an extensive country of Western Asia, divided at present between Turkey, Russia, and Persia. It extends from the Caucasus on the north, to the mountains of Kurdistan on the south; and from the Euphrates on the west, nearly to the Caspian Sea on the east; being between Lat. 37. and 42. N. and Long. 39. and 50. E. The boundaries of this country, however, have been very fluctuating, and at no time exactly defined. Its area is estimated at about 90,000 square miles, and the population at 2,000,000. It forms an elevated table-land, sinking towards the plains of Iran on the east, and those of Asia Minor on the west. Its plains are elevated 7000 feet above the level of the sea, while the gigantic Ararat rises to the height of 17,260 feet. From Ararat lofty ridges, intersected by deep valleys, diverge in various directions. Armenia is well watered and fertile, producing grain, cotton, tobacco, grapes, and other fruits; and abounds in romantic mountain and forest scenery, and rich pasture land. Its principal rivers are the Euphrates, the Tigris, the Aras, and the Kur, all of which have their sources in Armenia. The climate, from the elevation of the country, is generally cold, but not unhealthy. The largest of its lakes is the Van, whose circumference is estimated at 240 miles. The Sevan and Urmia Lakes are also of considerable extent, and the waters of the latter are remarkable for their saltness. Armenia is mentioned by ancient authors as abounding in metals and precious stones; and its mines of iron, copper, silver, lead, and other metals, are still wrought.

Under the name of Armenia, ancient writers included a considerable part of Asia Minor, to which was afterwards given the name of Armenia Minor.

The Armenians call themselves Haiks, and their country Hayotz-zor, the valley of the Haiks, from Haik, the fifth in descent from Noah by Japhet, according to the traditional genealogy of the country. They are active, industrious, and hospitable; and are a handsome race, the women especially being noted for the delicacy and regularity of their features. The Armenians now form only about a seventh part of the population of Armenia, the rest of its inhabitants being chiefly Turks and Kurds. From the persecutions and tyranny to which they have been exposed, most of them have left their country, and though originally a brave and warlike people, they have become distinguished for their peaceful character, and their submissiveness to the government of every country in which they live. Devoted to trade and manufactures, they have prospered wherever they have settled; and their scattered colonies now extend from Hungary and Venice to Calcutta, and even to China, and from St Petersburg and Moscow to the deserts of Africa. They generally live in large families, under the patriarchal rule of the oldest member. Their religion is a branch of the Oriental Church. They have few holidays, and condemn the worship of images. Their spiritual concerns are superintended by four patriarchs, of whom the principal, called the Catholicos, resides at the convent of Etchmiadzin, near Erivan. One resides at Sis in Caramania; another at Gandasar, near the Lake of Erivan; and the fourth at Aghtamar, an island in the Lake of Van. Some Armenians have united with the Church of Rome, and have two archbishops, one at Nachshivan on the Don, and the other at the Island of San Lazaro, in the lagunes of Venice.

The early history of Armenia, like that of most other countries, is involved in obscurity. According to the Armenian account, the first ruler of the country was Haik the son of Togarmah, mentioned in Gen. x. 3. as the grandson of Japhet. He is said to have left Babylon to escape the tyranny of Belus king of Assyria, and to have established himself and his family in Armenia. Belus pursued him thither, but was defeated and slain by Haik about twenty-one centuries before the Christian era. Four centuries later reigned Ara, the seventh in descent from Haik, who having incurred the hatred of Semiramis queen of Assyria, was slain in a battle with that nation, and his kingdom became an Assyrian province, although it still continued to be governed by its own princes. From this time Armenia remained subject to Assyria till about the middle of the eighth century n.c. Barvir, who was then ruler, joined the Medes and Babylonians in their revolt against Sardanapalus, and Armenia recovered its independence. Tigranes or Dikran, who flourished about two centuries later, was the friend and ally of Cyrus, and is said to have rendered that monarch great assistance in his contest with Astyages king of the Medes. According to the Armenians, this is the Tigranes who built the city of Tigranocerta. He was succeeded by his son Vahakin, the Hercules of the Armenians, who was celebrated in song and story for his prowess and exploits, and received deification after death. The last of the Haik dynasty was Vahi, who was king of Armenia in the time of Alexander the Great. He took part with Darlus against the Macedonians, but was defeated and slain. Armenia thus fell into the hands of the conqueror; and Mithridates, a Persian, was appointed governor of the country. Taking advantage of the dissensions which followed the death of Alexander the Great, the Armenians threw off the Macedonian yoke, about n.c. 317. Ardavas was chosen king; but on his death, about 33 years afterwards, they were obliged to submit to the Syrians. About n.c. 190, when Antiochus the Great was defeated by the Romans, Artaxias and Zariadris, two Armenian nobles, took advantage of the moment to free their country from the Syrian yoke. Artaxias obtained possession of Armenia-Major, and Zariadris of Armenia-Minor, which his descendants continued to hold till the Sophian Arsaces was conquered and deposed by Tigranes II. king of Armenia-Major, who annexed it to his dominions. The descendants of Artaxias reigned in Armenia till their expulsion by the Arsacidæ. About the middle of the second century n.c., Mithridates I., of the race of the Arsacidæ, was king of Parthia. He greatly extended the bounds of his empire, conquered Syria, and established his brother Wagharszag in Armenia, n.c. 149. With him commenced the dynasty of the Arsacidæ in that country. Wagharszag greatly promoted the prosperity of his kingdom by founding cities, establishing laws, and rewarding persons of talent. His great-grandson, Tigranes II., the most celebrated of the family, ascended the throne in the year 89 n.c. He conquered Ariarates king of Sophene, besides several other petty chiefs, and annexed their dominions to his own. He wrestled from the Parthians several of their provinces, and made himself master of Syria, and was so elated with successes, that he assumed to himself the title of King of kings. Inflamed by his father-in-law Mithridates king of Pontus, who was anxious to engage him in a war with the Romans, he marched into Cappadocia, and returned loaded with booty, besides no fewer than 300,000 captives, whom he employed in building the city of Tigranocerta, which they afterwards peopled: the Armenian historians, however, state that it was Tigranes I. who founded his city. After the defeat of Mith- Armenia, ridates he took refuge with Tigranes, who, though he manifested no inclination to espouse his cause, was so much offended at the haughty manner of the Roman messenger sent to demand the fugitive, that he returned a peremptory refusal. Lucullus, the Roman general, immediately invaded Armenia, defeated the forces sent against him, and took Tigranocerta. In the following year (B.C. 68) the combined forces of Tigranes and Mithridates were totally routed; but the mutinous disposition of the Roman troops prevented Lucullus from following up his success, and Tigranes recovered the greater part of his lost dominions. The arrival of Pompey, however, in 66, soon changed the aspect of affairs; and Mithridates, who had succeeded in establishing himself in his former possessions, was again obliged to take refuge in Armenia. Tigranes in the meantime had another enemy to encounter in the person of his son, who being detected in a conspiracy against his father, sought the protection and assistance of the Parthian king. That monarch invaded Armenia with a considerable force, but was soon obliged to retire, and the young Tigranes applied to the Romans for assistance. It was at this time that Mithridates implored the protection of his son-in-law; but Tigranes suspecting him of having aided the designs of his son, not only refused to receive him, but set a price upon his head, and hastened to supplicate Pompey who was entering his kingdom under the guidance of the young Tigranes. He succeeded in obtaining peace, and was allowed to keep possession of Armenia, with the exception of the provinces of Sophene and Gordyene, which were erected into a separate kingdom for his son Tigranes; and from this time he remained a faithful ally of the Romans. He afterwards engaged in war with the king of Parthia, but their differences were settled by the mediation of Pompey. He is supposed to have died about B.C. 55, and was succeeded by his son Artavasdes. This monarch, having deserted the cause of the Romans, was taken prisoner by Antony and carried to Alexandria, where he was afterwards beheaded by Cleopatra in B.C. 30; and Armenia became tributary to the Romans.

About the commencement of the Christian era, Abgarus was king of Armenia. On his death the kingdom was divided between his son Amme and his nephew Samadroug; but the ambitious Samadroug expelled Amme, and took possession of the kingdom. Samadroug was succeeded by the usurper Erowant, an Arsacid by the female line, who made himself master of the kingdom about A.D. 58. He exterminated the family of his predecessor, with the exception of the infant Ardashes, who was placed in concealment, and carried to the court of Persia. When Ardashes arrived at manhood, with the assistance of some of the neighbouring princes he deposed and slew the tyrant, and obtained possession of the kingdom. Ardashes was a brave and martial prince, and conquered the Alanii of the Caucasus, and some other races; but his reign was generally tranquil, and he did much to ameliorate the condition of his subjects by the establishment of schools and other useful institutions.

When the Arsacids were expelled from the Persian throne (A.D. 226), Chosroes I., surnamed the Great, was king of Armenia. Being allied to the expelled family, he naturally took up arms in their defence; and marching against the usurper Ardashir he defeated him in battle. Chosroes, shortly after, was assassinated by Arag at the instigation of Ardashir, and Armenia became subject to Persia, A.D. 232.

In the massacre of the royal family which ensued, none escaped but Tiridates, a son of Chosroes, who fled to Rome; and afterwards, with the assistance of the Romans, succeeded in establishing himself upon the throne, A.D. 259. The first act of his reign was the persecution of the Christians. St Gregory, surnamed the Illuminator, was cast into prison; but the king being miraculously cured of a dangerous distemper by that saint, he and most of his people embraced the Christian religion. The introduction of Christianity tended to arouse the animosity of the Persians; and from this period Armenia became the theatre of almost uninterrupted struggles between the Romans and Persians, until Theodosius the Great agreed to cede to Persia the eastern part of the country, which was hence called Persarmenia, while the western part was attached to the Roman Empire. Theodosius nominated Arsaces IV., then king of Armenia, governor of the western division; and the Persian king, in order to conciliate the people, appointed Chosroes III., a descendant of another branch of the Arsacids, governor of the eastern Armenian part. On the death of Arsaces IV., his dominions were conferred on the commander Cazavon; and the rule of the Arsacide in Persarmenia ended with Arsaces IV., who was dethroned by the Persian king Bahram V. in 428. From that time Armenia ceased to be a kingdom, and till 632 it was ruled by Persian governors. From the time that the Persians obtained a footing in Armenia they strenuously endeavoured to subvert Christianity, and to establish Paganism in its stead. For that purpose they had recourse to the most cruel persecutions, and frequent insurrections were the consequence. From 632 till 859 Armenia was the scene of almost incessant struggles between the Greeks and Mohammedans, and it became by turns subject to each. At the latter date the dynasty of the Paganthi, who had settled in Armenia at an early period, came into power. This family was of Jewish origin, and had risen to be one of the most powerful in that country. Ashod, one of this family, so gained the confidence of the khalif as to be declared king of Armenia in 885, and his title was afterwards recognized by the Greeks. He reigned thirty-one years; and his descendants maintained their authority in Armenia till 1072, when Gagik was treacherously murdered by the Greeks, and the greater part of the country became dependent on the Grecian empire. Koussen, a relative of the late king, founded a small principality in the Taurus Mountains, north of Cilicia, which gradually extended its boundaries to the Mediterranean. The princes of this house allied themselves with the European monarchs in the crusades. This kingdom maintained its independence till the year 1375, when the last king Leon VI. was taken prisoner by the Mamelukes of Egypt. After a captivity of six years he obtained his liberty, and wandered through Europe from one country to another till the time of his death, which took place at Paris in 1393. In 1583 Armenia was overrun by the Ottomans, who treated the people with such cruelty that great numbers of them took refuge in Persia and other countries. In 1604 Shah Abbas made an incursion into Armenia, and carried off a great part of the inhabitants; and from that time Armenia lost every shadow of nationality and independence. The greater part of the country was annexed to Turkey, and divided into pashaliks; while the eastern part remained subject to Persia. Since the commencement of the present century, Russia has, from time to time, acquired considerable portions of this territory; and at present Armenia forms the Turkish pashaliks of Erzeroom, Trebizond, Diarbekir, Kars, and Van, part of the Persian province of Azerbaijan, and the Russian government of Transcaucasia; Mount Ararat being, as it were, the central boundary-stone between them.

—See Historia Armeniacae, by Moses of Chorene; Memoires Historiques et Geographiques sur l'Armenie, par M. Saint Martin; History of the Vartan, translated by Neumann; Journal of the Geographical Society; Kinneir's Memoirs of the Persian Empire, and Travels in Armenia; Ker Porter's Travels, &c.