Page:The History of Armenia - Avdall - Volume 1.djvu/380

 iSieir situation here, prepared to attack them. He divided his troops into three bodies. One he placed in ambush opposite the front of the enemy's army, in order that they might fall on them on any advantage being obtained, or otherwise act as circumstances might require. The second was directed to attack the left flank, and the third the right. On the dawn of the next morning, whilst the Persians were marshalling their men in order of battle^, Vardan, at the head of his third division, began a furious assault on their right flank, which put them into considerable disorder. While they were endeavouring^ to recover the surprise into which this sudden attack had thrown them, the second division of the Armenian forces assaulted their left flank. This renewed all their former disorder, and the elephants, with which their army was crowd- ed, becoming unmanageable, their chief officers also confounded by the peculiar nature of the Armenians* order of battle, ^e assailants cut down their foes with immense slaughter. In this juncture Deren the Persian general, seeing the confusion that prevailed in the ranks of his army, made a desperate charge alone, against the division where Vardan commanded in person; and by his valour in some measure restored confidence to his men^ who then ad**

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