aving contrived the deed, and to
throw the blame of it on Exedares, the ex-king of Armenia and brother of
Parthamasiris. But Trajan had not sunk so low as to shift his fault on
another. He declared openly that the act was his own, and that Exedares
had had no part in it.

The death of Parthamasiris was followed by the complete submission of
Armenia. Chosroes made no attempt to avenge the murder of his nephew, or
to contest with Trajan the possession of the long-disputed territory.
A little doubt seems for a short time to have been entertained by the
Romans as to its disposal. The right of Exedares to be reinstated in
his former kingdom was declared by some to be clear; and it was probably
urged that the injuries which he had suffered at the hands of Chosroes
would make him a sure Roman ally. But these arguments had no weight with
Trajan. He had resolved upon his course. An end should be put, at once
and forever, to the perpetual intrigues and troubles inseparable from
such relations as had hitherto subsisted between Rome and the Armenian
kingdom. The Greater and the Lesser Armenia should be annexed to the
Empire, and should form a single Roman province. This settled, attention
was turned to the neighboring countries. Alliance was made with
Anchialus, king of the Heniochi and Macheloni, and presents were sent
to him in return for those which his envoys had brought to Trajan. A
new king was given to the Albanians. Friendly relations were established
with the chiefs of the Iberi, Sauro-matse, Golchi, and even with the
tribes settled on the Cimmerian Bosphorus. The nations of these parts
were taught that Rome was the power which the inhabitants even of
the remote East and North had most to fear; and a wholesome awe was
instilled into them which would, it was hoped, conduce to the general
tranquillity of the Empire.

But the objects thus accomplished, considerable as they were, did
not seem to the indefatigable Emperor sufficient for one year. Having
settled the affairs of the North-east, and left garrisons in the chief
Armenian strongholds, Trajan marched southwards to Edessa, the capital
of the province of Gsrhoene, and there received the humble submission
of Abgarus, who had hitherto wavered between the two contending powers.
Manisares, a satrap of these parts, who had a quarrel of his own with
Chosroes, also embraced his cause, while other chiefs wavered in their
allegiance to Parthia, but feared to trust the invader. H