Armenia and its sorrows

HISTORY OF THE NATION 23
who occupied the country in the time of Ezekiel,
speak a language which modern ethnologists pronounce
to be decidedly Indo-European ; and thus, so
far, modern science confirms the scriptural account."
We condense the following sketch of the tradition
in question, from the account given by a native
writer, Dr. Gabrielian.
About B.C. 2350, Haik, the son of Togarmah, was
in search of a suitable locality in which to settle. In
company with his relatives, he descended into the
plain of Shinar, in Mesopotamia. Here the people,
fearing another flood, commenced to build the Tower
of Babel, and the family of Haik distinguished
themselves by wisdom and virtue in this enterprise.
But ambitious Bclus, desiring the supremacy, and
even demanding that his image should be reverenced,
became obnoxious to the other tribes. Haik and his
sons therefore returned to their native place in the
land of Ararat, close by the lake of Van.
Belus speedily pursued them with a strong force,
but after a sanguinary conflict, he was killed by an
arrow shot by Haik, and his army dispersed. Haik,
after this, lived to a great age, founded towns and
villages, and died in peace. From that day till this,
his descendants have called themselves Haihs, and
their country Haiasdan.
Haik was succeeded by his son Armenag, from
whose name some suppose the word Armenia to have
been derived, and after him came, in succession,
Aramais, Amassia, Harmah, and Aram. This last
monarch is credited with having driven out the
Babylonian and Median invaders, and is said to have
subdued largo districts west of the Euj^hrates.
After the death of Aram, the country slowly sank
into a subordinate condition to the Assyrians, though
kings of the Haikian dynast}^ continued to rule over
the land, but with greatly diminished prestige.