Page:The History of Armenia - Avdall - Volume 1.djvu/51

 FOUNDATION OF ARMENIA. Page 6

took possession of it. Here he built a town, calling it after his own name, Haicashen, i.e. founded by Haicus, in which he dwelt with his descendants; the surrounding people, not yet formed into regular society, voluntarily submitting to the laws he had instituted for the government of his own family.

On information reaching Belus, that Haicus had withdrawn from his authority, he dispatched to the latter a deputation, composed of one of his sons and twenty other persons, to recal him to obedience. Haicus, as it will be readily conceived, rejected with contempt this arbitrary invasion of the liberty of himself and his descendants. Belus then had recourse to arms, and collecting a large force, marched towards Armenia, into which he entered by the settlement formed, as we have stated, by Cadmus. On the approach of this hostile body, Cadmus immediately dispatched messengers to his grand father, warning him of the nature of Belus's appearance. On the advance of the invaders, Cadmus, too weak for opposition, took refuge with Haicus, accompanied by all his family. Belus then marched forward to Haicashen, confident of subjugating the newly planted colony by the superiority of his numbers. In the mean time Haicus, gathered all his male descendants, with those people who had recently