Can someone explain why two Armenia's?

[Ephestion]

I am Greek but live in the West. My question is based on the seeming continuous split of Armenia into Western and Eastern parts.

During Byzantine times the Western part found in Turkey was controlled by Constantinople/Byzantium. The Eastern half was taken over by a number of rulers including Muslims. But when Turkey formed the West part became Muslim and the East Christian or atleast the West side changed and the East stayed the same. So my question is why the split? Does the border between East and West have some strategic significance or is it just some random thing that happened?

Explain the history please because most sources like Greek ones refer to Armenia but I am pretty sure they mean the part under their control. Is there a good source that can explain this weird arrangement? I mean surely even during Russian intervention Western Armenia could have been annexed. So what is it with the eternal split?

[bell-the-cat]

Re: Can someone explain why two Armenia's?

I am Greek but live in the West. My question is based on the seeming continuous split of Armenia into Western and Eastern parts.

During Byzantine times the Western part found in Turkey was controlled by Constantinople/Byzantium. The Eastern half was taken over by a number of rulers including Muslims. But when Turkey formed the West part became Muslim and the East Christian or atleast the West side changed and the East stayed the same. So my question is why the split? Does the border between East and West have some strategic significance or is it just some random thing that happened?

Explain the history please because most sources like Greek ones refer to Armenia but I am pretty sure they mean the part under their control. Is there a good source that can explain this weird arrangement? I mean surely even during Russian intervention Western Armenia could have been annexed. So what is it with the eternal split?

"sources like Greek ones refer to Armenia but I am pretty sure they mean the part under their control" - I doubt that. It's more likely that they will mostly refer to Armenia as a geographical region.

There is no "eternal split". "Armenia" as a geographical term is much larger that "Armenia" as a region inhabited by Armenians. The Roman empire's First, Second and Third Armenias did not have majority Armenian populations. So it is not really correct to call such a territory "western Armenia" if you are thinking in terms of its ethnicity. Inside Armenia proper, Armenia Major, whose population was (at the start anyway) overwhelmingly Armenian, certain parts at certain times fell under the control or influence of various empires or invaders, which led to the larger unit being subdivided into smaller units whose borders followed the internal geography of the region (or, more often, followed preexisting internal political divisions which generally followed internal geographical features).

[Ephestion]

Re: Can someone explain why two Armenia's?



Well on this map it shows Lesser Armenia. Does this mean that the region was Armenian ethnically but not part of the Armenian empire? Or is the Lesser Armenia a misplaced label? I think Trebizond actually occupied that region according to ancient history, an Ionian colony. So how does it get the name Lesser Armenia? Was there an Armenian kingdom/colony city there?

[Eddo211]

Re: Can someone explain why two Armenia's?

Can someone explain why two Armenia's?

One is good two is better, when it comes to your survival as a nation and passing the test of time as ancient people that is.

Even today we have two states......but we are one people.