Page:The History of Armenia - Avdall - Volume 1.djvu/136

 having collected 3,000 talents, he offered them to Barzaphran for the liberation of his brother, not being at this time aware of his tragical fate. When this was related to him he fell into an agony of grief, and quitting his country, departed for Rome.

Meetingwith no further opposition, the allied Armenian and Persian army took possession of Jerusalem, where they found immense trea- sures belonging to Hyrcanus and his followers. Not content with these, they plundered several provinces, which were brought to the greatest distress by their depredations. , They took the city of Marissa by storm and razed it to the ground. Barzaphran then caused Antigonus to be proclaimed king of the Jews, and leaving him in quiet possession of his throne, returned towards his own country. He left troops for the preservation of the newly-acquired king- doms of Assyria and Cilicia, and ordered Bacur, attended by Gnelus and the cavalry of the two armies, to remain in Mesopotamia. He, with Hyrcanus and other captives, proceed- ed to Armenia, where Tigranes was waiting to receive him. The prisoners being presented to the latter, he assigned the Jews taken at the storm of Marrissa, a dwelling place in Semi-^ ramakert. In the meanwhile the Romans, being made acquainted with this expedition of

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