Page:The History of Armenia - Avdall - Volume 1.djvu/164

 mSTORT OF ARMENIA.

pitiless cruelty. The whole country became ter> ^ified at the excesses committed by the Romaa army, and the inhabitants in general offered no -resistance, but submitted to the conquerors as they advanced. Corbulo having seized most of the strong-holds which were in Armenia, inarched forward to the capture of Artashat. Tirithus determined to make a stand for the pro- tection of his capital; and having brought forward ^is troops, arranged them in such a manner that -the Romans perceived themselves encompassed on all sides by their enemies. This manoeuvre was performed by Tirithus with a view of inti- midating the enemy, and imposing on Corbula the belief that his forces were more numerous than they really were. The Romans remaining £rm, Tirithus ordered the Armenian cavalry to charge, making a simultaneous attack with the whole of his infantry. The Romans were put into some confusion by the impetuosity of the charge of the Armenian horse, and a great slaughter ensued amongst them. The fight con«> tinned for a considerable time, the army of Tiri- thus also suffering severely; at length both parties drew off their forces, leaving the victory undecided. Tirithus, in consequence of the smallness of his numbers, which the late en- counter also had so much diminished, retreated to recruit. Corbulo on the evening of the day

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