Page:The History of Armenia - Avdall - Volume 1.djvu/125

 80 HISTOftr OF ARUENtA.

menced. Then all was confusion: the Romans^ led on by their resolute commander, took the Armenians by surprize, and Tigranes, not being able to form his troops in order, directed the trumpets to sound a retreat. But it was too late : the Romans, by their judicious arrangements, soon made the Armenians take to indiscriminate flight: 5,000 of them were left dead on the field and many taken prisoners.

Tigranes himself took shelter in a fortress with some of his troops; the remainderdispersed, seeking shelter where they could. Luculius then returned to Tigranakert, which he afterwards took and found in it vast treasures. About this time the cavalry of Tigranes in an excursion fell in with that of LucuHus, and gave it a complete overthrow. The Roman general being apprized of this, advanced against the Armenian horse with a body of lancers. The former retreated, feigning a flight, and on being pursued with more haste than judgement by the Romans, they turned about, and made such a desperate charge, accompanied by a flight of arrows, that almost the whole of the lancers were either killed or wounded. It is recorded by the Roman historians that the Armenian cavalry was the best in the world. The arrows which they discharged were barbed at the points, rendering them extremely dangerous, the

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