Page:The History of Armenia - Avdall - Volume 1.djvu/232

 the deceased. The king, far from shewing contrition for his crime, aggravated it by marrying Pharanzem, the wife of the mur- dered Gnelus, although his queen Olympias was still in existence. This Pharanzem was a woman of great personal beauty, but one whose soul was defaced by every base passion that could render a human creature detestable. Shortly after her connection with Arsaces com- menced, she succeeded in destroying the queen Olympias, by poison, administered by a vile priest at the awful time of deceiving the sacra- ment. After this she caused Valinak Seuney, the general of the eastern division of the army> to be assassinated^ and procured her father Andovk, chief of the Seunies, to be appointed in his room. She also obtained for the latter the government of the city of Tigranakert. Nierses the pontiff, observing these dreadful events, quitted the city of Valarshapat, and retired to a convent, where he lived in the greatest seclusion.

��CHAPTER XIX.

��The taking of Tigranakert by Shapuh.

The desertion of Arsaces from the Persians to a. d. 379. the emperor, had been observed with no little anger by Shapuh; but as he was, at the time when

�� �