History of Armenia, by Father Michael Chamich; from B. C. 2247 to ...

HISTORY OF ARMENIA. 71
doms of Mithridates, was placed under the
dominion of his son Ariarath, a child of eight
years of age, assisted by a man of experience
and talent named Gordius.
The Cappadocians having appealed to the
Romans against the usurpation of Mithridates,
they sent to their assistance Cornelius Sylla the
younger, of Cilicia, a renowned captain. This
latter, having entered Cappadocia, encountered
and overthrew Gordius, the guardian of the
young Ariarath, and placed upon the throne
Ariobarzan, of the family of the
of that country.
ancient kings
Mithridates was no sooner informed of the 3915;.
5114.
success of Sylla, and the expulsion of his son,
than he dispatched a messenger to Tigranes
for assistance. The latter sent two of his
generals, Mihran and Bacoor, against Cappadocia,
the newly-appointed king of which,
Ariobarzan, with his ally Nicomedes, king of
Bithynia, not daring to meet the invaders,
fled to Rome. As soon as the Armenian
leaders entered Cappadocia, they restored the
young Ariarath to his throne. Elated by the
success of this his first contest with the Romans,
Mithridates collected a large army, and put to
sea a fleet of 300 sail for the purpose of annoying
them and their allies. The Romans, duly
informed of these measures of Mithridates,