Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume I.djvu/759

 ARMENIA 723 ciently Cyrus) and Aras (Araxes), which unite and fall into the Caspian sea; and the Tcho- ruk (anciently Acampsis), which falls into the Black sea. A high table land, 4,000 to 8,000 ft. above the sea, constitutes a considerable part of the country, and is supposed to have been once a large inland sea, from which the Taurus, Antitaurus, and other mountains were upheaved by volcanic action. Its highest mountain is the Great Ararat, which rises more than 3 m. above the level of the sea, and is covered with perpetual ice and snow. An eruption of Ararat and disastrous earthquakes occurred in 1840. Traces of volcanic action abound through a large part of this whole re- gion. Among its rocks are trap, porphyry, basalt, granite, syenite, limestone, sandstone, &c. It has mines of gold, silver, lead, iron, cop- per, and rock salt. Its largest lake, Van, is salt, nearly 5,500 ft. above the sea, with an area of about 1,400 sq. m. The lake of Urumiah is also salt, but is not generally included in Ar- menia. The lake of Sevan in Russian Armenia is sometimes called "sweet sea," to distinguish it from the salt lakes. The agricultural re- sources of Armenia are good, but, in conse- quence of misgovernment, much of the land is unimproved. There are rich pastures ; some parts yield abundantly grain, tobacco, manna, hemp, cotton, melons, cucumbers, grapes, figs, pomegranates, apples, peaches, mulberries, and walnuts. Among its forest trees are chestnut, beech, walnut, ash, maple, pine, fir, and oak. Horses, cows, oxen, buffaloes, sheep, and goats are common domestic animals. Erzerum, gen- erally considered the chief city of Turkish Ar- menia, is the abode of a high pasha, who bears the title of seraskier. Van, Bayazid, Kars, Bitlis, and Mush, to which some add Diarbekir and Batum, are other important places in Tur- kish Armenia. Erivan, Nakhtchevan, Shusha, and Akhaltzikh are leading cities of Russian Armenia, which also contains Etchmiadzin, the abode of the catholicos or head of the Arme- nian church. Urumiah, Khoi, and even Ta- briz, in Persia, have been reckoned as cities of Armenia. The Armenians proper, who how- ever form but a small portion of the inhabi- tants of Armenia, call themselves ffaiks, from a traditional ancestor Haig or Haicus, whom they represent as the son of Togar- mah, who was a great-grandson of Noah through the line of Japheth and Gomer (Gen. x.). Haig, they say, was one of the prefects or directors in building the tower of Babel, but, refusing to pay divine homage to the image of Belus, who reigned in Babylonia, went north- ward with his family and others into the region of Ararat. Belus or Bel pursued them, and was slain in battle by Haig, who then went on to found cities, introduce wise laws and regu- lations, and promote the prosperity of his people, till his death, at the age of nearly 400 years. His eldest son, Armenag, suc- ceeded him as king, and was himself suc- ceeded by his son Aramais, who gave name to Armavir, a large and beautiful city, built of hewn stone, and situated probably at a place called Kasagh, near the Araxes. Armavir was the capital of the kingdom for about 1,800 years, while the Haig dynasty, including 59 kings, were on the throne. Aram, the seventh of this dynasty, and contemporary with the pa- triarchs Isaac and Jacob, is said to have de- feated the Babylonian and Median invaders^ conquered a large part of Asia Minor, and built the old city of Mazaca, afterward called Caesa- rea and Kaisariyeh, in Cappadocia ; and accord- ing to some traditions it was he (according to others Armenag) who left his name to Arme- nia. His son Arab, renowned for his beauty, was sought in marriage by Semiramis, and lost his life in the disastrous battle which followed his refusal. Semiramis grieved much over his death, placed on his throne his young son Gar- tos, also called Arah, and founded a magnificent city, long known among the Armenians as Shamiramagerd (city of Semiramis), now Van, which she made her royal summer residence. The Armenians were now for some time trib- utary to the Assyrians ; but their ruler Parsuis is said to have joined the Median prince Arba- ces and the Babylonian Belesis in destroying the empire of Sardanapalus, and to have after- ward, as king of Armenia, hospitably received Sennacherib's sons Adrammelech and Sharezer, whose posterity subsequently established the kingdom of Vashburagan. Haikak II., king of Armenia 607-569 B. C., joined Nebuchadnez- zar in his expedition against the Jews, and brought into Armenia a Jewish noble named Shambat with his family. From this Sham- bat descended the Armenian royal family of the Bagratides or Bagradites, some of whom, under the name Bagration, still hold high offices in Russia. The Armenians celebrate Tigranes I. or Dikran as their most powerful and excellent king, who put the Greeks under tribute ; aided Cyrus the Persian in conquering the Medes, Lydians, and Babylo- nians ; built Tigranocerta ; reigned 45 years, and died five years after Cyrus. His son and successor Vahakn gained by his great courage and strength the title of Hercules the second, and was worshipped as a god. Van, king 371- 351 B. C., enlarged and embellished the city of Semiramis and called it by his own name. Alexander the Great having defeated Vahey and brought the Haig dynasty to an end, the Armenians were for 164 years (323-159) ruled by governors really or nominally subject to the Macedonians or Syrian Greeks. The Romans make Artaces or Artaxias, one of these gover- nors, and an Armenian, the founder of an inde- pendent kingdom and of the dynasty of the Arsacidse, as well as of the city and capital Artaxata, on the Araxes, about 189 B. C. The Armenians make the founder of this dynasty to be Vagharshag or Valarsaces, brother of the Parthian king Arshag or Arsaces the Great, who gave Nisibis to Valarsaces for his capital about 149. According to the Romans, also,