190 HISTOET or ARUENIA.
was communicated to Erwand, the latter was engaged in suppressing a rebellion which had broken out in Uti. He immediately gave over to his chiefs the government of Uti, which he had restored to tranquillity, and returned in haste to Erwandashat. He rapidly assembled, at a vast expense, an army to repel the invaders, composed of Armenians, Georgians, Cappado- cians, Tyrians, and people from Mesopotamia. It being then the spring season, the whole of these troops soon met and joined. Argam his minister also appeared in arms, with a fine body of men armed with lances. Erwand, to encourage his troops to fight manfully and zealously in his cause, was profuse in his gifts to every indivi- dual. Nor did he forget to apply for assistance to t]|e Romans; but these people, otherwise engaged, had no leisure to attend to his soli* citations. Sumbat, unaware of the return of Erwand from Uti, passing the river Arax, marched with great haste to that country. The chiefs who had been left there by Erwand, informed of the approach of Sumbat, and re* collecting with affection their deceased king Tirithus, came out to meet the young prince Artaces and his protector, declaring themselves his most zealous partisans. When intelli«> gence of this defection reached the other Armenian chiefs with Erwand« they meditated
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