The Armenian Church Between the Persian and Eastern Roman Empires: The Formation of the Armenian Autocephalous Church

The article deals with some aspects of the early history of Armenian Christianity. Being situated between the Sasanian state and the Eastern Roman Empire, Armenia sought to strike a balance in relations with these regional powers in order to maintain its political and cultural independence. However, the Armenian political elite ultimately failed in this endeavour, leading to Armenia's loss of statehood. In this situation Christianity became the primary and very effective tool for preserving Armenian identity and forming a medieval nation. The article discusses the policy of the Armenian Church towards the Sasanians and the Roman Empire. This policy was decisive in Armenian-Iranian and Armenian-Byzantine relations, and influenced further stages in the formation of the Armenian Apostolic Church.