The boundaries of Armenia (lat. 37—12°) may be described (Strabo, xi, 526) generally as the southern range of the Caucasus on the north, and the Moschian branch of the Taurus on the south ; but in all direc- tions, and especially to the east and west, the limits have been very fluctuating (Kennell, Geogr. Herod, i, 369). It forms an elevated table-land, whence the rivers Euphrates, Tigris, Araxes, and Acampsis pour down their waters in different directions, the first two to the Persian Gulf, the last two respectively to the Caspian and Euxine seas. It may be termed the nucleus of the mountain system of Western Asia : from the centre of the plateau rise two lofty chains of mountains, which run from east to west, converging toward the Caspian Sea, but parallel to each other to- ward the west, the most northerly named by ancient geographers the Abus Mountains, and culminating in Mount Ararat ; the other named the Niphates Moun- tains. Westward these ranges may be traced in Anti- Taurus and Taurus, while in the opposite direction they are continued in the Caspius Mountains. These ranges (with the exception of the gigantic Ararat) are of mod- erate height, the plateau gradually sinking toward the plains of Iran on the east, and those of Asia Minor on the west. The climate is generally cold (Xen. Anab. iv, 4, 8), but salubrious, the degree of severitj"- vary- ing with the altitude of different localities, the valleys being sufficiently warm to ripen the grape. The country abounds in romantic forest and mountain scenery, and rich pasture-land, especialfy in the dis- tricts which border upon Persia (Herod, i, 194 ; vii, 40; Xen. Anab. iv, 5, 24; Strabo, x, 528, 558, 587; Ezek. xxvii, 14 ; Chardin, Voyages, ii, 158 ; Tourne- fort, Reisen, iii, 179 sq.). The latter supported vast numbers of mules and horses, on which the wealth of the country chiefly depended ; and hence Strabo (xi, 529) tells us that the horses were held in as high esti- mation as the celebrated Nisaean breed. The inhab- itants were keen traders in ancient as in modern times. Ancient writers notice, also, the wealth of Armenia in metals and precious stones (Herod, i, 194 ; Pliny, xxxvii, 23). The great rivers Euphrates and Tigris both take their rise in this region, as also the Araxes, and the Kur or Cyrus. Armenia is commonly divided into Greater and Lesser (Lucan. ii, 038), the line of separation being the Euphrates (comp. Ptolem. v, 7 and 13) ; but the former constitutes by far the larger portion (Strabo, xi, 532), and, indeed, the other is often regarded as pertaining rather to Asia Minor. (See, generally, Strabo, xi, 526 sq. ; Pliny, vi, 9 ; Mannert, V, ii, 181 sq. ; Ritter, Erdkunde, x, 285 sq.) There was anciently a kingdom of Armenia, with its metropolis Artaxata : it was sometimes an independ- ent state, but most commonly tributary to some more powerful neighbor. Indeed, at no period was the whole of this region ever comprised under one govern- ment, but Assyria, Media, Syria, and Cappadocia shared the dominion or allegiance of some portion of
it, just as it is now divided among the Persians, Rus- sians, Turks, and Kurds ; for there is no doubt that that part of Kurdistan which includes the elevated basins of the lakes of Van and Oormiah anciently be- longed to Armenia. The unfortunate German travel- ler Schulz (who was murdered by a Kurdish chief) discovered in 1827, near the former lake, the ruins of a very ancient town, which he supposed to be that which is called by Armenian historians Shamiramaheri (i. e. the town of Semiramis), because believed to have been built by the famous Assyrian queen. The ruins are covered with inscriptions in the arrow-headed character ; in one of them Saint-Martin thought he deciphered the words Khshearsha, son of Dareioush (Xerxes, son of Darius). In later times Armenia was the border-country where the Romans and Parthians fruitlessly strove for the mastery ; and since then it has been the frequent battle-field of the neighboring states. During the recent wars between Russia and Turkey, large bodies of native Armenians have emi- grated into the Russian dominions, so that their num- ber in what is termed Turkish Armenia is now con- siderably reduced. By the treaty of Turkomanshi (21st Feb. 1828), Persia ceded to Russia the Khanats of Erivan and Nakhchevan. The boundary-line (drawn from the Turkish dominions) passes over the Little Ararat ; the line of separation between Persian and Turkish Armenia also begins at Ararat ; so that this famous mountain is now the central boundary-stone of these three empires. (See, generally, Smith's Diet. of Class. Geogr. s. v.; Penny Cyclopaedia, s. v.; M'Cul- loch's Geogr. Diet. s. v.) — Kitto, s. v.
The slight acquaintance which the Hebrew writers had of this country was probably derived from the Phoenicians. There are signs of their knowledge hav- ing been progressive. Isaiah, in his prophecies re- garding Babylon, speaks of the hosts as coming from the " mountains" (xiii, 4), while Jeremiah, in connec- tion with the same subject, uses the specific names Ararat and Minni (li. 27). Ezekiel. who was appar- ently better acquainted with the country, uses a name which was familiar to its own inhabitants, Togarmah. Whether the use of the term Ararat in Isa. xxxvii, 38, belongs to the period in which the prophet himself lived, is a question which cannot be here discussed. In the prophetical passages to which we have referred, it will be noticed that Armenia is spoken of rather in reference to its geographical position as one of the ex- treme northern nations with which the Jews were ac- quainted than for any more definite purpose. — Smith.