Page:The geography of Strabo (1854) Volume 2.djvu/282

 274 STRABO. CASAUB. 532. hostage among the Parthians ; then by their means he return- ed to his country, in compensation for which service they ob- tained seventy valleys in Armenia. When he acquired power, he recovered these valleys, and devastated the country of the Parthians, the territory about Ninus, and that about Arbela. 1 He subjected to his authority the Atropatenians, and the Gordyseans ; by force of arms he obtained possession also of the rest of Mesopotamia, and, after crossing the Euphrates, of Syria and Phoenicia. Having attained this height of pros- perity, he even founded near Iberia, 2 between this country and the Zeugma on the Euphrates, a city, which he named Tigranocerta, and collected inhabitants out of twelve Grecian cities, which he had depopulated. But Lucullus, who had commanded in the war against Mithridates, surprised him, thus engaged, and dismissed the inhabitants to their respect- ive homes. The buildings which were half finished he de- molished, and left a small village remaining. He drove Ti- granes both out of Syria and Phoenicia. Artavasdes, his successor, prospered as long as he con- tinued a friend of the Romans. But having betrayed An- tony to the Parthians in the war with that people, he suffered punishment for his treachery. He was carried in chains to Alexandria, by order of Antony, led in procession through the city, and kept in prison for a time. On the breaking out of the Actiac war he was then put to death. Many kings reigned after Artavasdes, who were dependent upon Ctesar and the Romans. The country is still governed in the same manner. 16. Both the Medes and Armenians have adopted all the sacred rites of the Persians, but the Armenians pay particu- lar reverence to Ana'itis, and have built temples to her hon- our in several places, especially in Acilisene. They dedicate there to her service inale aad female slaves ; in this there is nothing remarkable, but it is surprising that persons of the highest rank in the nation consecrate their virgin daughters to the goddess. It is customary for these women, after being 1 Arbil. 2 That this is an error is manifest. Falconer proposes Armenia ; Gros- kurd, Assyria ; but what nairle is to be supplied is altogether uncertain. The name of the city is also wanting, according to Kramer, who proposes Nisibis.