MARTYRO´POLIS(Μαρτυρόπολις), a town of Sophanene in Armenia, near the river Nymphaeus, which, according to the national traditions, was founded towards the end of the 5th century by the bishop Maroutha, who collected to this place the relics of all the martyrs that could be found in Armenia, Persia, and Syria. (St. Martin, Mém. sur l'Armenie, vol. 1. p. 96.) Armenia, which as an independent kingdom, had long formed a slight counterpoise between the Roman and Persian empires, was in the reign of Theodosius II. partitioned by its powerful neighbours. Martyropolis was the capital of Roman Armenia, and was made by Justinian a strong fortress. (Procop. de Aed. 3.2, B. P. 1.17; Le Beau, Bas Empire, vol. 9. p. 135; Gibbon, c. xl.) It is represented by the modern Miáfarékyn(Μιεφερκείμ, Cedren, vol. ii. pp. 419, 501, ed. Bekker; Ritter, Erdkunde, vol. x. pp. 78, 90, 1087, vol. xi. pp. 67, foll.)
[E.B.J]