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

396 HISTORY OF ARMENIA.
chief, directed him to march against the rebels.
Artashir with his troops was defeated and
put to flight. The emperor then insidiouslydecoyed
the Armenian chiefs into his power,
and violating every law, human and divine,
cruelly put them all to death.
We will now resume the account of the affairs
of that part of Armenia possessed by the
A. D. 798. Saracens. Khuzima succeeded Ezit as goera
247. v^mor, and took up his residence in Duin.
Immediately after his arrival he put a stop, by
the express order of the caliph of Bagdad, to
the depredations of the troops, which had beea
such a dreadful scourge to the Armenians
during the sway of preceding governors.
He
entirely restored peace to the nation, treating
the chiefs with particular kindness, after having
received from them the requisite hostages for
their allegiance.
Among those whom the nation
gave as hostages was Sumbat the son of A shot,
surnamed the brave, and who was sent by the
governor of Bagdad. Some time after, Khuzima
began to show the ill traits of his character:
he proposed to Joseph the pontiff, to purchase
from him three villages which belonged to
the
pontificate. Joseph very consistently refused
to part with the goods of the church.
Hereupon
the governor became a great enemy of the
pontiff. As a first instance of bis malice, he seized