King Artavasdes II ruled Armenia from 53 to 34 BC. He succeeded his father, Tigranes the Great.
Artavasdes was an ally of Rome, but when Orodes II of Parthia invaded Armenia following his victory over the Roman general Marcus Licinius Crassus at the Battle of Carrhae in 53 BC, he was forced to join the Parthians. He gave his sister in marriage to Orodes' son and heir Pacorus.
In 36 BC the Roman general Mark Antony invaded Armenia and Artavasdes again switched sides, but abandoned the Romans once they had left Armenia. Antony reinvaded Armenia in 34 BC, captured Artavasdes, and took him to Alexandria, where he was later killed by Cleopatra VII of Egypt. He was succeeded by his son Artaxes .
According to Plutarch, Artavasdes was an accomplished scholar who composed Greek tragedies and histories.
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