Armenia, Travels and Studies (Volume 2 of 2): The Turkish ProvincesLynch, H. F. B. (Harry Finnis Blosse)
History
Armenia, Travels and Studies (Volume 2 of 2): The Turkish Provinces
Lynch, H. F. B. (Harry Finnis Blosse)
Armenia
If, as seems probable, the Rusas of the shattered stele of Keshish
Göl near Van be this first king of that name, then we must ascribe to
this monarch the various works which are mentioned in that inscription
(Sayce, No. lxxix.), and which, as Messrs. Belck and Lehmann have
conclusively shown, should be referred to Toprak Kala, an eminence
from the plain some little distance east of the rock of Van and
close to the present garden town. These works appear to have been:
the constitution of the Keshish Göl into a reservoir, the conduct of
its waters to the Rusahina, or city of Rusas, as distinct from Dhuspas;
the laying out of this new city, with numerous vineyards and gardens,
and the building of a palace there. Rusas I. may therefore be regarded
as the author of the transference of the site of the garden town from
the south to the east of the rock of Van, where it was protected by
the heights of Toprak Kala. The necessary irrigation was drawn from
the Keshish Göl instead of or in addition to that derived from the
canal of Menuas. The change was probably made in consequence of the
destruction by Tiglath-Pileser of the old town, although he was unable
to effect the capture of the citadel or rock of Van (Z. Ethnologie,
1892, pp. 141 seq.; V. Anth. 1893, p. 220; Z. Assyr. 1894, pp. 349
seq.; Deutsche Rundschau, Christmas 1894, pp. 411 seq.; V. Anth. 1898,
p. 576; Z. Assyr. 1899, p. 320). Rusas I. is styled Ursa, king of
Urardhu, in the Assyrian inscriptions. Those of the Vannic Monarchy,
hitherto published, do not furnish a title.
7. Argistis II.--His son. The mention of this ruler in a Vannic text
was discovered by Messrs. Belck and Lehmann in an inscription on a
shield from the temple at Toprak Kala, now in the British Museum
(Z. Assyr. 1894, pp. 82-99; cp. Z. Assyr. 1892, pp. 263 seq.;
V. Anth. 1895, p. 595); and two of his own inscriptions have recently
been found by these investigators in the neighbourhood of Arjish
(V. Anth. 1898, p. 573). They have not yet been published. This prince
is alluded to in the Assyrian annals. He appears to have endeavoured
to repeat the tactics of Sarduris III. against Tiglath-Pileser III.,
and to have succeeded in inciting the king of Kummukh (Kommagene)
against Sargon. But his efforts only resulted in the subjugation of
Kummukh by the Assyrian monarch in 708 B.C. (Smith's Assyria, 1897,
p. 116).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account