Armenia (Empire Divided)

Armenia had the legacy of a great empire, but suffered an unfortunate geographical location – between the hammer that was Rome and the anvil of Persia. For centuries, Armenians lived as vassals, forcibly being thrown between Roman and Persian rule, but always remaining a tough and proud people. After the treacherous murder of king Khosrow II by a Sassanid agent and with his son Tiridates III being held as a hostage in Rome, Armenia was caught in the middle once more. As Persian forces retreated to southern Mesopotamia, leaving a member of their dynasty to govern, and the Roman Empire splintered into three factions, the time was right for Armenia to rise again.