THE MAMIKONIDS

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The major theories of the origin of the Mamikonids, are: (a) The bros, Mamik & Konak, sons of Karnam, "Prince Cheng" [="China"], the brother of Chinese Emperor Xu-Gun-Man [Han Dyn.] [id. with Chenbakur in Persian annals] (221BC) [overthrown by a certain Zhang-gun [general] Chang, who founded the Shu-Han Dyn. in 221BC] fled first to the Kushan Empire of Central Asia; then, from there onto the Parthian Empire [and Persia], and, eventually settling in Armenia where Mamik was given an estate by the country's king, and is sometimes identified with the ancestor of the Mamikonids. He very likely may have been the ancestor of Mancaeus, the earliest historically ascertained member of the Mamikonids, who appears in classical literature as an Armenian general who heroically defended Tigranocerta from the Romans in 69BC, thus, could not be identified with a certain Chinese prince [sometimes identified with the ancestor of the Mamikonids], who fled to Persia during the 1st cent. AD, when General Pan Chao was about conquering all of Central Asia; (b) The fall of the Shu Dynasty caused the exile of a Chinese prince called Mamgo, who fled to Persia where he was given refuge, and is sometimes identified with the ancestor of the Mamikonids; (c) In the days of Persian Shah Shapuh (AD 240-272) there came Mamgon & Bkhdokh, two brothers and co-heirs of China's previous dynasty, who were being sought to slay by the new dynasty which had established itself in China.

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00. Mancaeus, an exiled Chinese prince, descended from ancient Chinese emperors, who defended Tigranocerta from the Romans in 69BC, for which the King of Armenia awarded him an estate, and, from whom descends

01. Manuel I, Prince of Mamikonids (d386)

02. Artavazd III, Prince 386-7

03. Hamazasp I, Prince 387-416/432, High-Constable of Armenia (d432)

= Sahakanoysh, the Gregorian heiress (d416)

issue:

(a) St. Vardan II, Prince 432-451, who, by wife, Dstrik (Doustr), begot Magnus, Prince 451-471

(b) St. Hmayeak, ancestor of a major branch of the family, see LINE "A" (below)

(c) Hamazaspian, general (d451), ancestor of a major branch of the family, see LINE "B" (below)

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LINE-A: descendants of St. Hmayeak

04. St. Hmayeak (d451)

= Dzovik, dau of Vram Artsruni

issue:

(a) Vahan I "The Great", Prince 471; governor 485 (d505)

(b) Vard, governor 505-509/514 (below)

(c) Vasak (d482), father of Grigor (485)

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05. Vard, governor 505-509/514 (above)

issue:

(6A) Artavazd IV, father of Samuel I (555)

(6B) Vasak, father of

(a) Manuel II (d571), father of Gagik (d596)

(b) Vardan III (571-572)

(c) Grigor (555)

(6C) Hmayeak (d555) (below)

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06. Hmayeak (d555) (above)

07. Mousegh I, governor 591-593

08. Vahan II "Le Loup", governor 593-606

issue:

(a) Smbat I, governor 606-611 (below)

(b) David [I], Prince of Taron (d620) (below)

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LINE 8.1: descendants of Smbat I (above)

09. Smbat I, governor 606-611 (above)

10. Vahan III (d636)

11. Tiran (d640)

15. Bardanios, governor of Anatolia (d811)

= Dominica

16. issue, inclu: Thekle, 1st wife of Byzantine Emperor Michael II

note: she is given different parentage elsewhere

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LINE 8.2: descendants of David [I] (above)

09. David [I], Prince of Taron (d620)

issue:

a. Mousegh II, gov. 654-655, his 4 sons all exec 661

b. Hamazasp III, gov. 656-661 (below)

c. Grigor I, gov. 661-685

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10. Hamazasp III, gov. 656-661 (above)

= dau of Theodor Rshtuni

issue:

10.1 Mousegh III (d693) (below)

10.2 Hrahat (d732) (below)

10.3 Artavazd (d701), father of Hmayeak (d740), issue unsure

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LINE 10.1A:

11. Mousegh III (d693) (above)

12. Artavazd[os], rival Byzantine emperor 742-3

= Anna, dau of Byzantine Emperor Leo III

13. Nicephorus, associate emperor 742-743, had a bro Artavazd[os] (below)

= Irene, dau of Byzantine Emperor Leo IV & Empress Irene

= Vard (Bardos), Prince Gnouni (d791)

15. Leo V, Byzantine Emperor 813-820

= Theodosia, dau of Archavir of Kamsarakan

= Hmyeak [Maiactes] (d780/797)

17. Constantine (d828/838)

= Pancalo Bagratina

18. Basil I, Byzantine Emperor 867-886

= Eudoxia, widow of Byzantine Emperor Michael III

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LINE 10.1B:

11. Mousegh III (d693) (above)

12. Artavazd[os], rival Byzantine emperor 742-3

= Anna, dau of Byzantine Emperor Leo III

13. Artavazd[os], (d778), bro of Nicephorus (above)

14. Marinus (d815/830), bro of Manuel III, gov. 813-818 (d838)

15. Theodora (d867), sis of Petronas & Bardas (d866), father of Eirene, wife of Smbat VIII [III] "The Confessor", gov. of Armenia (d862)

= Theophilos, Byzantine Emperor 829-842

16. Michael III, Byzantine Emperor 842-867

= Eudoxia (d883), dau of Ingerus Martinakius & Melissena [sister of Patricius & Procopius], dau of Theophylactus (d813), son of Byzantine Emperor Michael I "Rhangabe" 811-813 & Procopia, sister of Byzantine Emperor Staurakius, &, dau of Byzantine Emperor Nicephorus I 801-811

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LINE 10.1C:

11. Mousegh III (d693) (above)

12. Artavazd[os], rival Byzantine emperor 742-3

= Anna of Byzantium

13. Artavazd[os], Prince Mamikoni (d778)

14. Thekle (dau), [1st] wife of Byzantine Emperor Michael II 820-829

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LINE 10.2:

11. Hrahat (d732) (above)

issue:

11.1 Grigor II, gov. 748-750

11.2 David [II], Prince of Taron (d744), father of Samuel II, gov. 755-772, father of Dzovik (dau), wife of Smbat VII [II/IV/VI] of Armenia

11.3 Mousegh IV, gov. 750-751/5, father of two sons, the ancestors of the later Mamikonids [to 1279, upon their extinction in the male-line]

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LINE 10.3:

11. Artavazd (d701)

12. Hmayeak (d740)

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LINE-B: descendants of Hamazaspian, bro of St. Hmayeak (above)

04. Hamazaspian, general (d451)

05. Artavazd (Artavasde)

issue:

5.1. Manuel

5.2 Hmayeak (below)

5.3 Mousegh

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06. Hmayeak (above)

issue:

6.1 Mousegh, general (d555) (below)

6.2 Vasak (Sahak) (d555)

6.3 Hamazasp (d555) (below)

6.4 Vard (d555)

6.5 Grigor (d555)

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LINE 6.1:

07. Mousegh, general (d555) (above)

08. David (600)

issue:

8.1 Mousegh, general (d635)

8.2 Hamazasp II (below)

8.3 Grigor

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09. Hamazasp II (above)

issue:

9.1 Mousegh

9.2 Hrhat (d661)

9.3 Artavazd (d693) (below)

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10. Artavazd (d693) (above)

11. Hmayeak [Theodore], Patriarch 703-712

12. Artavazd (d751)

13. Hmayeak [Maiactes] (d780/797)

= Anna, dau of Byzantine Emperor Leo V, see

14. Constantine (d828/838)

= Pancalo

15. Basil I, Byzantine Emperor 867-886

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LINE 6.3:

07. Hamazasp (d555) (above)

14. Michael II, Byzantine Emperor 820-829

= Thekle, dau of Artavazd[os], Prince Mamikoni (above)

15. Theophilos, Byzantine Emperor 829-842

= Theodora [cousin], dau of Marinus (above)

16. Michael III, Byzantine Emperor 842-867

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