Page:The History of Armenia - Avdall - Volume 1.djvu/113

68 threatened him with the army, was slain, having reigned 25 years. It is said, that on receiving his death-blow he exclaimed, "Alas! how transient and unsatisfactory is glory!" Artaces enriched and adorned his kingdom with several beautiful pieces of statuary. In particular, he found in Asia three well-executed brazen and gilt statues of Diana, Hercules, and Apollo, from the hands of Scyllis and Dipaenus, two celebrated Cretan artists, which he sent to Armavir in Armenia. In his expedition to Greece he discovered and sent to Armenia five statues of Jupiter, Diana, Minerva, Vulcan, and Venus. They were accompanied by their respective priests. The statue of Diana, which is also called Anaites, was afterwards placed by Tigranes at Eriza, and that of Minerva at the village of Thil.

CHAPTER III.

The reign of Tigranes the Second, and the actions of Mithridates against the Romans.

the death of Artaces the reins of government were seized by his son Tigranes, who, as we have seen, had been left in temporary charge of the kingdom when his father set out