Zaroui Pogossian - Vardanank, The Battle of Avarayr in 451 AD | Ep 518, Feb 24, 2026

Episode Summary

In the inaugural Groong Deep History episode, historian Prof. Zaroui Pogossian joins the show to unpack the Vardanank wars and the Battle of Avarayr (451 AD). The conversation sets the longer political and religious context behind the conflict, explains what we can and cannot know from the main Armenian sources, and revisits the standard “moral victory” story through modern source criticism. Pogossian also discusses her work on medieval Armenia and previews an upcoming scholarly volume on Medieval Yeghegis, then uses a critical reading by Hayk Hakobyan to question common assumptions about Avarayr’s scale, geography, and strategy.

📄 View Episode 518 Notes
Categories: Armenia, History, Arshakuni
Tags: Armenian News, Armenian History, Deep History, Zaroui Pogossian, Vartanank, Vartanants, Vartan Mamikonian, Vardanants, Vardanank, Vahan Mamikonian, Yeghegis, Syunik, Elisha, Yeghishe, Eghishe, Ghazar Parpetsi, Agathangelos, St. Gregory, Sourp Krikor, Taron, Daron, Vaspurakan, Koghb, Artaxes, Artashes, Artashir, Nakharar, Sasanid, Sasanian, 451 AD, 387 AD, 301 AD, 405 AD, Chalcedon, Sahak Bartev, Mesrop Mashtots, Marzban, Marzbed, Vasak Suny, Vahan Amatuni