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.
Topics
Vardanank Wars and The Battle of Avarayr
Armenian Sources, Yeghishe, and Parpetsi
Politics, Christianity, Nakharar Power Dynamics
Guest
Dr. Zaroui Pogossian
Hosts
Episode 518 | Recorded: February 22, 2026
SHOW NOTES: https://podcasts.groong.org/518
#GroongDeepHistory #Vardanank #BattleOfAvarayr #ArmenianHistory #ZarouiPogossian
