82 Narrative of the Armenian king [Feb. 



of his friendship towards Sapor, of which he afforded him a proof by 

 co-operating with him in an expedition against the emperor of Greece. 

 But, by the intrigues of one of his courtiers called Andovk, the good 

 feeling and affection that existed between the two potentates, were 

 changed into the deadliest enmity end hatred. Arsaces waged war 

 with Sapor for thirty years, and fortune invariably crowned his 

 operations with success. He owed many of his conquests to the 

 skill, experience and intrepidity of the Armenian general Vasak, 

 who, though of a diminutive size, on all occasions inspired the Ar- 

 menian troops with courage, and created terror and dismay in the 

 Persian ranks. 



Flushed with success, and being naturally cruel, he ordered the 

 principal Armenian satraps to be butchered in cold blood, and their 

 estates and property confiscated. These and similar atrocities made 

 him unpopular with his army, and estranged the hearts of the Arme- 

 nian people from their monarch. Wearied by repeated hostilities, 

 and harrassed by continued carnage, Sapor addressed friendly letters 

 to Arsaces, inviting him to go to Persia, and expressing his readi- 

 ness to conclude peace with him. Arsaces, however reluctant to 

 desist from the continuance of war, was induced to accept his offer, 

 and, in signifying his acquiescence, sent him suitable presents. But, 

 Sapor far from wishing to renew his friendship, endeavoured to 

 decoy Arsaces and to annihilate the kingdom of Armenia. Faustus 

 of Byzantium, who wrote a history of Armenia extending to the close 

 of the fourth century, narrates a singularly romantic story about the 

 visit of Arsaces to the Persian king, and his subsequent adventures 

 in Persia. The work of this historian was first published in Con- 

 stantinople in the year 1730, and latterly by the Mechitharistic 

 Society of Venice in 1832. I shall here give a translation of the 

 narrative. 



"Then Sapor, king of Persia, sent another deputation to Arsaces, 

 king of Armenia, expressing a desire to effect a reconciliation. ' If,' 

 said he, ' we are willing to be hereafter on terms of peace with each 

 other, this wish can only be realised by a visit to me on your part. 

 I shall be to you as a father, and you as a son to me. Should you, 

 however, be unwilling to accept of my proposal, then I must con- 

 clude that you are still inimically disposed towards me.' Arsaces 

 was apprehensive of visiting the king of Persia, without demanding 

 the obligation of a solemn oath from him, Hereupon, Sapor ordered 

 a little salt to be brought to him, and according to the practice pre- 

 valent in Persia, sealed it with a ring bearing the impress of a wild 

 boar, and sent it to Arsaces. He also intimated, that in case the 



