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

372 HISTORY OF ARMENTA.
bad returned to the subjection of the Greeks;
also made incursions, and demolished every
edifice
they met, carrying away captive a vast
multitude of both sexes and all ages. Ashot
the governor, on attempting to resist them,
was defeated and killed, after ruling Armenia
upwards of four years. After this event they
retired for a while, but no sooner was the country
restored to a little order, than they returned
with a greater number of troops than they had
ever before brought into Armenia. They were
headed by a general named Mahomed.
They destroyed cities, towns, and villages, as
they advanced, and taking the fortress of
Sevan, they razed it to the ground, and sold
the garrion as slaves. The Armenians terrified
at the dreadful nature of their
attacks, surrendered
the government of the country into
their
A.D. 690.
hands. The emperor on hearing of this marched
Haican
era 139.
'
\^ persou to Armenia at the head of an immense
army. The people having no other alternative
but to bend to the stronger, again submitted to
the Greeks. On the return however of the emperor
to Constantinople he left 30,000 of his
troops for the protection of the country against
the Saracens, after taking hostages from a-
moncTst the most distinguished Armenian chiefs.
A.D. 690. Order and tranquillity was at length restored,
Haican
S. and the government confided by the emperor to
era