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

14G HISTORY OF ARMENIA.
the First, he exiled his brothers from his court,
appointing them habitations in the provinces of
Aliovit and Arberaney.
Having, however, no offspring,
he directed one of them, Tiran, to remain
v^^ith him, in order that in the eventof his decease
he might succeed to the crow^n.
This king from
his infancy had been addicted to vicious and
dissolute habits,
altogether unworthy his great-
A. D. 130. ness and dignity. His reign was a short one, for
going one day to hunt bears and wild asses,
near Mount Ararat, he was obliged to cross the
river Azat, which is also called Mezamore.
After he had passed the bridge, which had been
thrown over it by Artaces, he was suddenly
deprived of his senses, and falling into a great
pit, perished. His reign lasted two years.
A fable, founded on the above incident, for a long
period possessed th€ minds of the subjects of
Artavazd. They believed that he still existed ;
but in a cell,
and confined with chains of iron.
Near him, it was also said, were two dogs,
continually gnawing his fetters, for the purpose
of releasing him; in the event of which, it
was predicted, that he would conquer the
world. But, so the story went, these chains
were continually strengthened by the strokes of
blacksmiths' hammers. Even to the time of
Chorenensis, the belief of this fable was so strong
in the minds of the ignorant blacksmiths, that