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

154 HISTORY OF ARMENIA.
come to blows at that time, released Kho?rove.
On the return of the former, however, to Nicor
demia, he sent an army against Armenia, which
was met by the troops of Khosrove, defeated,
and put to flight. The emperor Antoninus, not
not long after this, died, during a war which he
was waging against Artavan, king of Persia.
A. D. 225.
The latter, elated by the impunity with which
he had braved the Roman power, set no bounds
to his tyranny, and harrassed his subjects to
that degree that at length a rebellion broke out,
headed by the chief Artashir, the son of Sasan, a
Persian, assisted by other distinguished leaders
of the same nation. After a contest which lasted
a year, Artavan was defeated and killed, and
A. D. 226.
Artashir crowned king in his stead. In this
civil war two of the tribes of the Pahlavies,
the Surenies and Aspahapeties, took part with
the rebels, the third (tbe Caranies) espoused
the cause of the king, but were unable to effect
any thing,, by reasoa of the ereat unpopularity
of the royal cause. By the death of Artavan the
kingdom of Persia was lost to the family of
Arsaces the Parthian, having been possessed by
the descendants of the latter for a period of 475
years.
The dynasty of the Sasanians was established
by Artashir, in the year of our Lord 226, which
lasted 409 years, dowa to the period in which