Page:The History of Armenia - Avdall - Volume 1.djvu/378

 fiatk>a -with grief and mourning by the daily outrages he committed. There was at that Haic^^^* time among the Armenian chiefs, a brave and ^ warlike character, named Vardan the Second, a Mamiconian, the son of Vasak, and grandson of Yard. Of the exploits of this gallant patriot many panegyrics have been written by the Greek historians. The prefect Suren, in the course of his persecutions, had put Vardan's brother to death, which so incensed and grieved him, that he determined to make an attempt to relieve his country from the Persian yoke. For this purpose he conspired with other Armenian chiefs, filled with the same hatred of their tyrants as himself, and they resolved to seek assistance, in pursuing their object, from the emperor Justinian. Accordingly they sent -ambassadors privately to that monarch, pro- Biising, if be would afford them aid, and in the event of their proving successful in their designs, to yield him the same tribute which they then paid the Persians, with other addi- tional advantages. The emperor received these Hakaa fMToposals, and consented, on oath, to take the Armenians under his protection. Vardan now emboldened by the promise of such powerful aid, gathered a few troops in Artashat, and ..auddenly advancing to the city of Duin, fell upon the prefect, his i^ent Vert, the Magi^

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