308 HISTOKT or ARMENIA.
^seeded to Duin. In this city he had the plet* sure of again meeting his old colleagues and rivals in glory, Nerseh and Hirahat. After rejoicing at the liberation of the latter, Vahan began to taste a little repose ; the winter season, which then prevailed, obliging tbem all to remain in a state of inaction. In a few days after^ several messengers arrived from Geoi^a, informing the Armenians that Isaac the prefect, and Vasak the noble, who, as we have related, fell in the late engagement with the Persians, were alive ; and at that moment wanderine about the mountains, being afraid to return to their country on account of their enemies, and expecting aid from the Vahanians. The falsehood of these as- sertions was sufficiently plain, yet to satisfy the wives and other relations of these deeply regret* ted chieftains, Vahan sent a small detachment of men under the command of Mushel the Mamiconian to go into Georgia, and seek in the direction specified by the messengers. Mushel, with his party set out, and after roaming about in the mountains and vallies until the spring, found no traces of them.
When the spring came forward the great Persian general Zarmihr Hazaravukkt, joined by the apostate chiefs, with an immense army invaded Armenia, and marshalling bis troops along the forests of Khosrorakert to the foot of
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