When Constantine the Great ascended the throne, Armenia began to break from the darkness that covered it, and to rejoice under the dominion of its own kings, especially under that of the renowned Tiridates, whose valour and wisdom crowned himself with glory, and his country with peace. But that dawn of liberty was still obscured by Roman dependence, and was altogether lost in night at the death of that monarch. Chosroes, his son, was driven into exile, the country became a scene of desolation, and two of the most powerful go vernors, usurping the ensigns or the powers of royalty, implored the assistance of Sapor, and opened their ci ties to the Persian garrisons. Antiochus, however, one of the officers of the household, under the authority of Constantius, restored Chosroes to the throne, and re duced the country under his subjection. But the soul of Chosroes was more fitted for the enjoyment of rural sports, than for vindicating the independ,nce of his country on the field of battle. Dreading the menaces of Sapor, he ceded to him the province of Atropatene, and condescended to pay him an annual tribute. The arm of his son Tiranus was still less calculated to raise the fallen glories of his country ; but though the weakness of his mind proved that he was formed for slavery, yet his pride revolted at the humiliating dependence to which Julian reduced him ; and while that monarch re treated from Persia, he found that treachery could ef fectuate revenge as well as valour, when the king of Ar menia directed the desertion of his auxiliaries. As the reward of his baseness, Jovian abandoned the king and kingdom of Armenia to Sapor ; and Sapor, by insidious professions of friendship, decoyed the king into his tent, and whilst he lamented, in chains, his credulity, a vio lent death delivered him from his dungeon, and his king dom became a Persian province. The active and the daring valour of his son Para, though seconded by the affection and courage of a few followers, was unable to break the fetters w1lich his degenerate ancestors had forged for their country ; but the boldness of his design will perpetuate his memory : whilst the dagger that ter urinated his career, will for ever wound the fame of the emperor Valens, who stimulated the murderer. The nobles of Armenia refused to acknowledge Artasires, the nephew of Chosroes, and desired a Persian gover nor in the room of an unworthy king. Thus the royal race of Armenia was degraded; the kingdom itself was extinguished ; and whilst the younger Theodosias re ceived, by agreement, a small part of that country, the greater division was annexed to Persia.
Before we conclude this concise narrative, it may not be improper to mention, that in the reign of Justinian II. Armenia was subjugated by the Saracens, who, in the eighth century, burst from the inaccessible wilds about mount Caucasus, and like a torrent overspread the neighbouring nations. The Saracens were afterwards dispossessed by the Turks, who called the country Tur comania, a name which it still bears. The Turks, how ever, turning their arms eastward, were so much en gaged in war with Persia, that the Armenians broke from their yoke, and elected kings for themselves. But Occadan, son of Cingis, and first chain of the Tartars, reduced the country under his power; though it is pro bable, that he either willingly allowed, or was obliged to suffer them to have kings of their own. Ussan Cas sanes, king of Armenia, in 1472, succeeded to the king dom of Persia; and hence it continued a province of that.empire, till Selim, in the year 1522, annexed it
again to the Turkish dominions, in which state it still continues, except the eastern part, which belongs to the Persians.
As the whole country of Armenia is diversified with mountains and vallies, lakes and rivers, its appearance is beautiful and picturesque, its climate is temperate and healthy, and its soil rich and fertile. It is however greatly indebted for its fertility to the patient industry of its inhabitants, who employ all the resources of art and labour to cherish and mature the productions of the earth. Not only must the springing grain be defended from the cold, which is so intense that the mountains are perpetually topped with snow, and ice is often found before the rising of the sun in the midst of July ; but likewise from the scorching heat of the sun, which, during the day, would destroy the powers of vegetation, if constant irrigation was not practised. The ground, however, liberally repays the cares of the husbandman, not only by producing all sorts of grain which are ne cessary to supply the wants of man, but also all those fruits which administer to his comfort and happiness ; for though we arc told, that there are no olives in that country at the present day, and hence it has been as serted Ararat could not be the mountain where the ark rested, it must be because they are not cultivated, since Strabo informs us that they formerly abounded in the province of Gogarene. The salt mines of Armenia have long been celebrated : from solid and immense rocks of this mineral, large pieces are cut, and carried by buffaloes, to supply, not only the neighbouring pro vinces, but all Persia. Indeed, almost the whole coun try seems to be impregnated with salt; after rain, the scattered particles are crystallized, glitter on the sur face, and crackle under the feet.
When we investigate the government, laws, religion, and learning of the Armenians, we encounter insuper able difficulties from the silence and uncertainty of an cient history. It appears, however, that their crown was hereditary, that their government was despotic, and the will of the sovereign must, often at least, have supplied the place of law. We shall readily be lieve that their religion was an idolatry, neither sublime in principle, nor refined in practice, when we are told that the supreme object of their adoration was the god dess Tanais, or Anaitis, the Nahid of the Persians, and the Venus of the Greeks. In the early ages of the kingdom, the inhabitants appear to have been rude and barbarous. Equally ignorant of the arts of civilization, and of the advantages of science, they roamed through their uncultivated fields in pursuit of wild beasts, and knew not how to express the few ideas of their minds by written characters. Even when writing was intro duced, the Assyrian, the Greek, and the Persian alpha bets, were successively employed to record their trans actions; and it was not till Christianity, in the begin ning of the fifth century, had dispelled the shades that brooded over their minds, that Mesrobes invented, to express accurately the sounds of their language, those characters which they still employ. It is probable that their language, at first, was far from being copious, and • that the paucity of its vocables received gradual acces sions from the languages of the neighbouring nations ; as many of their words still betray a Persian origin, and many undoubtedly have been imperceptibly changed in the progress of time.