik became associated with the tradition regarding the Christian saints Oski and Sukias, who were said to be pupils of the apostle Thaddeus.
