Page:The History of Armenia - Avdall - Volume 1.djvu/183

 138 HfSTORT OF ARBCENIA.

rabjects, spread into Persia and Media, and induced many individuals to leave these coun* tries and settle in Armenia. A.D.90. Previous to the commencement of these undertakings, the king was disturbed by an irruption into Armenia of the tribes of the Alans, joined by the Ghee and Georgian mountaineers. Artaces having assembled an army, attacked and routed these invaders in a bloody battle, in which the son of their king was taken pri- soner. The victorious troops pursued the fugi- tives, who threw themselves on the other side of the river Cur, where they rallied.' The Armenians, having arrived on the banks of this river, halted and prepared to attack them. But the king; of the Alans, uneasy on account of the capture of his son, on the morning after the day on which Artaces came in sight of his army, sent overtures of peace to him, promising if hia son were restored, that the Alans should never again enter Armenia in a hostile manner. Ar- taces having refused to listen to these terms, Sathinik, the sister of the captive prince, came to the banks of the river, and standing on an elevated spot, with an interpreter, thus ad- dressed the king; '' Oh thou powerful and brave Artaces, who hast conquered the warlike Alans, hear the prayer of the distressed daugh- ter of the king of that people, and restore to him

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