ed the greater portion of Mesopotamia. His training had
made him an Arab rather than a Persian; and he was believed to have
inherited the violence, the pride, and the cruelty of his father. His
countrymen were therefore resolved that they would not allow him to be
king. Neither were they inclined to admit the claims of Sapor, whose
government of Armenia had not been particularly successful, and whose
recent desertion of his proper post for the advancement of his own
private interests was a crime against his country which deserved
punishment rather than reward. Armenia had actually revolted as soon as
he quitted it, had driven out the Persian garrison, and was a prey
to rapine and disorder. We cannot be surprised that, under these
circumstances, Sapor's machinations and hopes were abruptly terminated,
soon after his father's demise, by his own murder. The nobles and chief
Magi took affairs into their own hands. Instead of sending for Varahran,
or awaiting his arrival, they selected for king a descendant of
Artaxerxes I. only remotely related to Isdigerd--a prince of the name of
Chosroes--and formally placed him upon the throne. But Varahran was not
willing to cede his rights. Having persuaded the Arabs to embrace his
cause, he marched upon Ctesiphon at the head of a large force, and by
some means or other, most probably by the terror of his arms, prevailed
upon Chosroes, the nobles, and the Magi, to submit to him. The people
readily acquiesced in the change of masters; Chosroes descended into a
private station, and Varahran, son of Isdigerd, became king.

Varahran seems to have ascended the throne in A.D. 420. He at once
threw himself into the hands of the priestly party, and, resuming the
persecution of the Christians which his father had carried on during his
later years, showed himself, to one moiety of his subjects at any
rate, as bloody and cruel as the late monarch. Tortures of various
descriptions were employed; and so grievous was the pressure put upon
the followers of Christ that in a short time large numbers of the
persecuted sect quitted the country, and placed themselves under the
protection of the Romans. Varahran had to consider whether he would
quietly allow the escape of these criminals, or would seek to enforce
his will upon them at the risk of a rupture with Rome. He preferred the
bolder line of conduct. His ambassadors were instructed to require
the surrender of the refugees at the court of Constantinop