Page:The History of Armenia - Avdall - Volume 1.djvu/240

 HISTORY OP ARMENIA*

��which he had separated from his army during t)ie siege of Tigranakert, and for which he was then waiting, joined him, he detached them with a body of Persian cavalry, under the command of one of his own generals, to their aid. He also gave directions to the general commanding these troops, to act implicitly by the directions of the Armenian chiefs; he was, however, desirous that Arsaces might be taken prisoner and conveyed to Persia. Sbapuh shortly after retired to P^^ia. When Arsaces heard of these events, he took refuge in the fortress of Ani in Upper Ar- menia. The Persian general, having been joined by the disaffected chiefs, proceeded thither, besieged, and captured it. The king, however, made his escape to the regions about Caucasus, where he was protected by the Georgians. When the Persian general found that the king s person was not in the fortress, he seized all the royal treasures, with the embalmed bodies of several of the former kings of Armenia, which had been kept there in vaults prepared for that '

purpose. With these he rejoined his master in had taken refuge in the country iabout Mount Caucasus, they marched their troops against Arshacavan, took it, and slaughtered all the in** habitants indiscriminately, with the exception of sucking babes, whom they took away captives.

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