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

Groong Deep History - February 24, 2026In 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 AvarayrArmenian Sources, Yeghishe and ParpetsiPolitics, Christianity, Nakharar Power DynamicsGuest: Zaroui PogossianHosts:Hovik ManucharyanAsbed BedrossianEpisode 518 | Recorded: February 22, 2026SHOW NOTES: https://podcasts.groong.org/518VIDEO: https://youtu.be/1-o4Gv1v4vw #GroongDeepHistory #Vardanank #BattleOfAvarayr #ArmenianHistory #ZarouiPogossianSubscribe and follow us everywhere you are: linktr.ee/groong