Artashes
Tales of a coronation, Satenik and Armenia’s royal house
After Yervand's death, Smbat enters the royal treasury, inventories the treasures, and finds there the crown of King Sanatruk. He brings out the crown, places it on Artashes' head, crowns him, and proclaims him king over the whole land of Armenia. King Artashes distributes lavish rewards among the Median and Persian troops who had aided him, and sends them back to their homelands with honour and esteem. Artashes also honours his pledge to Argam of the Muratsyan clan: he raises the valiant Argam to the promised throne of second-in-rank, bestows upon him a hyacinth-jewelled crown, the right to wear earrings in both ears, a red boot on one foot, the use of a golden spoon and fork, and the privilege of drinking wine from golden goblets to the accompaniment of music. Similar honours are bestowed upon his foster-father Smbat, save for the right to wear earrings and a red boot.
Beyond the ranks of crown-bearing knight and commander of the western armies, Artashes also entrusts Smbat with command over all Armenian forces, authority over all the realm's officials, and stewardship of the entire royal household. Artashes does not neglect the heirs of his wet-nurse either. He grants the house of Nerseh, grandson of Gisak, the dignity of a noble dynasty, and names the clan Dimaktsyan in commemoration of Gisak's heroic deed — the day his face was cloven by a sword while defending Artashes. In those same days Artashes bestows the dignity of a noble house upon the fifteen sons of Tur as well, naming the clan after their father — Truni. Yet they receive this honour not for their father's valour in battle, but for espionage.
Tur had been Smbat's spy at Yervand's court; he was close to the king and enjoyed his confidence, relaying every important piece of court intelligence to Smbat in good time — for which Yervand had him killed. Artashes then orders Smbat to march to the fortress of Bagaran on the Akhuryan River and put Yervand's brother Yervaz to death. Smbat goes to Bagaran, seizes Yervaz, has a millstone tied around his neck, and throws him into the river's torrent. In Yervaz's place Smbat appoints as high priest of the sanctuaries a confidant of Artashes — a disciple of a dream-interpreting mage, known by his master's name as Mogpashte. Smbat plunders Yervaz's treasures and five hundred of his servants, takes the finest of the wealth amassed in the temples, and brings everything to Artashes.
The king gifts Yervaz's servants to Smbat, then adds fresh treasures to those already brought, and orders the whole sent as a gift to the Persian king Darius — in token of gratitude, as to a father and benefactor. Smbat takes the servants of Yervaz captured at Bagaran and settles them on his estate at the foot of Mount Masis, naming it Bagaran once more.
The Founding of Artashat
One day Artashes rides out to the place where the Araxes and the Metsamor meet. The site pleases him greatly, above all the hill that rises there, and he resolves to build a city upon it. Construction was greatly eased by the Araxes, along which timber could be floated down without difficulty. In a short time and with remarkable speed Artashes builds the city and names it after himself — Artashat. In Artashat, Artashes erects a temple and transfers there from Bagaran the statue of the goddess Anahit together with all the other ancestral idols. The statue of the god Tir, however, he places outside the city walls, by the roadside. All the Jewish captives who had been taken from Armavir and resettled in Yervandashat, Artashes releases and installs in Artashat. Beyond the Jewish captives, he also strips Yervandashat of all its adornments — those brought originally from Armavir as well as those built under Yervand — and brings them to Artashat. Adding new buildings and structures and setting everything in order, he makes Artashat the seat of royal power.
Artashes and Satenik
At this same time the Alans, having allied with all the mountain peoples of the Caucasus and seized half of Georgia, descended in overwhelming numbers upon the Armenian lands. To repel the invasion, Artashes musters his forces and marches to war. Under pressure from the Armenian armies the Alans fall back, cross the Kura River, and make camp on its northern bank. Artashes, in pursuit, brings his army to the southern bank of the Kura. The river becomes the dividing line between the two enemy hosts. In the fighting the Alan prince falls captive into Artashes' hands. The Alan king is compelled to sue for peace. He sends envoys to Artashes promising him whatever he desires, and at the same time proposes to seal an alliance by solemn oath, by which the Alan warriors would henceforth cease raiding the land of Armenia. Artashes refuses to return the young prince.