Page:The History of Armenia - Avdall - Volume 1.djvu/167

 1!ZZ HISTORY OF ARMENIA.

half of his troops. In the mean time Dadas blockaded Betus in the forts, where he and hi» men had taken refuge, and annoyed them so much that the latter had no other alternative than to treat with the Persians. He wrote to' Darius demanding to be informed of the object of his wishes. Darius then appointed Vasak, the general of his cavalry, to hold a ccmference with Betus. On their meeting, the Roman general enumerated all the claims which the emperor had to the government of Upper Armenia, to which Vasak haughtily feplied> ''The means of restoring are in your hands, but the power of wresting is in the hands of the Parthians!"* After a long debate, it was agreed that the Romans should be permitted to leave the country unmolested, that Tigranes should accompany them, and that the fortresses they then possessed should be restored to the Persians. Betus and his troops then marched out, and on their way from Armenia met Cor** bulo with bis forces coming to their assistance. The former, dejected and ashamed, were in an agony of grief, on perceiving the relief they had so long expected so near ; and the latter were in the highest degree indignant at the humilia^ tion which their countrymen had been obliged to suffer. It is said, that on the two bodies meeting, they were unable to salute eeck

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