t 9 6 ARM] 
them for want of provifions. The event, however, turned 
out to his wiihes. Tigranes having called a council of 
war, it was unanimoufly refolved to attack the Romans ; 
and Taxilis, whom Mithridates fent to diffuade the king 
from rilkihg a battle, was in danger of lofing his head, on 
account of the advice he gave. The Roman general, upon 
this information, left Muraena with 6000 men to carry on 
the fiege, while he himfelf marched againft the king’s vaft 
army with only 10,000 men according to fome, and the 
liigheft computations make them no more than 18,000. 
The Romans were at fir ft greatly dilheartened; but, being 
encouraged by Lucullus, they foon broke the Armenian 
army, who betook themfelves to flight almoft at the firft 
onlet. The Romans purfued them till night, making a 
molt terrible (laughter. Plutarch informs 11s, that of the 
Armenians 100,000 foot were killed, and that very few of 
the cavalry efcaped; whereas of the Romans only five men 
were killed and 100 wounded. Antiochus the philofopher, 
mentioning this battle, fays, that the fun never beheld the 
like ; and Livy, that the Romans never fought at fuch a 
difadvantage ; the conquerors not amounting to a twentieth 
part of the conquered. Tigranes in his flight, having met 
with his fon in as forlorn a condition as himfelf, refigned 
to him his royal robes and diadem, defiring him to fliift 
for himfelf and fave thofe royal enligns. The young prince 
delivered them to a trufty friend, who, being taken by the 
Romans, configned them to Lucullus. 
While the king was making his efcape, lie was met by 
Mithridates, who was marching to his afliltance at the head 
of a confiderable army. The king of Pontus cheered up his 
lon-in-law, advifing him, in dead of fruitlefsly bewailing 
the prelent difalter, to rally his troops, raife new fupplies, 
and renew the war; not queftioning but that in another 
campaign he might repair all the lolfes he had fuffained : 
but, while the two kings were confulting, Lucullus made 
himfelf matter of Tigranocerta. From this city he marched 
into the fmall kingdom of Gordyene, w here he celebrated, 
with the utmoft pomp, the obfequies of king Zabienus, 
whom Tigranes had put to death. In this kingdom, be- 
fides immenfe fums of gold and filver, he met with fuch 
ftore of provifions as enabled him to carry on the war 
without putting the republic to any charge. 
The two kings, having levied new forces, appointed their 
troops to rendezvous in the fpacious plains near mount 
Taurus,; whereupon Lucullus, leaving Gordyene, encamp¬ 
ed clofe by the enemy. Several flcirmilhes happened with¬ 
out any confiderable advantage; but Lucullus could by no 
means draw them to a general engagement. Upon this he 
decamped, as if he defigned to march againft Artaxata and 
lay fiege to that place, where Tigranes had left his wife 
and children, with great part of his treafures. He had 
fcarcely formed his camp when the enemy appeared, and 
fat dow n clofe by him. Lucullus did not allow them to 
fortify their camp, but immediately attacked them; and, 
having put them to flight after a faint reliftance, purfued 
them all night with great daughter, and took moft of the 
officers prifoners. 
The Roman foldiers, now finding the cold very fevere, 
requefted their general to allow them to retire into winter 
quarters. This requeft he rejected with indignation; upon 
which they mutinied. Lucullus did all he could to per- 
fuade them to continue in their duty, and prevailed fo far 
that they confented to lay fiege to Nilibis, in hopes of booty. 
This place they took; and Lucullus, to the great fatis- 
faftion of his troops, took up his winter quarters there. 
The next year, however, his forces again nmtined, ac- 
culing him of amafling immenfe wealth for himfelf ; and, 
throwing their empty purfes at his feet, told him, that, as 
he enriched himfelf alone, he might carry on the war alone. 
He endeavoured to appeafe them as much as poffible; but 
the fedition being fomented by a party in the intereft of 
Pompey, at that time afpiring to the command of Lu- 
cullus’s army, the latter was obliged to fit ftill, and fee 
Mithridates and Tigranes over-run Cappadocia, and reco¬ 
ver all Armenia, and great part of Pontus. They would 
N I A. 
have gained greater advantages, had not a fon of Tigranes 
taken up arms againft his father, and obliged him to divide 
his troops. The father and fon coming to a pitched bat¬ 
tle, the latter was defeated, and forced to fave himfelf in 
Parthia, where he pcrfuaded Phrahates, king of that coun¬ 
try, to affift him with a numerous army. Phrahates having 
laid fiege to Artaxata, Tigranes the elder was obliged to 
hide himfelf in the mountainous parts of his kingdom ; 
upon which the king of Parthia returned home. Of this 
Tigranes the father being apprifed, he abandoned the faft- 
nefles of the mountains; and, falling upon his foil at Ar¬ 
taxata, difperfed the rebels with great daughter, and en¬ 
tered his metropolis in triumph. Tigranes the fon firft fled 
to Mithridates ; but, finding him reduced to great ftraits, 
having been defeated a few days before, with the lofs of 
40,000 men, by Pompey, he went over to the Romans, 
and led them into Armenia againft his father, as an ally 
of Mithridates. Tigranes being quite difpirited, and un¬ 
able to make head againft the Romans, refol.ved at once to 
fubmit. Accordingly he waited on Pompey in his camp ; 
and, having delivered his fword to two lictors, proftrated 
himfelf before him, and laid his diadem at his feet. Pom¬ 
pey gave him a gracious reception, and generoufiy reftored 
him the kingdom of Armenia, but fined him 6000 talents 
for making war on the Roman people without a caufe. 
As the king had appealed to the Roman general for juftice 
againft his fon, Pompey heard both parties the next day, 
and made the foil governor of Gordyene and Sophene; but 
the treafures that were kept in the latter he adjudged to 
the father, becaufe without them he could not pay the 
fine. The fon, being thus difappointed, endeavoured firft 
to make his efcape, and afterwards, by private meffengers, 
folicited the inhabitants not to deliver up the treafures to 
his father. This being relented by Pompey, he caufed 
him to be kept in irons; yet even then he found means to 
ftir up Phrahates king of Parthia, vvhofe daughter he had 
married, againft the Romans, and to form a confpiracy 
againft his father’s life; whereupon Pompey fent him in 
chains to Rome, where he was kept prifoner till the tri- 
buneftiip of P. Clodius; who, being bribed with a large 
fum of money, fet him at liberty in fpite of Pompey and 
the fenate. Tigranes now yielded to the Romans Cappa¬ 
docia, Syria, Silicia, and that part of Phcenice which he 
poftefted, contenting himfelf with his paternal kingdom; 
and not only paid the fine laid upon him, but made large 
prefents to Pompey, and to all the officers of his army, 
which procured him the title of the friend, and ally of the 
Roman people. He afterwards entered into a war with Phra¬ 
hates king of Parthia, by whom he was overcome, and 
would have been driven out of his kingdom, had not a 
peace been brought about by the mediation of Pompey. 
He ever after cultivated a ftrict friendfliip with the Ro¬ 
mans ; infomuch that lie not only refufed to receive Mithri¬ 
dates, who fled to him after he had been routed by Pom¬ 
pey near mount Stella, but even offered a reward of one 
hundred talents to any one who would put him to death. 
His fecond fon alfo, by name Sariafter, took up arms againft 
him ; but by the afliftance of the Romans that rebellion was 
foon quelled. He died in the 8^th year of his age ; and 
was fucceeded by his fon Artuafdes, called by jofephus 
Artabazes, by Oroftus Artabanes, and by others Artoadifes. 
From this time to the reign of Trajan, Armenia was go¬ 
verned by its own kings; but, as they were vaffals to the 
Romans, their hiftory falls under that of the Romans. By 
Trajan, Armenia Major was reduced to a Roman pro¬ 
vince; but it foon recovered its liberty, and was again 
governed by its own kings in the reigns of Conftantine the 
Great and his fucceflor, to whom the kings of Armenia 
were feudatories. In the reign of Juftin II. the Saracens 
fubdued and held it till the irruption of the Turks, who 
pofteffed themfelves of this kingdom, and gave it the name 
of Turcomania. The Turks, after the reduction of Arme¬ 
nia, invaded Perfia, and other countries fubject to the em- 
rors of the eaft ; which gave the Armenians an opportunity 
of Ihaking off the Turkifh yoke, and again fetting up kings 
