Cosmographie in four bookes : containing the chorographie and historie of the whole vvorld, and all the principall kingdomes, provinces, seas and isles thereof / by Peter Heylyn.

1. ARMENIA MAJOR.

ARMENIA MAJOR is bounded on the East with Media, and some part of the Caspian Sea; on the West, with the River Euphrates, which parteth it from Armenia Minor, in the lesser Asia; on the North, with Colchis or Mengrelia; and on the South, with Mesopotamia and some part of Assyria.

It was called Armenia, as some say quasi Aram-Mini or the Minni of Syria: but as others say, quasi Har-mini, that is to say Mons Mini, or Montana Miniadis: the Mini or Minni, being a region of this tract, mentioned by Jeremie the Prophet, chap. 5. ver. 27. and by him placed betwixt Ararat and Askenaz, which shew the situation of it to be hereabouts. Major was added to it for distinction sake, to dif∣ference it from Armenia Minor: and now it is called Turcomania, as the first seat in which the Turco∣mans or Turks did fix themselves, after their eruption out of Scythia.

The Countrey in the most parts overspread with hills, branches of those huge mountains of Taurus, and Anti-Taurus; but intermixt with fertile and delightful vallies, liberally furnished with Cattel, and good store of fruits, though much subject to deep snows, which do much annoy it. The Riches of it not to be better estimated than by the frankness of Tigranes, once King hereof. Who being fined by Pompey at 6000 Talents, not onely very readily laid down that summe, but added of his own accord to every Roman Souldier 50 Drachmas of Silver, 1000 Drachmas to each Captain, and to every Colonela Talent. For though Tigranes had added some part of Media, and the whole Kingdome of Syria, unto his estate: yet those being new Acquests, and not fully setled, were not much likely for the present, to enrich his coffers: new conquered Provinces being for the most part more chargeable than beneficial to the Victor.

The people are generally great bodies, of comely personage, and patient of all kind of labour; good Ar∣chers, when put to it, but careless of honour got by warre; merry, desirous to be at ease, and apt to be soothed. The women tall, but homely, of a manly look, most of them skilfull at their bow, or some other weapon. Their families for the most part great, the Father and all his posterity to the third and fourth generation living under a roof, after whose death the eldest whether Sonne or Brother hath the chiefest Rule. In diet and clothing all alike: and in most places they are said to be very industrious, painful in tillage, and well seen in manufactures, especially rich tapestries, Grograins, and watred Chamlets: with which they trafick into most Cities of the Turks and other Mahometans, privileged as they say, by a Charter under Mahomets own hand, above other Christians; and upon that occasion more dispersed in the Eastern Countries, than any Nation in the world, the Jews excepted.

They have a language of their own which they call the Armenian, not onely used amongst them in common talk, but in sacred offices: the Scriptures being translated into that language also, and that as the people do affirm by the hand of Saint Chrysostome, at such time as (on the solicitation of the Empress Eudoxia, his most eager enemy) he was confined to the lesser Armenia, by the Emperor Arcadius, to whom also they ascribe the invention of the Armenian Characters, or letters, still in use amongst them.

They received the Christian faith by the preaching of Saint Bartholmew, and were antiently of the ju∣risdiction of the Patriarch of Constantinople, as a Province of the Pontick Diocese, which together with the Asian D••o••ese, and that of Thrace, were by the Council of Chalcedon laid unto that Patriarchate. But falling into the opinions of Eutyches touching one nature onely in CHRIST our Saviour, they with∣drew themselves long since, from the communion of the Greeks, whom they hold in greater detestation than all other Christians; and chose two Patriarchs of their own, of whom more anon. Other opinions which they hold besides those of Eutyches, which yet they labour to make capable of an Orthodox sense, and those wherein they differ from the Church of Rome, as 1. Denying Purgatory, and prayers for the

dead. 2. Admitting none to be made Priests except those that be maried. 3. Denying the body of Christ to be really under the species of bread and wine; and 4. Rebaptizing such as come to their Com∣munion from the Latine Churches; are these that follow: in which they differ also from most Churches else, viz. in receiving Infants to the Lords Table, immediately after Baptism. 2. In abstaining from ••••••lear beasts. 3. In fasting on Christ-mass day; and 4. In holding their children over the fire, as a necessary circumstance in Baptism, because John the Baptist told the people which followed him, that CHRIST should baptize them with the Holy Ghost, and with fire; in which place he meaneth not materiall fire, but the lively purgation of the Holy Ghost, according to the nature of fire. The Church of this sect is Governed by two Patriarchs, whereof the one hath under his jurisdiction this Turcomania; comprehending 150000 Families, besides very much Monasteries: and the other hath under him the two Provinces of Armenia the lesser, and Cilicia, comprehending 20000 Families, or thereabouts. The first residing antiently in Sebastia, the Metropolis of the greater Armenia; the second originally at Me∣litene, the Metropolis of Armenia Minor, but of late at Sis, a small City, not farre from Tarsus in Cilicia. Both honoured with the title of Catholiques, and having under them to the number of 30. Bi∣shops.

Chief Rivers of this Countrey, 1. Araxes, which rising out of Mount Abos, an Armenian Moun∣tain, first runneth Eastward as farre as Media, and then bendeth it self towards the North, and after a long course is divided into two Branches; whereof the one falleth into the Caspian Sea, the other into, 2. Cyrus, another great River of this Countrey. The fountain of this last in Mount Caucasus in the furthest North of Turcomania; and falling into a Lake, there meeteth with 3. Cambyses, another great River of these parts; and so together hasten to the Caspian also. 4. Euphrates, by the Turks called Frat, by the Hebrews, Perah, famous in Scripture for its watering the garden of Eden, hath its fountain in the hills which they call Niphates, as is said by Strabo. A River of great length and swiftness. For having forced it self a passage through the Mountains of Taurus, it runneth in the West of Mesopotamia, with a stream so violent, that they who go by water from Bir or Birra, a Town on the North-West of Meso∣potamia, to the City of Bagdat, are fain to come back again by land, selling those Boats for eight crowns which they bought for 50. At Apamia, a City of Chaldaea it is joyned with Tigris, with which the greatest branch of it passeth thorow the City of Babylon, and so into the Persian Gulf: the rest of it being cut into many Channels, for fear it should overflow and drown the Countrey, are quite lost in the Lakes of Chaldea. 5. Tigris, a swifter stream than that, whence it had the name; the word in the Median tongue signifying an Arrow. A River of so strong a course, that it passeth thorow the Lake Thonitis, without mixture of Waters, and affordeth the Armenians an easie passage to Bagdat: who on a few Rafis born up with Goat-skins blown full of wind, and boards laid upon them, make their voyage thither. It is called Heddekel in the Scripture, one of the four Rivers which watered the garden of Paradise; situate in an Iland made by the imbracement of this River and Euphrates, with their several Branches. Rising origi∣nally out of the Lake of Thelpitis, in Armenia Major, where now we are; it is presently almost swallow∣ed by the gaping Earth; and passing under the huge bulk of Taurus, breaketh forth again; and compas∣sing the East parts of Mesopotamia, which it divides from Assyria; meets with Euphrates, as before. Of which its first and second birth, thus the Poet Lucan.

At Tigrin subito tellus absorbet hiatu, Occultos{que} tegit cursus; rursus{que} renatum Fonte novo flumen pelagi non abnegat undas.

That is to say.

Tigris, soon swallowed by the thirsty earth, Finds there a buriall where it had its birth: But breaking out at a new spring, vouchsafes With the Salt Seas to mixt it sweeter waves.

Mountains of most note, are, 1. Abos, glorying in the fountains of the great River Araxes. 2. Peri∣ardes, or Periarges as Ptolomy, Pariedri, as Pliny calleth it, a branch or spurre of the great moun∣tain Taurus. 3. Vdacespes, another branch of that great Mountain. 4. Some part of Anti-Taurus. 5. The Mountains called Montes Moschici, more towards the North, abutting upon Cappadocia, and the Euxine Sea: which name they took from Mesech, or Mosoch the sonne of Japhet, preserving the re∣membrance of his planting there. 6. Niphates, one of the spurres of Taurus, out of which the famous River Euphrates is said to issue. 7. The Gordiaean Mountains, conceived by many learned men to be the mountains of Ararat, on one of the tops whereof called Baris, the Ark of Noah is most generally affirmed to rest. Affirmed by many antient writers of the Christian Church, and countenanced not onely by Josephus and some others of the Elder Historians; but by the Septuagint themselves: who in the 37 chap. of Esay v. 38. and 2 Kings 19. 37. have rendred Ararat by Armenia. And be it so, let Ara∣••a be Armenia, and consequently the mountains of Ararat be Armenian Mountains: yet doth it not follow hereupon, that the Ark rested on the Gordiaean mountains, or any others of this Countrey, as they would conclude. We may infer as Logically, for ought I can see, that the Garden of Eden must be looked for in Armenia also; because situate in the circlings of Euphrates, and Tigris, two Armenian Rivers. Those Rivers have indeed their fountains in Armenia Major, but compass not the Garden of Eden, till after a long course they encounter each other in the spacious plains of Babylonia. And so those mountains, though they have the name of the Mountains of Ararat or Armenia, because there first grown to a discemable and supper-eminent height above all the mountains of those parts: became not the resting place of the Ark, till after a further course towards the East, they were grown to their fullest height; which

is in those parts of it betwixt Scythia, and Persia, which are called Mount Caucasus: not that Mount Can∣casus, which lieth on the North of Colchis, and Iberia, out of which the River Cyrus is said to rise; but that which lieth on the East-side of the Caspian Sea, where Mount Taurus and Imaus do cross each other. But of this elsewhere.

It was divided heretofore into many Provinces, the principall whereof had (I grant) its name from the Gordiaean Mountains, called in some writers Cordiaei, from whence the Province had the name of Gora∣ene, but most commonly called Corduene, bordering on Assyria. The Kingdome once of Zarbi••nus, who siding with Lucullus against Tigranes King of Armenia, was by Tigranes murdered with his wife and Children; but honoured by Lucullus with a stately and magnificent funeral. 2. The 2d. Province of uote is called Cotacene, neer the Montes Moschici. 3. Tosarene bordering on the River Cyrus. 4. Col∣thene on the banks of Araxes. 5. Sophene, neer the turnings of the River Euphrates; mistook by some industrious and knowing men, to be the Syria Soba of the Holy Scriptures. 6. Basisine, on the North-West, neer the springs of that River. But what Cities did belong to each, I find no where spe∣cified

Those of most consequence in the whole, 1. Artaxata, by Florus called Caput Gentis: of most e∣steem in those times, and the Seat-royall of the Kings of Armenia from its first foundation. Built by Artaxes, one of the Progenitors of Tigranes, at the perswasion of Annibal, whilest he abode in this Countrey: who liking the situation of the place, drew on it the model of a strong and gallant City, accor∣ding to which Plat-form it was presently built. Taken and sacked by the Romans, as a daughter of Carthage, by Corbulo in the time of Nero, it never could revive again to its former splendour: in the mi∣dle ages called Esechia, and at this day Coy, or Coim; if not built rather out of the ruines of it. A City memorable for two great battells neer unto it; the first between Luculius on the one sid, against Mithri∣dates and Tigranes on the other; wherein the Romans were victors: the second between Selimus Empe∣ror of the Turks, and Hysmael the Persian Sophy; wherein the Turks were conquerors, Anno 1514. A victory which he bought with the loss of 30000 of his best men, and such a terrour to the whole Ar∣my, that the Turks to this day call it, the only day of doom. The fields adjoining to the Town where∣in this cruel battel was fought, called the Chalderan fields. 2. Sebastia, now Suassia, seated on Euphrates, where it meeteth with the Mountain Taurus, the residence of the Patriarch of the Armeni∣ans, at their first separarion from the See of Constantinople; the Metropolis at that time of all Armenia: so named in honour of Augustus, whom the Greeks call Sebastos. But of late divested of that dignity, the Patriarchall See, by reason of the fierce wars raging in this Countrey betwixt the Persians and the Turks, being removed to the Monastery of Ecmeazin, neer the City of Ervan in Persia, in the domini∣ons of which King these Armenian Christians live in great abundance, by the name of Jelphelins. 3. Tigraneceria, beautified and inlarged, if not first founded, by Tigranes above-mentioned, by whom re∣plenished with people of severall Nations, whose Countries he had taken from them, and enriched in a manner with the wealth of all his Kingdome: there being no Armenian, either Prince or Paisant, who sent not somewhat towards the adorning of it. But taken by Lucullus without great resistance, those se∣verall Nations not agreeing amongst themselves: and therein besides other Treasure, no less than 8000 Talents in ready money. The City situate neer a River, which Tacitus calleth Nicesorius. 4. Arsamo∣sata, by Pliny called Arsimote, on the banks of Euphrates. 5. Cholna, so called in memory of Hul, or Chul the sonne of Aram, one of the first Planters of this Countrey, 6. Baraza, by the Emperor Leo much enlarged and beautified, dignified with the new name of Leontopolis; and for a while made the Me∣tropolis of the Province. 7. Ars••rata, by Strabo called Arxata. 8. Theodosiopolis, built on the foundation of some of the more antient Cities, by the Emperor Theodosius, and of him thus named. 9 Colonia, the strongest and most defensible City hereof, when possessed by the Romans. 10. Clamassun, a strong Town on the banks of Euphrates, taken by Selimus the first in his way towards Persia; and therewith livery and seisin of the rest of this Countrey, since wholly conquered by his Successors. 12. Chars, not far from the same River also, supposed to be the Chorsa of Ptolomy, of which not long since the ruins onely; but in three weeks so repaired and fortified by the Turks, Anno 1579. that it is thought to be impregnable. 13. Thespia, giving name of old to the Lake Thespitis, and to the Region called Thespites; but now not in being. 14. Arminig, now of greatest name, and esteemed the Metro∣polis of this Countrie: situate in that part of the Lake of Vaslan (the Martiana palus of the antient writers) which lieth next to this Countrey; and by that well fortified; the onely City of Armenia pos∣sessed by the Persians, who are the Lords of all that Lake, of which more hereafter. 15. Van, both for natural situation, and the works of art, accompted by the Turks for their strongest Bulwark in these parts against the Persians; and for that cause well garrisoned, and as well munitioned.

This Countrey was first planted by Hul or Chul the sonne of Aram, and by Mesech one of the sonnes of Japhet, who with their families or Colonies possessed the same: the one leaving the remainder of his name in the Montes Moschici; the other in the Town called Cholna and the Region called Colthe∣ne by Ptolomy, Cholobatene by Stephanus. Advanced to the honour of a Kingdome assoon as any, that of Babel excepted, Ninus the third from Nimrod finding Barzanes King hereof, whom he forced to acknowledge his superiority, and to aid him in his warres against Zoroaster the King of Bactria. Kings of most note in times succeeding, for we have no constant Cata legue of them, were 1. Araxes, who be∣ing warred on by the Persians, was promised victory by the Oracle, on the sacrifice of his two fair daugh∣ters. Willing to satisfie the Gods, and yet spare his children, he sacrificed two of the daughters of Mu∣salcus, a noble man of this Countrey, by whom in revenge hereof his own daughters were slain, and him∣self so closely followed, that swiming the River then called Helmns, he was therein drowned, and thereby

gave unto that River the name of Araxes. 2. Artaxa, the founder of the great City Artaxata; spo∣ken of before. 3. Tigranes, the most mightie King that ever reigned in Armenia, to which he added by his prowess Galatia, and a great part of Cilicia in Asia Minor, the whole Countreys of Media, Sy∣ria, and Phoenicia. But siding with Mithridates, whose daughter he had maryed, against the Romans, he was by Lucullus overthrown in two grea: battels, and outed of the greatest part of his dominions. Hear∣ing that Pompey had succeeded Lucullus in command of the Army, and trusting more unto his goodness than a wiseman would, he put himself into his power: by whom condemned in a great sum of money for the charge of the war, and stripped of all the rest of his estates; he was suffered to enjoy Armenta Major, Syria being made a Province, Sophene given to Ariobarzanes King of Cappadocia, Media left unto it self, and the lesser Armenia conferred on one of his Sonnes, who being found guilty of some practice with the King of Parthia, was carryed Prisoner unto Rome, and his Countrey brought into the form of a Pro∣vince. 4. Artavasdes, circumvented by Mar. Antonie, who led him Prisoner to Rome, but (catenis, i.e. quid honori ejus deesset, aureis, as the Historian tells us of him) it was in chaines of Gold for his greater honour; giving Armenia to one of the sonnes of Cleopatra. And though 5. Artaxias recovered his Fathers Kingdome, yet he and his Successors held it but as Vassals of the Roman Empire: the Senate af∣ter that confirming and sometimes nominating the Armeni in Kings. Continuing in this estate till the time of Trajan, it was by him reduced to the form of a Province, (made after that a part of the Pontick Diocese) who adding Mesopotamia also unto his dominions, make Tigris the Eastern border of his Em∣pire, which Augustus thought fit to limit with the banks of Euphrates. But long it held not in that form, being governed by its own Kings, as it was before Trajans time, in the reign of Constantius, Ju∣lian, and the Emperors following; whom they acknowledged and revered as their Lords in chief, till the time of Justinian the second (he began his Empire Anno 687.) when subdued by the Saracens. Re∣covered by that Emperour, but soon lost again, it continued subject to the Saracens, till the breaking in of the Turks, Anno 844. of whom more anon. The greatest part of the Turks emptying themselves into Persit, and other Countreys which they took from the Eastern Em∣perors, the Christians of Armenia began to take heart again, and to have Kings of their own, by whom governed, till again subdued by Occadan, or Hoccata sonne of Cingis, the first Cham of the Fartars. Nor did the Tartars make so absolute a conquest of it as to extinguish either Christianity, or the race of the Kings: Haithon, surnamed Armentus, reigning after this, and going in person to Mangu, the great Cham of Tartarie, Anno 1257. And in our own Chronicles, in the reign of King Richard the se∣cond, we find mention of one Leon an Armenian King, who came hither to sue for aid against the Turks, by whom then dispossessed of his estates. By Ussan-Cassanes, one of the Princes of this Countrey, (of whom more hereafter) who had the fortune to obtain the Crowh of Persia, Anno 1472. it was made a Province of that Kingdome: and so continued till the year 1515. when conquered by Selimus the first, and by him made a part of the Turkish Empire; more fully setled and assured in the reign of Amurath the third, who by causing many Forts and Garrisons to be planted in it, made the conquest absolute.

The Armes of this Kingdom, when a Kingdom, governed by Princes of its own of the Christian faith, were Gules, 3 heads of a Buck Argent, Crowned Or.