388 HISTORT OF ARMENIA.
revenged the death of his brothers, he returned to Armenia. Some time after he was betrayed into the hands of the Persians, who, irritated at the injuries they had sustained from him, threw him into prison, where he remained till his death. He left three sons behind him, Isaac, Hamazasp, and Merujun. The first two were martyred in the lapse of a few years. The last, M er^jan, having abjured the christian faith was killed by David the Mamiconian. About this period the Armenians were thrown into the greatest distress by the increase of the exactions of the Saracens. These were now become almost intolerable, when, to double the evil, a dreadful dearth happened in consequence of a harvest blight, occasioned by furious showers of hailstones of an enormous size, which cut almost every blade of grass to pieces. This unfortunate circumstance was quickly followed by another still more fatal in its effects. Clouds of locusts overspread the land, and soon devoured what had been left unhurt by the hail. Famine and misery now desolated this unhappy country. Tiridates the pontiff, unable to apply any relief, sunk under the pressure of grief, and died, after a pontificate of twenty-three years. A. p. 764. ije was succeeded by Tiridates the Second, from m 213. Turuberan in the province of Dasnavors, who only held that high office three years, when he
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