JOURNAL 



OF 



THE ASIATIC SOCIETY, 



No. 62.— February, 1837- 



I. — Singular narrative of the Armenian king Arsaces and his content' 

 porary Sapor, king of Persia ; extracted from the Armenian chroni- 

 cles. By Johannes Avdall, Esq. M. A. S. 



Arsaces the second, son of Tiran, wielded the sceptre of royalty 

 in Armenia in the middle of the fourth century. He was contempo- 

 rary with the Persian king Sapor, surnamed the long-lived, with 

 whom he closed a treaty of alliance, offensive and defensive. Both 

 were descendants of the Arsacidae, and thus stood related to each 

 other by the ties of consanguinity. Distrustful of the sincerity of 

 the friendship of Arsaces, Sapor took the precaution of securing it 

 by the obligation of a solemn oath. He feared a formidable enemy 

 in the person of the emperor of Greece, and it was his policy to devise 

 every means in his power to alienate from him the good-will of the 

 king of Armenia. In vain Arsaces assured him of his continued at- 

 tachment. Sapor sent for the Armenian priests of the church of 

 Ctesiphon, the head of whom was called Mari. Arsaces was induced 

 to swear by the Gospel in their presence, to keep inviolate the profes- 

 sion of his alliance and friendship to the king of Persia. 



Arsaces was a valiant, but fickle king. His bravery could only be 

 equalled by the degree of perfidy he displayed in his intercourse with 

 the people over whom he ruled, and with his avowed allies. Cruelty 

 and treachery were the principal characteristics by which his acts 

 were distinguished. For a while he continued firm in the observance 



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