Page:The History of Armenia - Avdall - Volume 1.djvu/204

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DISTORT OF AnMEVlA. 150-

��CH AFTER XV.

The Reign of Tiridates — the revival of Chris^ tianity in Armenia by St. Gregory, and appoint- ment of Aristakes and Vertannes to the Pon- tificate.

Tiridates, to fulfil the kind order of the A.D.28a. Roman emperor, which we mentioned at the conclusion of the last chapter, set out for Arme^ nia with a Roman army, accompanied by Saint Gregory. This occurred in the third year of the reign of Diocletian. On his arrival in Ce- sarea, he was met by all the Armenian chiefs, who had been previously apprised of the object of his expedition, and received by them as their king without the least show of opposition. He then took upon himself the government of the nation, under the title of-Tiridates the First; he was crowned by Sumbat, a Bagratian chief, and a descendant of Sumbat the Beuratian.

Tiridates having proceeded to the fortress of Ani, there experienced the unexpected pleasure of finding his sister living under the protection 9f Otaii» the chief of whom we spoke before* To

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