ARROW
436
ARSEXAL
Ancient Egyptian reed-
i'oiv.-. 1, Hard-wood point; 2, Stone head.
were of wood, others of reed ; frequently tipped with a metal head, and winged with three feathers, glued longitudinally, and at equal distances, upon the other
Ancient r.j_'vptian Sportsman, with spare Arrows, end of the shaft, as on modern arrows. Sometimes, instead of the metal head, a piece of hard wood was inserted into the reed, which terminated in a long ta- pering point ; but these were of too light and powerless a nature to he employed in war, and could only have been intended for the chase : in others, the place of the metal was supplied by a small piece of flint or oth- er sharp stone, secured by a firm black paste ; and, al- though used occasionally in bat- tle, they appear from the sculp- tures to have belonged more particularly to the huntsman ; while the arrows of archers are generally represented with bronze heads, some barbed, oth- ers triangular, and many with three or four projecting blades, placed at right angles and meet- ing in a common point (Wilkin- son, A nc. Egypt, i, 356). The an- cient Assyrians appear also to have used arrows made of reeds, which were kept in a quiver slung over the back. The barbs
Of winch have been discovered among the ruins (Layard, Nineveh, ii, 263). See AR- MOR.
The word "arrow" is frequently used as the sym- bol of calamity or disease inflicted by God (Job vi, 4; xxxiv, (i: Psa. xxxviii, 2; Deut. xxxii, 23; comp. Ezek. v, 16; /ech. ix, 11). The metaphor thus ap- plied was also in use among the heathen (Ovid,£p. xvi, 275). It derived its propriety and force from the popular belief that all diseases were immediate and Bpecial inflictions from heaven. Lightnings are. by a very fine figure, described as the arrows of God (Psa xviii. II; cxliv. 6; Habak. iii. 11 . compare Wisd. v, 21 : i' .sam. xxii, 15). "Arrow" is occasionally used to denote some sudden or inevitable danger as in Psa. Xd, 5: "The arrow that llieth by day." ' It is also figurative of any thins; injurious, as a deceitful tongue (Psa. exxix, 4; Jer. ix, 7), a bitter word (Psa. lxiv,
3), a false testimony (Prov. xxv, 18). As symbolical of oral wrong the figure may perhaps have been de- rived from the darting " arrowy tongue" of serpents. The arrow, however, is not always symbolical of evil. In Psa. exxvii, 4, 5, well-conditicned children are com- pared to "arrows in the hands of a mighty man." i. e. instruments of power and action. The arrow is also used in a good sense to denote the efficient and ir- resistible energy of the word of God in the hands of the Messiah (Psa. xlv, 6 ; Isa. xliv, 2 ; comp. Lowth's note thereon). (See AVemyss, Clavis Symbolica, s. v.)
Arrow-headed Writing. See Cuneiform In- scriptions.
Arrowsmith, John, D.D., a Puritan divine, was born at Newcastle, 1602, and died in 1659. He was educated at Cambridge, became minister at Lynn, and afterward in London. He was a member of the West- minster Assembly, and afterward master of St. John's College and of Trinity College, Cambridge. Of his numerous writings, the most important arc Armilla Catechetica, a chain of theological aphorisms (Cambr. 1659, 4to: — Tactica Sacra, de mil it e spirit uali pugnante, vincente et triumpkanti, dissertatio (Cantab. 1657, 4to). See Brook, Lives of the Puritans, iii, 315 ; Neal, Histo- ry of the Puritans, iii, 115 ; Allibone, Dictionary of Au- thors, i, 71.
Ar'saces ( Apovkj/c, prob. of Persian or Armenian origin, Pott, Etymol. Forschungen, ii, 172), the name of the founder of the Parthian empire (Justin, xli, ft, 5), and hence borne by his successors, the Arsacidae (see Smith's Did. of Class. Biog. s. v.). The nama occurs in the Apocrypha (1 Mace, xiv, 2, 3; xv, 22) as that of the king of Parthia and Media (Diod. Sic. Excerpt, p. 597. ed. Wessel), B.C. 138. The Syrian king Demetrius (II) Nicator, having invaded his coun- try, at first obtained several advantages. Media de- clared for him, and the Elymseans, Persians, and Bae- trians joined him : but Arsaccs having sent one of his officers to him, under pretence of treating for peace, he. fell into an ambuscade, his army was cut off by the Persians, and he himself fell into the hands of Arsaces (Josephus, Ant. xiii, 5, 11). As Arsaces is the com- mon name of all the Parthian kings (Strabo, xv, 702), and of many Armenian (see Kosegarten in the Hall. Encyclop. v, 408 sq.), the one here intended is probably Arsaces VI, properly named Mithridates (or Phraates) I, a prince of distinguished bravery, who conquered Bactria, penetrated India, reduced the Medes and Per- sians, and greatly improved the condition of the Par- thian empire (Justin, xxxvi, 1 ; xxxviii, 9; xli, 6, Oros. v, 4 ; Strabo, xi, 516, 517, 524 sq.). Mithridates
VI of Parthia.
treated his prisoner Demetrius with respect, and gave him his daughter in marriage (App. Syr. 67), but kept him in confinement till his own death, cir. B.C. 130 (App. Syr. 68; Diod. ap. Miiller, Fragm. Hist, ii, ID). The reference to him in the Maccabees is, however, somewhat confused (see Wernsdorf, De fide Maccab. p. 175).