name of the “ foot of Masis,” after himself; and the district at
its base he called the country of Masis.
Geiam’s Gelam, the son and successor of Amassia, having left a
territories. deputy in Armavir, quitted that place with a large body of
people, and proceeded to the north-eastward in order to extend
his dominions by the establishment of colonies. On reaching
the sea, or lake of Sevan, now called Goukcha also, he built a
number of towns and villages along its shores, giving them as
usual his own name. This sea therefore became known henceforward
as the sea of Gelam,1 which name it still retains; and
the whole of the lands on its borders were bestowed on the
renowned Sisac, the most skilful archer, as well as the most
eloquent man of those days. He covered the whole face of
this tract' with villages and hamlets, whose inhabitants were
known by the name of Sisakans or Seunics, and dwelt chiefly
in the country lying eastward of the lake Sevan.® Gelam,
however, still prosecuted his conquests, particularly towards the
banks of the river Cur; the inhabitants of the whole country
eastward, as far as the shores of the Caspian, willingly submitting
to his sway, and taking the name of Aluans from one
of his surnames. Gelam continued to reside in his newly-
acquired territory, and was succeeded by his son Harma, who
not only fortified Armavir, but embellished the surrounding
country with pleasure-houses.3
That branch of Noah’s family which descended from Madai,
third son of Japhet, became now of sufficient importance to
attract the attention of their neighbours, who were under the
Aram succeeds dominion of Aram. This prince, who had recently succeeded
his father Gelam, by his policy and the exercise of splendid
talents, consolidated and greatly extended the dominions bequeathed
to him. His first success was in repelling the sons of
Madai, who were signally defeated when attempting to invade
Armenia; 4 and another inroad made about the same period by
Barsham, prince of the Babylonians, shared the same fate.
Encouraged by these advantages, Aram now successfully in-
1 Michael Chamish, History of Armenia, translated by J . Avdall, Esq.,
vol. I ., p. 14.
! Ibid., p. 15. 8 Ibid., p. 16. 4 Ibid., p. 18.
vaded Cappadocia, where he left Meshak 1 as governor, who
built a city which he called Meshok after himself. This was
corrupted into Majak and Mazaca by the inhabitants, the
Cappadocians; and the name was subsequently changed into
Csesarea or Gaysarey; the country around this city being
annexed by right of conquest to the paternal kingdom, which
still bore the ancient name of Ha'ik. Thus Cappadocia is styled
the First Armenia, and the conquests northwards from thence,
towards the Black Sea, the Second Armenia, whilst those
which were made to the southward, being chiefly the present
Pa.sba.1ik of Mar’ash, constitute the Third Armenia; and the
whole of them together were called Armenia Minor, to dis- Armenia,
tinguish this tract from the original country of Ha'ik, which, in
compliment to Aram and his followers, took the name of Armenia
(afterwards Armenia Major) ; and, from this time, the
inhabitants became known by their present name.®
Besides the Medes, and the descendants of Togormah who
occupied Cappadocia, part of that country was possessed by the
posterity of Meshech. The descendants of Askenaz settled
in Pontus, and those of Eiphat adjoining them in Paphla-
gonia;3 the sons of Ham being partially mixed with them.4
The tract in question, Armenia Major, comprises the rich
valleys of Georgia and great part of the supposed land of Eden,
from whence Ham’s descendants spread round the Caspian
Sea into Media and Tartary; whilst those of Japhet took, in
the first instance, two directions. One portion spread along £he
northern shores of the Euxine into the tracts lying westward of
this sea ; where they appear to have been joined by the other
branch, which had crossed the Hellespont after moving westward
along the southern shores of the Black Sea: and both, in Europe peo-
their onward course, as already mentioned,6 peopled Europe sons of .Japhet
and the isles of the Gentiles. The remainder of this people
continued in Asia Minor.
1 The Mosoch of the Greeks, and Mosocheni, Jos. Ant., lib. I., chap, vi.,
s. 1.
s Michael Chamish, History of Armenia, vol. I ., chap. i., translated by
J . Avdall, Esq.
8 Jos. Ant., lib. I., c. vi., s. 1.
4 Cumberland’s Sanchoniatho, p. 472. 6 See above, p. 30.