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Journals / Cedrus / 2025 / Cilt: 13

Pre-Christian Polytheism in Ancient Armenia: A Syncretic World of Faith during the Orontids, Artaxiads and Arsacids

Antik Armenia’da Hristiyanlık Öncesi Çok Tanrıcılık: Senkretik Bir İnanç Dünyası

İlhami Tekin Cinemre(Karadeniz Teknik Üniversitesi)0000-0002-2760-0976
Journal
Cedrus
Pages
115–130
Publication Date
2025-06-24
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

It also examines how cultural continuity allowed ancient religious traditions to influence Armenia’s spiritual identity long after its Christianization, highlighting the enduring legacy of pre-Christian beliefs in the formation of Armenian religious and cultural history.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:Pre-Christian Armenia’s religious landscape was a diverse blend of polytheistic beliefs shaped by its position at the crossroads of various civilizations.
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Key Findings & Data:The Armenian pantheon and religious practices incorporated elements from Ancient Persia, Asia Minor, Phrygia, Greece, Rome, Syria, and Mesopotamia, with a significant Iranian influence due to ruling dynasties like the Orontids, Artaxiads and Arsacids.
💡
Conclusion & Impact:It also examines how cultural continuity allowed ancient religious traditions to influence Armenia’s spiritual identity long after its Christianization, highlighting the enduring legacy of pre-Christian beliefs in the formation of Armenian religious and cultural history.
🔬Design:Araştırma Makalesi
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:Senkretizm · Çoktanrıcılık · Zerdüştlük

Abstract

Pre-Christian Armenia’s religious landscape was a diverse blend of polytheistic beliefs shaped by its position at the crossroads of various civilizations. The Armenian pantheon and religious practices incorporated elements from Ancient Persia, Asia Minor, Phrygia, Greece, Rome, Syria, and Mesopotamia, with a significant Iranian influence due to ruling dynasties like the Orontids, Artaxiads and Arsacids. Early chroniclers such as Agatʿangełos and Movsēs Xorenacʿi describe this syncretism, highlighting key figures like Aramazd, Anahita, Mihr, and Vahagn as representations of both local and Zoroastrian belief. This paper delves into the intricate syncretic nature of Armenian polytheism, focusing on the interplay between temples, mythology, and societal customs. It also examines how cultural continuity allowed ancient religious traditions to influence Armenia’s spiritual identity long after its Christianization, highlighting the enduring legacy of pre-Christian beliefs in the formation of Armenian religious and cultural history.

Özet

Hristiyanlık öncesi Armenia’nın dini görünümü, çeşitli medeniyetlerin kavşağındaki konumuyla şekillenen çok tanrılı inançların çeşitli bir karışımıydı. Armenia panteonu ve dini uygulamaları antik Pers, Küçük Asya, Phrygia, Hellen, Roma, Suriye ve Mezopotamya’dan unsurlar içermekle birlikte, Orontidler, Artaksiadlar ve Aršaklılar gibi hüküm süren hanedanlar nedeniyle İran etkisi taşımaktaydı. Agatʿangełos ve Movsēs Xorenacʿi gibi erken dönem yazarları bu senkretizmi betimleyerek Aramazd, Anahita, Mihr ve Vahagn gibi kilit figürlerin hem yerel hem de Zerdüşt inancın temsilleri olduğunu vurgulamışlardır. Bu makale, tapınaklar, mitoloji ve toplumsal gelenekler arasındaki etkileşime odaklanarak Armenia çoktanrıcılığının karmaşık senkretik doğasını incelemektedir. Ayrıca, kültürel sürekliliğin eski dini geleneklerin Armenia’nın ruha¬nî kimliğini Hristiyanlaşmasından çok sonra bile etkilemesine nasıl izin verdiğini analiz ede¬rek Armenia dini ve kültürel tarihinin oluşumunda Hristiyanlık öncesi inançların kalıcı mirasını vurgulamaktadır.

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Cite This Article

Cinemre, İ. T. (2025). Pre-Christian Polytheism in Ancient Armenia: A Syncretic World of Faith during the Orontids, Artaxiads and Arsacids. Cedrus, Cilt: 13, 115–130. https://doi.org/10.13113/CEDRUS.2025.07

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