tress, and under the impression that he beheld none but traitors around him, shut himself up in a fortress, under the protection of a Roman garrison. Rhadamistus laid siege to the place, and the unale was obliged to come to a conference with his nephew, without the walls. Rhadamistus swore, by all the gods, that he had nothing to fear either from the sword or from poison. As there was a sacred grove near the place of interview, the nephew enticed his uncle thither, that he might confirm his oath by the ceremonies usual in Armenia, which consisted in tying together the thumbs of the contracting parties, pricking them, and causing them to suck each other's blood. At the moment when Mithridates presented his hand to be tied, he was thrown down, and bound with the rope which was to have been employed in this religious rite. His family, who were present, were treated in the same manner. Pharasmenes, being informed of the success of this treachery, repaired to his brother; reproached him for having prevented the Romans from assisting him in a war against the Albanians; and, as a punishment for this pretended crime, condemned him to death. Rhadamistus undertook to see this cruel sentence carried into execution; but as he had guaranteed his uncle, upon oath, from the sword and from poison, that he might not appear to be guilty of direct perjury, he caused him to be suffocated before his eyes. The wife of Mithridates, the daughter of Pharasmenes, and consequently the sister of Rhadamistus, with several of her children, were subjected to a like fate.

This act of barbarity did not remain unpunished. Vologeses, king of the Parthians, who pretended to some right over Armenia, having heard of the tragical death of Mithridates, and the troubles which were the consequence of it, thought the moment favourable for asserting his claim. He gave the kingdom of Armenia to his brother Tiridates, and supported his present with an army, which he commanded in person. Rhadamistus ill defended his usurpation, and governed with so much severity, that a secret conspiracy was formed against him, and he was surprised in his palace. His guards were

disarmed before he knew any thing of the plot, and he had only time to mount his horse, and make his escape.

His queen Zenobia, though some months pregnant, was unwilling to desert him; but as her corsiition prevented her from proceeding with the same speed, and being apprehensive that she might fall into the hands of her revolted subjects, she begged Rhadamistus to put her to death. The barbarian, moved with a momentary compassion, endeavoured to revive the courage of the fugitive; but observing that she wanted strength, and being afraid to leave her in the possession of any other, he wounded her with his sword. As she immediately fell, he dragged her to a neighbouring river, and abandoned her to her fate. Some shepherds who saw her floating on the water, where she was supported by her clothes, drew her to the bank, and dressed her wound. Tiridates sent for her to his court, where she had a shelter in her distress.

The wars which followed, present an almost inexplicable chaos of military expeditions and intrigues. In these the Romans acted the principal part, sometimes as aggressors, and sometimes as auxiliaries. Romans sometimes against Romans, like those carnivorous animals who dispute with each other for their prey. The unfortunate Armenians, harassed, plundered, and oppressed by avaricious protectors, and by neighbours, no less eager after booty, demanded a master from the emperors. Nero gave them Alexander, the grandson of Herod, king of Judæa; but Tiridates, being still supported by Vologeses, did not abandon his pretensions. He maintained himself with dignity against Corbulo, by whom he was overcome, and treated with respect Pætus, whom he had conquered. By this noble conduct he acquired the esteem of the Romans. Nero abandoned Alexander, who was only the phantom of a king, and wished to place with his own hands the crown on the head of Tiridates. This ceremony took place at Rome with the greatest magnificence. Tiridates rendered Armenia happy. His successors were rather vassals of the empire than independent kings. Armenia, however, remained a kingdom until Trajan, in A. D. 106, converted it into a Roman province. During the decline of the empire, it was governed by kings,

dependant on Constantine and his successors. In 370, it was conquered by Sapor, king of Persia ; and was soon afterwards recovered from him by the Romans, by whom it was not long retained; for it was governed by its own princes, in 651, when it was subdued by the Saracens. The Seljukian Turks conquered it about 1046, after which, it underwent a variety of revolutions. It was conquered by Jenghis Khan, in 1218. In 1385, it fell under the power of Tamerlane; in 1405, Kara Yufeb, the head of the Turcomans, took possession of it. In 1500 it was conquered by Ismael, sofi of the Persians; but was reduced by the Turks under Selim II. in 1552, to whom it has continued subject ever since, except the eastern parts, which are owned by the Persians.

The Armenians, though repeatedly conquered, and by divers nations, had the address, for the most part, to reserve the semblance of self government, under their own princes, acting as the deputies of their conquerors. Though controlled by the Romans for more than three hundred years, they were not half a century, in the unmixed character of their subjects.

Armenia was doubtless settled soon after the flood; but little is known of it for the first twenty, and the last fifteen centuries of its existence. To the Greek and Roman historians we are indebted for a general knowledge of its wars, and revolutions for three centuries before, and three centuries after, the Christian æra. Their previous and subsequent history is comparatively a blank. So much has never been recorded, or if recorded, has been lost, that all our historical knowledge of past transactions, bears no more proportion to the transactions themselves, than a river to the immensity of the ocean.

Armenia Minor is a very fertile country, and abounds with fruit, oil, and wine. It has never been long separated from that which has been called Armenia Major. After having three kings of its own, who were the successors of Zadriades, it was abandoned to the depredations of neighbouring kings, or of the Romans, who disputed for it with each other. Pompey, when at the height of his power, gave it to DejotaVOL. II.

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rus, king of Galatia. The grateful acknowledgment which the monarch owed to that general, induced him to espouse his party in the war against Cæsar. The latter pardoned him at the request of Brutus, and when this Roman had put the dictator to death, Dejotarus sent troops to his assassins. The triumvirs made him pay by a large fine, and the loss of some provinces, for his attachment to the unsuccessful party. He maintained himself, however, with dignity amidst the contending factions, being the intimate friend of Cicero, and yet respected by Octavianus. Dejotarus attained to a great age. His family became extinct in his son, by whom he was succeeded. The crown both of Armenia and Galatia devolved on the children of the sister of the latter, then to a king of Media, afterwards to a king of Pontus, to princes of Cappadocia and Bosporus, to Aristobulus, the grandson of Herod the Great, to Tigranes, and, under Vespasian, the country became a Roman province. It was attached to the empire of the East, and afterwards to that of the Persians. It was taken from the latter by the Turks, who still possess it under the name of Keldir.

KINGDOM OF PONTUS.

THIS country, situated between the 39th and the 42d degrees of north latitude, was bounded by the Euxine sea on the north; by Colchis on the east; by Armenia Minor, and Cappadocia on the south; and by the river Halys on the west. The air is very salubrious; the hills are generally covered with olive or cherry trees; the plains produce exuberant of grain; and an abundance of clear rivulets give an interesting variety to the rural scenery.

crops

The principal cities were Amisus, which Pharnaces made the metropolis of this kingdom, Amasea, the birth-place of Strabo, Cabira, Neocæsaria, Sebaste, Polemonium, Cerasus, and Trebisond, a Greek settlement.

The ancient inhabitants of Pontus are supposed to have been the descendants of Tubal; but in process of time they became blended with Cappadocians, Paphlagonians, and other foreign nations, beside several Greek colonies which settled in their country, and maintained their independence till the time of Mithridates the Great. The inhabitants of a part of Pontus were celebrated for their extraordinary skill in working iron, and fabricating steel armour, whence they are said to have derived the name of Chalybes. The convenient situation of their harbours, and the great store of timber which grew on their coast, afford the presumption, that they were a trading people. Their chief objects of adoration were Ceres, Jupiter, and Neptune, to whom they offered burnt sacrifices, pouring on the fire oil, honey, milk, and wine. They also occasionally offered four white horses to Neptune, causing them to advance with a chariot into the sea till they were drowned.

With respect to its early government we know nothing. Pontus, and all the countries bordering on the Euxine seas, were successively reduced by the Medes and Persians, the latter of whom erected Pontus into a kingdom, and bestowed the sovereignty on Artabazes, a Persian, who is supposed to have been placed on the throne by Darius, the son of Hystaspes. After him reigned nine princes, almost all of his family, named Mithridates or Pharnaces; who were engaged in war; sometimes as conquerors; and sometimes conquered. Mithridates VI. who was assassinated by his favourites, had been a very zealous ally of the Romans. Neither offers nor promises could induce him to abandon the cause of the republic, at a time when all the other princes of Asia had declared against it. The senate, out of gratitude, gave him Phrygia the Greater; but afterwards took that country from his son, Mithridates VII. whom he left a minor. This was the great Mithridates, the implacable enemy of the Romans, who carried on war against them during forty-six years, and occa