History of Armenia
The Armenians, like their neighboring Georgians, claim to be descended of Noah's (as in Noah's Ark) great, great grandson; the Armenians claiming to be descendants of Hayk. Since that time the Armenians have remained in the same general area, but much has changed.
In 301 Armenia declared Christianity the official state religion, making them the world's first country to do so. The country then encountered take-over after take-over, from Persia, Byzantium, and the Arabs. Under these foreign rulers, many Armenians moved to various parts of the Roman Empire, Byzantium, and Persia, creating Diaspora settlements in neighborhoods located in countries throughout Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.
During the early years, Armenia generally fell under the rule of both the Persians and the Byzantines. They assimilated many aspects of Byzantium culture into their lives, but rejected much of the Persian lifestyle due to the differing religions. In the 800s the Arabs took over the region and in the 1000s the Seljuk Turks arrived. For the next couple centuries Armenia's position was regularly altered, but they stayed firmly committed to the ideas, religion, and culture of the falling Byzantine Empire rather than the local Arab and Turkish Muslims.