[31] After saint Yovsep', lord Giwt
occupied the kat'oghikosate for fifteen years. He requested
from Dawit' the Philosopher [the work] Bardzrats'uts'ek'.
Next, the kat'oghikos was Yovhan Mandakuni, who reigned
for twelve years. He introduced many regulations in the Church,
including the preachings for Lent and the prayers to be said at
the third, sixth, and ninth hours of that feast, prayers to be
said at the establishment of churches, in case of misfortune,
over the chalice and plate, books, at baptisms, when blessing
the Cross, at marriages he introduced all of these. Furthermore,
he dared to confess Christ before king Peroz, not fearing [g35]
the king's threats to entice him to deny Christ and communion
with the Byzantines. Perfect in all virtues, Yovhan passed to
Christ.
After Marcian, the Byzantine Leo [I,
457-74] the Great ruled, and the Iranian king Peroz made Mangnos
marzpan of Armenia, for twenty years. In these days, Movses
K'ert'ogahayr came upon the scene. At the same time, the
holy father T'at'ul lit the land with marvelous ascetic conduct
with his brother Varos and with his pupil T'uma. After Yovhan
Mandakuni, lord Babgen occupied the kat'oghikosate for
five [32] years, in the days of emperor Zeno [474-91].
Zeno anathematized the Council of Chalcedon
and instituted twelve books of anathemas against it. They say
of him that he frequently ate meat and that one day, from eating
so much, the food in his stomach became sour. Sick of it, he made
a law [to the effect that] cheese and not meat be eaten for a
two week holiday, which is called Panruta to this day.
It is said that Julian, having come to Constantinople, ordered
that all the foods sold be mixed with the blood of sacrificial
animals. The blessed T'eodoros informed the Christians, and they
said: "It is not lawful for us to eat meat these two [g36]
weeks, but we must eat cheese instead". Thus panrutek'
remained the same. In these days the venerable Garhnik found the
remains of saint Gregory in Maneay cave, and they buried him in
T'ordan.
After Babgen, lord Samuel occupied the
kat'oghikosate for five years. In these days there shined
forth holy Simeon the Stylite of Alexandria and Timothy the priest,
a scholar of orthodox faith who wrote very technical books, collecting
all the sayings of holy men against the heretics. But the Iranian
king Peroz had a very ferocious nature, for which he [33] was
slain by the Hepthalites. Then his brother Valash [ (Vagharsh)
484-88] ruled. He made Vahan Mamikonean (Hmayeak's son) the marzpan.
This Vahan garlanded the Church with rights and he checked [the
advance of] the Alans. In his day lived the rhetorician and historian
Ghazar P'arbets'i. After Samuel, lord Mushegh occupied the kat'oghikosate
for eight years.
After emperor Zeno, Anastasius [(Anastas)
491-518] ruled the kingdom. Together with Zeno [Anastasius] was
considered orthodox, since he wanted to assemble a council against
the illegal Council of Chalcedon, to strengthen orthodoxy. But
he died, poisoned. Following him Justin [(Yustinos) 518-27) ruled,
an ignorant and godless man who filled the country with the blood
of the orthodox; for he rekindled Chalcedon and [g37] he destroyed
with persecution those who professed one nature of the Corporeal
Word.
After the Iranian king Valash, Kawad
wore the crown [488-97], then Zhamasp, and again Kawad [499-531].
After Mushe, lord Sahak occupied the
kat'oghikosate for five years, then lord K'ristop'or for
five years; after him, lord Ghewond for two years. In these days
the sun [34] completely dimmed, and there was a severe famine.
Then lord Nerses ruled for nine years. In these days lived Ezras
Angeghats'i, a student of bishop Movses of Bagrewand, who increased
the ranks of the rhetoricians. Movses' brother, Mampre, also returned
to Armenia. They say that he was the third to write philosophy
[in Armenian].
After Justin, his sister's son Justinian
[(Yustinianos) 527-65] wore the crown. His wife was the orthodox
Theodora. She beseeched her husband to establish orthodoxy. Although
he wanted to, he did not dare out of fear of the diophysites who
threatened death.
A malevolent Jew came to Justinian,
saying: "Candlemas-day ought to be celebrated on Christmas,
as the Greeks do and not on Epiphany (the sixth of January)",
for until that time all Christians held to the apostolic system,
celebrating [g38] it on the fourteenth of February. The emperor
accepted the impious man's words and sent to Jerusalem that it
be so done. But the Jerusalemites did not agree to change the
traditions of the holy Fathers, which until then had been observed.
Then the emperor ordered his general
to forcibly make them switch and to kill anyone resisting. For
the sake of [35] Truth, everyone turned to death; yet compassionate
God did not disappoint those who believed in Him. Instead, He
terrified the brazen ones with awesome wonders: the divine Right
Hand appeared in the holy chapel and a bloody, awesome, luminous
sign appeared in the sky. Frightened by this, they ceased their
demanding. However, the next year the same agitation was stirred
up, for [the emperor] ordered that resisters be severely crushed.
But the people chose death to life with guilty consciences. When
benevolent God saw the faith of mankind, He visited His flock.
The most blessed Mother of God appeared on a purple column holding
in Her arms the infant Jesus. Water gushed forth from that column
and all who washed with it were healed of their pains. And thus
they stopped their futile demand. [g39]
In the time of Justinian, the sun darkened
for eighteen months, providing light for three hours a day and
then nothing either day or night. In that year fruit did not ripen
and it was as though the entire country was suffering from a long
illness. There was an untimely pestilence, the likes of which
had never occurred previously. First it began in Constantinople.
On the first day, 5,000 people died; on the second day, 10,000;
on the third day, 15,000; on the fourth day, 18,000; and so on
until 300,000 were dying in one day. Carbuncles would appear on
the hands of the stricken, and they would die [36] forthwith.
A man would enter a house and see everyone dead. The pestilence
spread throughout the entire country and many cities became uninhabited
as a result. Only Hems survived, for its residents had taken refuge
in the power of the head of John the Baptist which was located
there. Justinian and Xosrov, king of Iran, became reconciled with
one another and the covenant of all Christians flourished throughout
the world.
Now Vahan Mamikonean passed in peace.
After him, his brother Vard ruled for three years and after him
were Iranian marzpans for three years. Then Mezhezh Gnuni
ruled for thirty-four years. [g40]
After Nerses, lord Yovhannes occupied
the kat'oghikosate for fifteen years. In these days the
plague became severe, starting in the west. And in the capital
of Armenia (yostanin Hayots'), a miraculous sign was seen,
for a blazing fire burned the home of the Iranian hamakar
who was the overseer of the land. Once they were unable to quench
it, they took refuge in the cross of Christ and beseeched the
deacons to quickly take the cross there. As soon as the redeeming
symbol was taken near, the flame at once was extinguished. Seen
by [37] everyone, they glorified the savior Christ and praised
the Christian faith, in which the venerable Maxozh believed,
a man who underwent martyrdom for Christ.
After Yovhannes, lord Movses occupied
the kat'oghikosate In his first year, the blessed Manachir,
who was named Grigor, a Syrian (razhik), underwent martyrdom.
And in his third year, the 553rd anniversary of the birth of Christ
occurred, and the two hundred canons (which the learned Andreas,
brother of bishop Mangnos arranged at the order of emperor Constantine)
were compiled, to complete the feast [g41] of Easter and other
feasts. For after two hundred years, Easter fell on March 25th,
while originally it was on April 4th. They could not go back to
the beginning [in this method of computing] for after March 25th
was April 13th, and there were nine discrepant days among them.
For that reason, the feast days of the different calendars began
to be confused.
Patriarch Movses convened the wise men
of that period (among them At'anas from the monastery of saint
Karapet (the Precursor)), and they established the Armenian Era,
by which they corrected the days for Easter of our Lord, [38]
as well as other feasts. However, they were unable to correctly
arrange the ninth year. Now in the tenth year a certain Eas the
Alexandrian, a strong and learned man, spoke out about the confusion
which existed in all the churches. He called to himself the wise
men from all peoples: Adde from Cappadocia, Gigan from Syria,
Elogs from Greece, Phineas from Judea, John from Arabia and thirty-six
other men like himself and a multitude besides. Continuing [g42]
the work of Andreas, they made it the same 532-year calendar.
And they established an example beyond doubt, which was called
Five Hundred, brilliant and faultless. They put at the beginning
April 4th, so that as soon as the year 532 ended, the new cycle
would be the same. Then they began to correct all the feasts and
miracle-days of the calendar.
But they did not invite a certain Ironius,
the court priest of Justinian, and as a result, contempt for the
meeting consumed him. As soon as the scholar Elogs took a copy
of the calendar to the king, Ironius began to examine the fifth
and sixth parts which had never been, since of the fifth and sixth
parts, one was solar and the other, lunar. But Iron made it the
opposite, so that April 17th became the 16th, the 6th became the
7th. That 16 did not bring anything ill, [39] but the 6th being
95, Sunday reached us (?) While their 5th day, Saturday according
to the workings of Iron taking Easter after the Jewish calendar
and at the holy Council of Nicea they anathematized those who
decreed not to celebrate Easter after the crucifixion. [g43]
Now we [Armenians) commemorate it on
the next Sunday, and so we were not corrupted by the anathema,
since the Armenians did not accept the erroneous version or the
Council of Chalcedon, being then under the rule of the Iranians.
For after eight years, the corruption of the deed became manifest.
After Mezhezh, Iranian marzpans
ruled Armenia, for thirty-six years. During those years, the bishop
of the Georgians died; coming to lord Movses, they asked him to
give them a bishop. So he ordained a certain warden of his church
named Kiwrion and gave him to them, trusting him to keep love
and unity with the throne of saint Gregory--for to that time,
the Georgians took ordination from the Armenians.
After the death of Movses, this Kiwrion
separated from the orthodox Church of Jesus and confessed to the
Chalcedonian doctrine, which heresy he had fermented in [40] from
childhood, being on Greek land. He kept this evil in secret, the
way fire is hidden under straw, but he did not dare reveal it
during the lifetime of Movses,
After occupylng the patriarchate for
thirty years, lord Movses died, entrusting caretaker-ship of the
throne to Vrt'anes K'ertogh. As soon as Movses, bishop of Ts'urtaw,
saw Kiwrion's depravity, he informed Vrt'anes, so that he might
somehow help the deviant Kiwrion. He wrote many times, beseechingly,
to stay clear of that ill-advised heresy. But Kiwrion not only
did not accept what was written to him, but even persecuted bishop
Movses. As soon as lord Abraham succeeded to the throne of the
kat'oghikosate of the Armenians, after Movses, he also
wrote letters reminding him of the error, two and three times.
Kiwrion pretended that he thought the same way they did, and claimed
that Movses was slandering him. Yet as soon as it was proposed
to hold a meeting to examine and investigate this matter, Kiwrion
openly confessed the Chalcedonian heresy.
Then, when Abraham saw that nothing
helped matters, but that Kiwrion had become even more shameless,
he wrote a circulating letter to his diocese that they not commune
with [g45] the Georgians, either in Church, oath or marriage or
in any [41] other spiritual matters, except in trade, as if they
were pagans and so that spiritual harm not befall [the Armenians]
through physical acquaintance. From that time forth, Georgian
ordination (which had been from the Armenians) ended, since they
started to follow the Greeks.
Bishop Uxtanes has accurately disclosed
this to you, for he wrote about it in full-including the letters
and replies and the bold words of bishop Petros who was a messenger
from lord Abraham to Kiwrion, whom the Georgians called Gayl (Wolf)
on account of his boldness.
After emperor Justinian, another Justin
[II, 565-78] ruled, an evil, obscene man responsible for killing
many of the orthodox. He and the patriarch John were possessed
and so strayed, and thus were killed. Then Tiberius ruled [II,
578-82], and after him Maurice [582-602].
Some say that the latter was from the
village of Oshakan in Armenia; others say that he was from Taron.
Because of poverty, he went to Constantinople, where, through
a lucky accident, he became king. This is what happened. [g46]
When the emperor Tiberius died, the
nobles fought with one another, and would not be pacified. There
was great [42] warfare amongst them, [since they thought that]
the victor would be emperor. Now the patriarch went among them
and convinced them to cast lots. Whoever won would have the kingdom
and rule over the others. They [agreed to this] with oaths and
written pledges. [The agreement was] that at daybreak they would
open the great gate of the city, and the man who happened to appear
(even if he was very humble) they would take to the royal palace.
Then the princes would sit together and whomever he crowned would
have the kingdom. All agreed to this, and the agitation ended.
When the appointed hour arrived, they
opened the gate of the city and saw Maurice at the door, holding
some sort of straw to sell, to satisfy his needs. The army seized
him and took him to the bath, where they washed and dressed him
in noble attire, and took him to the court. As soon as [g47] they
told him why he was called, he demanded of them papers and oaths
that those who had lost [in the contest for] the crown, not slay
him. And they swore vehemently to him that he should remain unconcerned
about that.
They all sat there filled with vain
hopes; and each said to himself: "It might be me". There
was the throne with the crown [suspended] above it, and there
were the [43] [imperial red] shoes nearby. Then Maurice came among
them and took the crown in his hands, and began to circulate among
those seated. As soon as he came to the first he rejoiced, but
the second one was saddened as soon as he walked past him, while
his companion rejoiced. Thus did Maurice circulate among them
two or three times, delighting then depressing them. Suddenly,
Maurice went and sat on the throne and placed the crown on his
own head. When everyone saw this they were astonished. But since
they had sworn to obey anyone on whose head he placed the crown,
they let it be. The patriarch came forward and put the shoes on
his feet and prostrated himself, as did all the nobles; and they
exclaimed: "Long live emperor Maurice". [g48]
He convened a council of inquiry regarding
the Chalcedonian heresy, and summoned the vardapets of
Armenia. Vrt'anes and Grigor and other vardapets went,
but in no way did they aid (align with) the Byzantines, and they
returned anathematiz- ing them. Armenian naxarars, escaping
from the rule of the Iranians, came to Maurice seeking refuge.
But Maurice, revealing his inhuman disposition, did not give them
largess; instead he abolished the stipends which had been established
for them by previous kings.
[44] It is said that he sent for his
father to come to him and to enjoy his royal glory with him; or
if not, to send him advice by which he would be able to rule the
kingdom.
When the messengers went to the father
they found him tending his garden and told him the king's command.
He replied: "I am not fit to be a king's father". And
he began to uproot the largest cabbage heads in the garden, tearing
the heads and covering them with earth; yet he nursed and cultivated
the small ones. When the men saw this they assumed that he was
daft and left him. But the men did not understand what he had
done. When they went to the emperor, they told him everything
and described the foolishness that had transpired in the garden.
As soon as Maurice heard it, he laughed
and said nothing; [g49] but gathering those nobles he believed
were plotting against his rule, he killed them all, so there would
be no conspiracies against him, and he put lesser men in their
positions. Calling those men he had sent to his father, he said
to them: "This is my father's advice, which he gave in the
garden and which you did not understand".
Some say he was from the village of
Arabisos (Arp'sus) in Cappadocia, which general Tiberius later
made into a city.
[45] Maurice, together with his family
and sons, died a miserable death, because of the severity of his
ways. His troops, led by Phocas (which translates "fire")
fell on him and killed him. Phocas ruled in his stead [602-610].
After Ormizd, king of Iran, Xosrov ruled
with the aid of Maurice. During this period, Smbat Bagratuni organized
many battles, displaying extreme bravery against Xosrov's foes
for which Xosrov honored him and gave him the marzpanate
of Hyrcania. Smbat went and discovered there in Sagastan people
[g50] who had been taken captive from Armenia who had forgotten
their [native] language and literature, which Smbat restored.
He had the kat'oghikos ordain a certain Habel as bishop
and he founded a diocese of the throne of saint Gregory there.
In the tenth year of lord Abraham and
the thirty-seventh year of the Armenian Era [588], Syrians came
to Armenia, eloquent men, who sought to implant the Nestorian
heresy. They were anathematized and persecuted, but some people
accepted [their creed]. They translated their false books: Gortosak,
Kirakosak, the Vision of Paul, the Repentence of
Adam, Diat'ek, the Infancy of the Lord, Sebios,
the Grapes of Blessing, the Unconcealable Writings,
Mani's Interpretation of of the Gospel. [46] Whoever believes
them is anathematized by the orthodox.
After lord Abraham, the kat'oghikosate
was occupied by lord Yovhannes from Bagaran village in Kogovit,
for twenty-six years. Some historians say that both Abraham and
Yovhannes died on the same day, while others deny it. [g51]
Now when the Iranian king Xosrov learned
of Maurice's death [d. 602], he sought to avenge him, for they
were allies. He ruined many Byzantine districts. He sent his general
Xorhian to. Palestine to besiege the holy city of Jerusalem. He
captured it and killed its inhabitants, and also captured the
Cross of Christ, taking it to Iran. He went against emperor Heraclius
with many troops and placed the royal city of Constantinople in
great straits.
But emperor Heraclius, with the assistance
of the Khazar king, the Xak'an, went to Iran, killed Xosrov, and
returned the holy Cross to Jerusalem.
The residents of Tiflis ridlculed this
Xak'an by taking a pumpkin and drawing a picture of the Xak'an
on it as if blind, since their eyes are narrow and small. They
then [47] placed the pumpkin on a wall facing him and began shooting
arrows at it. When the Xak'an saw this he grew extremely angry
but since it was wintertime he was unable to retaliate. However,
upon the arrival of spring, he came and besieged Tiflis, captured
it, and ordered that men, women, and children be killed. Then
he laid it waste, took the inhabitants' belongings, and went to
his own city. [g52]
Now after the slaying of the marzpans
Chihr Burzen, Chihr Vshnasp Suhen, Chihr Vghon Mihran and others
by the people from Tachkastan [= the Arabs], Dawit' Saharhuni
was the marzpan for thirty years. In his day, in the year
62 A.E. [= 613], the cathedral of Mren was constructed.
After lord Yovhannes, lord Komitas held
the kat'oghikosate for eight years. Komitas built the beautiful
and marvellous martyrium of the blessed lady Hrip'sime, for the
prior structure was cramped. In [the old structure] he found relics
of the saints' bones, sealed with the rings of saints Gregory
and Sahak. He did not dare open it, but instead sealed it with
his own ring and buried it there. He wrote a sharakan [hymn]
to the saints, each line in the order of the Armenian alphabet,
which begins: "People devoted to the love of Christ".
[g53]
[48] After king Xosrov of Iran, Kawad
[II, Sheroe, 628] held the kingship. Kawad released from captivity
the kat'oghikos of Aghbania, Viro, whom his father Xosrov
had placed in prison. After Kawad, Artashir ruled, then Xorheam,
at Heraclius' command. Then Born and Zarmanduxt--they were all
short-lived--then Yazkert [III, 632-36/52].
After lord Komitas, lord K'ristap'or
occupied the kat'oghikosate for two years, followed by
Ezr for ten years.
Now emperor Heraclius came to the city
of Karin and held a council to which he summoned Ezr, the kat'oghikos
of Armenia. However, Ezr did not take along very learned men (such
as vardapet Yovhan Mayravanets'i who was extremely well-versed
in Scripture). Ezr went and accepted the doctrine of Chalcedon.
And the emperor gave him as a gift, a third of [the district]
of Koghb, and all its salt [mines]. Then Ezr returned to Armenia
and changed all the orthodox arrangements of the Church, and instead
of readings from James and Cyril, he instituted readings from
Artemon. The blessed vardapet Yovhan upbraided Ezr, saying:
"Why did you ignorantly accept it, and alter the good arrangements
of saint Gregory which had been preserved among the Armenian people
until today"? But Ezr, rather than regretting what he had
done [g54] [49] persecuted the blessed man with insults, labelling
him Mayragomets'i.
Now one of Yovhan's pupils named Sargis,
brought forth a heresy, and Ezr aired it about that Yovhan was
a heretic and had made [heretical] writings. Ezr anathematized
him along with the other heretics, attributing to him the deeds
of his student. Let no one dare to slander this holy man.
Yovhan went and selected for his dwelling
a quiet place in the area around Getabak fortress; and he remained
there, ever communing with God.
God produced a great miracle as a testimony
of his holiness. For Yovhannes had a donkey which served his needs.
A bear encountered the donkey and ate it. As soon as they informed
Yovhannes of the event, he went and said to the bear: "Because
you killed our servant, you should serve us in his place".
And the bear went and served in all obedience, hauling things
and doing all else for many years. Afterwards hunters chanced
upon and slew the bear, thinking it wild. [g55] As soon as the
brothers of the monastery saw what had happened, they threw the
bear's body into a hollow.
[50] To this day, residents of various
places go and take soil from the spot where the bear was buried.
Through the prayers of Yovhannes, this soil is medicine for all
pains inflicted by animals. Similarly the tomb of the saint is
a curative for all pains, and works against dangers, for those
who take refuge in the saint with faithful prayers.
After Dawit' Saharhuni, T'eodoros Rshtuni was the marzpan of Armenia for twenty-five years. Following emperor Heraclius, his son Constantine [III, 613-41] ruled.
Now upon the completion of the year
618, reckoned from the birth of Christ, or 67 of the Armenian
Era, a certain false prophet of the pagans appeared, corrupted
by the heresy of Kerint'os and by the Arians. His name was Mahmet,
an Ishmaelite, one of the sons of Hagar. When Mahmet went to Egypt
to conduct business, he met in the Sinai desert a hermit named
Sergis Bxiray, an Arian heretic. This Sergis taught Mahmet a false
knowledge of God, praising before him the old laws given by Moses,
and saying: "If you heed my words, [g56] you will become
leader and legislator of your people".
Mahmet was going on his way when suddenly
an impure spirit entered him and he fell down frothing at the
mouth. [51] Seeing this, his companions stood by him until he
came to his senses somewhat, and then they raised him up. Asked
the reason for such frenzy, Mahmet replied: "It was delirium
caused by a holy angel"; and they dispatched him as a messenger
to his people. Going to his native city he began to preach whatever
the false Christian had taught him.
[Muhammad] had uncles who were chiefs.
They persecuted him, threatening him to the point of death if
they heard any more such words from him. Mahmet went to his house
and sat there in sadness. Then Ali, his uncle's son and Mahmet's
own brother-in-law entered and inquired as to the causes to Mahmet's
sadness. And he answered: "Because I preached to them about
God they threatened me unto death". Ali said: "Come,
let us go and preach again. If they turn against us, let us put
them to the sword". For Ali was a military man and he had
military men with him. As soon as they began to preach, there
was great agitation and war. Mahmet's side [g57] was defeated.
Fleeing, they went to lesser Madiam where were assembled 12,000
Jews who had been persecuted by the emperor Constantine. Taking
them, Mahmet went against those who had persecuted him and he
destroyed them. Once the Jews saw this successful deed, they set
Mahmet up as their leader. Other Madinites joined them and they
became a large army. [52] They went against Palestine and beat
the Byzantine army which had been stealing items from among their
trading commodities.
As soon as they experienced victory,
they went against the Iranian lordship and killed the Iranian
king Yazkert. Thus ended the kingdom of the Iranian Sasanians.
In this period, half the sun darkened from the fall month of Areg
[the eighth month of the moveable Armenian calendar] to the summer
month of K'aghots' [the fifth month of the calendar]. Then [the
Muslims] released armies in three directions: one to Byzantium,
under a certain Yaz and an advisor Yovel (who destroyed 70,000
Byzantines). The emir Uthman (Ot'man) and the general Mu'awiya
(Mawie) were sent toward Iran. They defeated [g58] Mihrdat's 20,000
and Mushegh, the sparapet of Armenia with his brigades,
and they ruled the entire country of Armenia, Iran and Syria,
Egypt, Media and Parthia. They began to propagate their faith,
but were not accepted.
Now the people of Medina and their coreligionists
requested laws from Mahmet, and he gave them laws, disgraceful
laws. He said that the Kingdom above the earth is corporeal, with
food for the belly and marriage after resurrection and constant
copulation with women who remained virgins. Mahmet taught laws
contrary to the legislation of the Old and New [53] Testaments,
to know the unworthy and to speak to the deviant. With special
derision, he disgraced the covenant of God which Abraham had taken.
For it is written: "Circumcise all of your male children
on the eighth day". Now Mahmet decreed that people might
circumcise whenever it suited them, irrespective of age, and not
just men, but even women. And instead of a luminous baptism, which
our Lord Jesus Christ prescribed: " If someone is not born
of water and fire, he will not enter the kingdom of God".
Mahmet now said: "Work evil constantly and merely rinse with
water, and dry'"; and he said many other worthless, fanatical,
heretical and ridiculous things, Mahmet was a prophet-legislator
for seven years, [59] and they destroyed Bznunik', Aghiovit, and
Taron [translator's note: some mss. lack "and they destroyed..."].
Mahmet prohibited the use of the sword, and instead subjected the greater part of the world through words of advice. And with an unbreakable oath, he sealed a written contract with Armenia that the land enjoy Christianity fearlessly; and he sold them their faith, from each house taking four dram and three mot' xorbal, which is wheat, a saddlebag, a hair rope and pair of gloves. Now from the priests, azats, and cavalry he did not order the tax collected. Those [54] governing the lands were called amirmumnik'. After the twentieth year of Mahmet, Abu Bakr (Abubakr), Uthman (Ot'man), and Amr held the kingdom of the Ishmaelites for thirty-eight years.
After Ezr, lord Nerses occupied the
kat'oghikosate for twenty years. He built the martyrium
of saint Sargis which is in Dwin. During the destruction of 20,000
people in the city of Dwin by the Ishmaelites, the holy altar
and basin were covered with the blood of those cut down, while
[g60] more than 35,000 others were taken into slavery. The patriarch
gathered the bones of the slain into the same chapel. He constructed
the place of saint Gregory ['s imprisonment], Virap, and likewise
built [the church of] saint Gregory, which astonished those who
saw it. The place was later ruined by the Tachiks.
To kat'oghikos Nerses came orthodox
Syrians requesting a bishop [ordained] by him. He demanded of
them in writing a confession of the faith and the Syrians gave
him [the following confession]: "We believe in the Father
and the Son and the Holy Spirit. In the Father, Whose paternity
is unreachable, in the Son Whose birth is indivisable and in the
Holy Spirit, Which is of the Father and through the Father and
the Son It is worshipped and glorified"--a confession which
is recited to this day in the service of the Armenian Church on
the day of the Revelation of the Lord (Chragaluts'i). [55]
Nerses ordained Abdisoy bishop [for them].
He chanced to be in Baguan with the
multitude assembled for the feast of the Transfiguration (Vartavarh).
The sharakans had so multiplied in the churches of Armenia,
until what was sung in one district was not known in another.
[In one district] they sang sharakans about the Transfiguration
while another group of clerics could not adapt them. They substituted
many sharakans, but these too were not known. [g61] Therefore,
the patriarch Nerses, with the approval of all the attendees,
selected the appropriate and useful from the sharakans,
so that in every church of Armenia on every day, the service would
be synchronized. They selected learned men to circulate throughout
all of Armenia and establish this same order which is kept until today.
After T'eodoros the marzpan of
Armenia was Hamazasp, for seven years. After Nerses, lord Anastas
occupied the kat'oghikosate for six years [661-67]. Anastas
summoned to himself the great vardapet Anania from the
district of Shirak (a learned and brilliant man, very knowledgeable
in all the calendrical systems) to establish an immovable Armenian
calendar, as had other peoples. Anania worked on this with great
effort, until they were ready to adopt it through an assembly.
But just then, the holy Anastas died. Those succeeding him [56]
as kat'oghikos neglected the matter and so they continued
according to the former systems. In the fifth year of Anastas,
a cathedral was built in the awan of Aruch. It was constructed
by Grigor Patrik ["the Patrician"], and was the church
in which Dawit', the martyr of Christ, was baptised. Dawit', of
Iranian origin, who was previously called Surhan, was hanged in
Dwin for attesting Christ. [g62]
After Hamazasp, the marzpan of
Armenia was Grigor Mamikonean, for ten years. He was slain by
the Khazars. Then Nerseh Shirakats'i was prince for three years.
After Anastas, lord Israyel was kat'oghikos
for six years then lord Sahak [Dzorop'orets'i] for twenty-six
years [677-703]. Sahak went as an emissary to the Ishmaelite general
Mahmet [ibn Okba] who was coming to destroy the Armenian people
because of their rebellion from the Arabs. Sahak reached Harran
(Xarhan), where he fell sick and died. But even before Mahmet
came to Harran, Sahak had written a letter of entreaty, saying:
"I have come before you to beseech you on behalf of my people,
however it has not come to pass that I will see you, for the Supreme
Master of all life has summoned me. Now I swear to you, vowing
by God, by Abraham and your father Ishmael, that you must do no
evil to my people; rather, let [57] them pay taxes to you. If
you heed my supplication, my blessings shall be upon you. But
if you do not listen [g63] you will be cursed, and may God so
turn the hearts of your soldiers that they not obey you. Choose
one of these two".
Now when Mahmet came to Harran they
told him everything and gave him the letter. When he had read
it, he inquired "Where is his grave"? And they showed
him the place [where Sahak lay], for he had just died and was
not yet buried. Going there quickly, in accordance with their
religion, [Mahmet] saluted the dead man as though he were alive.
And they say that the dead body replied, receiving his greeting
like a living man. Mahmet said: "From your writing I recognized
you, oh man of God. I shall do all that you command". At
once the hostility passed, and Mahmet sent ostikans to
Armenia to lay taxes on them, while he himself returned to his
own land. After Sahak, lord Eghia [703-717] occupied the kat'oghikosate.
Now after Heraclius, his son Constantine
wore the crown. In his day the Ishmaelites attacked all lands.
After Constantine, his homonymous son ruled. As for the principality
of Ishmael, Mu'awiya took it after Abubak'r and Ot'man and Amr.
[g64]
[58] Now after Nerseh, Ashot (who was
slain by the Arabs) held the office of marzpan for three
years. Then Nerseh Kamsarakan, for three years; after him Smbat
Bagratuni Biwratean, for twenty years. He warred with the armies
of the foreigners in the Vardanakert awan and courageously
defeated them in the district of Bagrewand. In the thirteenth
year of Mu'awiya, Mahmet released the waters of the Gegham sea
and then took Sewan. In the sixteenth year of Mu'awiya's reign,
Kasim amir destroyed the princes of Vaspurakan.
After emperor Constantine, Justinian
[II, Rhinotmetus, 685-95] ruled. His lords pounced upon him and
cut off his nose. The emperor fled to the Khazars. Taking a wife
from there, and also many troops, he returned and became emperor
again. Then Leontius (Lewon, 695-98), then [Tiberius III] Apsimar
(Ap'simeros, 698-705), then Justinian wore the crown for a second
time [705-711], followed by Philippicus Bardanes [P'ilikos Vardan,
711-13], Theodosius [III (T'eodoros) 715-- 17], and Leo [III,
the Isaurian (Lewon), 717-41].
After Mu'awiya, rule over the Ishmaelites
was held by Yazid (Izid), then to Marwan (Plrvan) and then to
'Abd al-Malik (Abdlmelik'). It was this 'Abd al-Malik who immolated
the [59] Armenian princes inside the churches of Naxchawan. Then
his son Walid (Vlit'), and then Sulaiman (Suleman) ruled. The
latter took Darband and ordered that the Gate there be pulled
down. While they were pulling it down, they discovered a stone
on which was written: "I emperor Mankwon built this city's
[g65] towers from my own treasury. In the last days this will
be pulled down by the sons of Ishmael, and will be rebuilt at
their expense". And when they saw this stone, they stopped
their demolition and started to rebuild.
After Sulaiman, 'Umar (Omarh) held the
lordship. It was 'Umar who wrote to the emperor Leo to get information
about Christian doctrine. The emperor wrote an extremely learned
reply, ridiculing 'Umar's faith. As soon as 'Umar read this, he
was greatly embarassed, and began to remove some of the loathsome
things in their religion. Although he did not make bold to annul
all the iniquities, nonetheless he righted many things in their
disorder, and thereafter was well-disposed toward all Christians
and especially toward the Armenian people. ['Umar] ordered that
those who had been taken into captivity be repatriated to Armenia.
At this time, lord Vahan of Goght'n was returned from captivity.
He was martyred in the days of Sham Hisham (Hesham); after 'Umar,
Yazid (Izit) took power, then Sham, then Walid (Vlit'), followed
by Marwan. [g66]
[60] Lord Yovhannes Odznets'i occupied
the kat'oghikosate after lord Eghia. Lord Yovhannes [717-28]
was a learned and holy man, attractive physically and even more
so spiritually. [The Caliph] Hisham [724-43] summoned him to court,
and honored him greatly for the comliness of his appearance. Now
[Yovhannes] had sprinkled gold dust in his beard [before] he went
into [the Caliph's presence]. Seeing Yovhannes, Hisham was amazed
at his handsomeness and mildly said to him: "They say about
your Christ that he was very meek and humble and greatly loved
poverty, The Christian order professes that those who are their
leaders honor poverty and plainess more than luxury and riches.
Then why are you bedecked so"? The blessed one replied: "You
have nothing more than your servant except a crown and royal dress,
yet it is for these things that people fear and honor you. Our
first Fathers were miracle-workers and undertook wondrous [spiritual]
disciplines. For that reason, people who fell into their hands
feared them and obeyed their commands with trepidation. But we
are not like them; therefore we adorn ourselves in clothes and
fashion, so that they will not ignore our [g67] commands. Then,
baring his breast, [Yovhannes) showed [Hisham] a hairshirt which
was worn underneath his clothing. And he said: "This is my
dress".
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