[61] The king marvelled and praised
the beliefs of the Christians. He said to the blessed one: "Ask
of me what you will and I will grant it to you". The patriarch
responded: "I ask of you three things which are easy for
you to grant. Do not force Christians to abandon their faith,
but leave each to his wishes. Second do not make the liberty of
the Church subject to you through taxation, take nothing from
the priests or deacons. Third, wherever there are Christians in
your realm, let them perform their rites fearlessly. Give this
to us in writing, and my entire people will serve you"
At once [Hisham] ordered that a document
be written as requested, stamped it with his own ring, and gave
Yovhannes many gifts. He mustered many troops to accompany him,
and sent him to Armenia with great honor. When Yovhannes arrived
he persecuted all the Greeks in Armenia, both overseers and soldiers.
The Greeks fled so quickly that they did not have time to take
their treasures with them. So they buried them in the ground,
wrote a description of the hiding place, and took the information
with them. [g68]
The blessed patriarch, placing our country
under Ishmaelite rule, then convened a meeting in Manazkert to
which he summoned [62] At'anas, the patriarch of Syria. [The latter]
sent six bishops and anathematized the Julianites and those who
said things that denied Christ, Barshapuh and Gabriel, the slanderers
of the Armenians and Syrians; and he brightened the Church with
canonical legislation, rejecting the Chalcedonian heresy which
had spread disorder in Armenia in the days of emperor Heraclius
and the kat'oghikos Ezr. [Yovhannes] established readings
for the feasts of saints James and Cyril and for all the celebrations
just as saint Gregory had done. They celebrated the feasts of
the prophet David and the Apostle James on the twenty-fifth of
December--a day on which others celebrate Christmas. The Harts'
sharakan ("We sin in everything and do not keep Your
commands, now we confess to You") was sung then, as it still
is today in the service of the churches of Armenia, from 175 of
the Armenian Era [= 726], to 690 A.E. [= 1241] which is our day.
Thus providing the land with all virtuousness, he occupied himself
with doctrine and prayers. [Yovhannes] also constructed [g69]
a large church in his village of Odzun (which is close to the
city Lorhi) and he settled in a spot he had chosen for his residence,
a short distance from the village.
One day, when the blessed one was at
prayer, two frightful [63] dragons fell upon the residence of
this virtuous man. When lord Yovhannes' deacon saw this, he was
terrified, and clamored for the holy man's help. Lord Yovhannes
made the sign of the Cross before them and the two dragons instantly
turned into stone. They exist today. Water spurts from the belly
of the dragons, and it is an antidote for all snake-biten folk
who turn to the saint with prayers. After being patriarch for
eleven years, and having lived a virtuous life, lord Yovhannes
reposed in Christ.
After [Yovhannes] lord Dawit' occupied
the kat'oghikosate for thirteen years [728-41]. He was
from Aramunik' in the district of Kotayk'. It was lord Dawit'
who moved the kat'oghikosal see from Dwin to Aramonk'.
There he built a church and a residence for the patriarch, for
he had been troubled by the criminal nation of Mahmet. After Dawit',
lord Trdat occupied the kat'oghikosate for twenty-three
years. He was from Ot'mus village, a modest, blessed man, radiant
in all virtue. In the days of Trdat, the maurauding of [g70] the
Ishmaelites ceased. After Trdat, another lord Trdat became
kat'oghikos for three
years, then lord Sion for eight years. Lord Trdat was from Drasnawor,
Buoyn; lord Sion was from Bagawan. Lord Sion made a dry spring
flow again through [64] his prayers, at the foot of the mountain
called Sim.
After emperor Leo, his son Constantine
[V, 740-75) ruled. He was known as Kawalinos [Copronymus], that
is "gatherer of soil". For when the Tachik army was
encamped on the bank of the Halys river, Constantine ordered soil
gathered and thrown into the river. When the Tachiks saw this
they became terrified, thinking the emperor's army numberless;
and they fled from him. It is related that on one day he killed
five lions, one after the other. He took the city of Karin; two
years later the amir Yazid rebuilt it.
After Marwan, the chief of the Ishmaelites
was Abdla and then another Abdla, a foul and money-loving man,
whom his people called Abdldang, that is, "father (or servant)
of a penny", which is what that means in the Hagarenes' language.
For he loved a penny more than he loved God. It was Abdldang who
built Baghdad. He visited many ills on Armenia through [g71] demanding
taxes and through ravaging; he so placed the country into straits
that taxes were demanded from the living for the dead. The mining
of silver was stopped in Armenia. The cities K'aghian, Mren, and
T'alan were destroyed, 700 people were killed and 1200 were taken
captive. Mushegh Mamikonean [65] and Samuel, with others of the
Armenian azats were killed by the Ishmaelites during the
days of Easter.
At this time, in the year 222 A.E. [=
773], Step'annos, the court priest, who was recognized as an eloquent
man, attained mastery of all scholarly and grammatical knowledge,
with spiritual virtue. In Armenia there were select, enlightening
vardapets then, [among them] lords Ep'rem, Anastas, Xach'ik
and Dawit' Horhomayets'i, and the great scholar Step'annos Siwnets'i,
a pupil of Movses, whom we recalled above. Step'annos was a translator
from the Greek to the Armenian language who, beyond his translations,
wrote spiritual songs of sweet melody, sharakans, kts'urds
(anthems), and other songs. He also wrote brief commentaries on
the Gospels, on grammar, on the Book of Job and [the hymn] "Lord,
that the edge of night..." (Ter et'e shrt'ants'n gisheroy).
[g72]
It is said that from childhood, the
blessed Step'annos was versed in the writings of holy men. Aspet
Smbat, a Diophysite, was antagonistic toward Step'annos. So Step'annos
left him in disagreement and went to Rome where he found a certain
orthodox hermit with whom he stayed and learned from. Now when
Smbat heard about this, he wrote to the Byzantine emperor [informing
him] that Step'annos was a heretic who anathematized the emperor's
confession, and that he was [66] staying with a certain hermit
named such-and-such. The emperor became furious and ordered Step'annos
to court. But the hermit first advised him to say about himself:
"I am a beggar and a wanderer". When the emperor heard
this, his angry rage subsided. Becoming bold, Step'annos entreated
the emperor to open the trunks of sacred writings for him. Finding
there a book with golden letters containing an account of the
faith, he showed it to the emperor. [The latter] upon reading
it, sent Step'annos to the city of Rome to bring thence three
similar books about the true faith, so that the country be converted
to that religion. [g73]
Now Step'annos, heedless of the autocrat's
order, took the books from Rome and went to the city of Dwin in
order to enlighten his country with them. And lord Dawit' ordained
Step'annos bishop of Siwnik', at the request of K'urd and Babgen,
princes of Siwnik'. After occupying the episcopacy for only a
year, [Step'annos] was slain by a whore from Moz district. His
body was taken to a chamber in Arkaz; from there they laid it
to rest in the monastery of T'anahat.
The venerable Step'annos brought the
writings to the bishopric of Siwnik'; three ranks for the bishops
of Armenia were established.
[67] Now a certain cenobite named Noah
(Noy), saw a vision in which Step'annos' breast was covered with
blood as he stood before the Savior, saying: "Behold this,
Lord,for Your judgements are righteous". Notifying the cenobites
in the distrcit about the coming wrath, he admonished them to
pray.
Then behold, from On High an impenetrable
darkness enveloped the borders of Moz, and the place shook for
forty days. Ten thousand people were buried [in the earthquake],
for which reason the place was named Vayots' Dzor [Valley of Sighs],
as it still is today. For those in pain, and those who are ill,
[g74] there is much healing in Step'annos' relics, for those who
seek the intercession of the blessed man. In this world God glorifies
those who glorify Him, while in the next world, He gives them
good things He has prepared, [things] "which eye has not
seen, which ear has not heard, and which the heart of mankind
has not experienced" [I Corinthians 2, 9].
Then by the grace of God lord Esay from
the village of Eghapatrush was called to tend to the needs of
his people [first] in the orders of priest and bishop and [later],
worthily, as patriarch for thirteen years. After his death Ibn
Dukl (Ipndokl) robbed the Church; and lord Step'annos ruled for
one year, by means of numerous bribes. He was [68] from Ostan
of the Curopalate [Dwin]. After him, lord Soghomon,,a very old
man from Makenots'ats' monastery, ruled for one year. After him,
lord Georg reigned for three years. He was from Aragatsotn and
was called Xoyl Orbuk. After him lord Yovsep' ruled for eleven
years. He was from Aragatsotn, from the dwelling of saint Gregory.
[g75]
Leo [IV, the Khazar, 775-80] wore the
crown after emperor Constantine, and following Leo were Constantine
[VI, 780-97] and his mother Irene [(Erhine), regent 780-90, 792-97].
In these days there came a halt to the use of images in Rome.
[At Rome] they saw a large marble coffin,
were astonished, and ordered that the coffin be opened. They found
written in it: "What use it is to conceal me, for in the
days of Constantine and his mother Irene, I will see the sun again".
After a joint reign of ten years, Constantine deposed his mother
and ruled alone for seven years. But then the mother seized the
son, gouged his eyes out and herself reigned for five years. After
her, Nicephorus [I (Nikip'or) 802-811] reigned. In his time two
Ishmaelite brothers, Sahak and Yovsep' underwent martyrdom in
Christ in the city of Karin, on the fifteenth of [the sixth month
of the Armenian calendar] Arats'. After Nicephorus, Michael [I
(Mik'ayel), Rhangabe 811-13] ruled; [69] and in his days a severe
general famine occurred. On one day, 3,000 people were found dead
in the city of Karin. Leo [V, the Armenian, 813-30] ruled after
Michael. He threw down the images and built Biwzu and Arkadupolis.
Now fifty-four years after the immolation
of the Armenian [g76] princes in Naxchawan, Ashot Bagratuni became
the marzpan of Armenia, ruling for seventeen years, He
was succeeded by Smbat for twenty-two years, Ashot Msaker, twenty
years, and Ashot's son Smbat, who was called Ablabas, for thirty-five
years. The latter built the lavishly ornamented blessed chapel
(k'awaran) at Erazgawors, which is presently called Shirakawan.
Now after Abdlay, the kingdom of the
Ishmaelites was led by Mahadi, Muse, Aharon, Sahamad; then by
Mahmun, Abusahak Mahmet, and Aharon.
After Yovsep', lord Dawit' from the
village of Kakagh in Mazaz , was kat'oghikos for twenty-five
years; after him, lord Yovhannes from the village of Ovayk' in
Kotayk', for twenty-two years. In the seventh year of his reign,
some slanderers from his House began to utter accursed things
[70] about the holy man. These blabbers were tortured to death
just like those who were with the bishop of Jerusalem, Narcissus
(Narkesos). After Yovhannes, lord Zak'aria from Dzag village in
Kotayk' ruled [854-76], on one and the same day being entrusted
with everything: the deaconhood, the priesthood and the kat'oghikosate.
[g77] This holy and virtuous man was kat'oghikos for twenty-two
years.
In these days a certain criminal and
God-hating man named Ja'far (Jap'r) rose to the head of the Ishmaelites.
He was very envious of Christ and charmed many into apostasy,
while torturing to death those who did not accept. He worked much
evil in the lands under his rule, and especially in Armenia through
killings and enslavements. For he had sent an ostikan
named Apuset' who had come and captured the prince of Taron, Bagarat,
and many other people. Now when the inhabitants of the Xut' mountains,
called Sasun, heard about this affair, they came and killed Apuset'.
When Ja'far was informed of this, he became furious, and sent
to Armenia a commander named Bugha, a Turk, a wily and criminal
man. Bugha came and ravaged Armenia through treachery and wars
and led away many people to Samara in captivity, taking Smbat
asparapet of Armenia to Ja'far. Now Ja'far [71] put Smbat
into jail so that he renounce Christ; but instead of accepting
the impious command, Smbat boldly confessed Christ, and was kept
in that prison until he died. Smbat inherited the name "the
Confessor". Many others were martyred for Christ, dying wickedly.[g78]
A certain Syrian deacon named Nana was
taken before Ja'far because of the renown of his preaching. [Nana]
boldly confessed Christ before him. They tortured him and imprisoned
him for a long time, but later he was released through the attention
of God; and he wrote a commentary on the Gospel of John, with
radiant words. Similarly, Step'annos, (called Kon), one of the
Armenian princes underwent martyrdom for Christ; and many denied
the true God out of fear of death. [Ja'far] occasioned many other
evils throughout the world, information about which you will find
in the writings of T'uma and Shapuh and other authors.
In the year 194 A.E. [=745], and 1073
of the Syrians, Ja'far built Baghdad on the Tigris river, four
days journey from Babylon. [In this time] a woman was born, and
lived thirty years not eating anything.
Now after the death of Smbat the Confessor,
his son Ashot [I, 885-890] ruled the kingdom. He was viewed as
[72] greater than all of his predecessors, since after holding
the sparapetut'iwn, he was prince of princes and then [g79]
received crowns from two kings, Ishmaelite and Byzantine. After
Ja'far, Mahmet wore the crown, then Ahmat, Abdla, and Mahmet.
The latter designated Ashot the prince of princes and then gave
him a crown.
Michael wore the crown after emperor
Leo; then followed Theophilos, Michael and Basil [ I (Vasil )
, 867-86] whom they say was from T'il village in Taron. He built
the holy church of Zoravar [the General]. Basil again sent a crown
to Ashot, in addition to the one the Ishmaelites had sent. Photius,
the patriarch of Constantinople sent a letter to Ashot together
with a piece of the Cross of the Lord. At Ashot's order, the vardapet
Sahak wrote a reply to Photius, beautiful and wise.
From the fall of the Arsacid kingdom
until the [establishment of the] Bagratid kingdom, 434 years transpired.
In 334 A.E. [=885], Ashot reigned, a
God-fearing, benevolent man, an adorner of the Church, and a lover
of the services of God. He embellished the churches of Armenia
with great ornaments and brightness [during] thirty-two years
[73] as prince of princes, and five years as king of Armenia.
[g80] Then he passed to Christ, dying peacefully, possessing the
correct doctrine. Afterwards his son Smbat ruled for twenty-four
years [d.914]. The latter underwent martyrdom in Christ at Dwin--hanged
from a tree by Yusup', Apuset's son.
Lord Georg from the town of Gafni occupied
the kat'oghikosate after Zak'aria. He had been taken captive
by the Ishmaelites, and the princes of [Caucasian] Aghbania went
and freed him. After him lord Mashtots' was kat'oghikos
for one year. He was a blessed and virtuous man, filled with brilliance
and wisdom and he dwelled on the island in lake Sewan practising
great asceticism--wearing a single garment and walking barefoot--for
forty years he ate no bread and drank no water. It was lord Mashtots'
who established the book (which is called Mashtots' after
him), gathering together all the ordered prayers and readings,
arranged with an appendix which itself has all the orders of Christian
faith. Reaching a ripe age, he gloriously reposed in Christ. His
body was placed in the cemetary in Garhni close to the marvellous
grave of Trdat. They built a beautiful church over him. Lord Yovhannes
succeeded Mashtots' on the patriarchal throne [897/98]. He was
lord Mashtots' pupil and relative,and he reigned for twenty-eight
years. He was a wise [g81] [74] logical man from the town of Garhni,
where the blessed patriarch Georg was from. He wrote a well-arranged
history detailing the great evils wrought by the lawless people
of Hagar throughout the world.
At this point I would like to repeat
some things about the disintegration of unity among the wicked
Hagarene people. For our Savior and God, Lord Jesus Christ said:
"A kingdom divided against itself will be destroyed"
[Matthew 12.25; Luke 11,17], just as theirs was, for it was split
into many lordships. Thus Sop'ar ruled the land of Khurasan, while
in Basra city Awalik Aput'orosp ruled Yise's son Shaxa ruled in
Palestine, the son of Apltulip in the Delmats' land and various
others in different places stirred up agitation, trying to rule
over their regions by force. Therefore it was difficult to find
the names of the impious [rulers]; but those who ruled unleashed
upon our land wicked and inhuman ostikans, such as the
beast-like Bugha and the more wanton Ap'shin, son of the criminal
Apuset' who had come [to Armenia] before, and the yet more wicked
corrupter [g82] Ap'shin, who killed king Smbat in Dwin. Yusup'
set up as king a certain Gagik son of Derenik from the Artsrunid
House, a good and God-loving man, son of the sister of king Smbat
Bagratuni. He built on the island of Aght'amar in the Bznunik'
Sea [ Lake Van] a royal city and church of astonishing, radiant
construction.
[75] All of these wicked overseers came
to our country to loot and destroy until the kingship of the amirmunik'
ended, and they were replaced by the Scythians [(Skiwt'ats'ik'),
i.e., the Saljuqs]. They were not civilized folk, but barbarians,
since they had defeated and subjugated many people and ruled themselves.
Among those subdued were the Tachiks [Arabs]. But since we have
not found their names recorded anywhere, we cannot register them
here. Count them not among those in the Book of Life, but rather
as monuments of impiety. So let us forsake them and their generals
as hopeless men who have been expelled from the mansions of God.
At the beginning of the rule by the
Turks, fifty men of Armenian nationality put into straits by them
went armed into the desert and came to Marash. They found a courageous
man named Philaretus (P'ilartos), an Armenian, and they set him
up as leader. Entering Cilicia they took the whole country where
the Rhubineans of the royal house ruled. [g83] For up to the time
of sultan Melik'shah, the sagacious vardapet called Sarkawag
wrote about the reasons for their rule and Samuel the priest repeated
him. He wrote about [Malik-Shah's] father and grandfather, named
Tughril bek, Mahmut and Salchuk.
But we shall return to where we left
off, saying with [76] our spirits raised: "They were rejected
by You; we are Your people and the sheep of Your flock".
After the death of Smbat Bagratuni,
the Armenians were ruled by his son Ashot [II, Erkat', 9I5/22-929]
at the order of emperor Romanus for eight years. This was seven
years after the murder of his father. After emperor Basil, Leo
ruled, then Alexander. After him was Romanus [I, Lecapenus, 919-44].
He persecuted all the Armenian clerics and priests on Byzantine
territory because they did not accept the doctrine of Chalcedon.
[These clerics] came to Armenia in the days of Abas, son of Smbat,
and founded the monasteries of Kamrjadzor and Kaputk'ar in the
Arsharunik' district and the famous monastery called Horhomos
and Dprevank' in the Shirak district. In the monastery called
Sanahin [g84] they built a church in the name of the most holy
Mother of God in the boundaries of the city of Lorhe. Because
the priests were called "Horhomots"' priests, they named
a monastery in Shirak Horhomots' monastery; and to this day it
is called Horhomets'i monastery.
After Romanus, Constantine, the son
of Leo ruled and then Romanus [II, 959-63] and after him Nicephorus
and after him Kirhzhan (John I, Tzimisces, 969-76].
[77] Now after Yovhannes, lord Step'annos
occupied the kat'oghikosate for one year. Then lord T'eodoros
for eleven years, then lord Eghise for seven years, then lord
Anania of Mokk' for twenty-two years.
In his day, there was a bishop from
the Siwnik' area named Yakob who started to introduce new customs
of speech and ritual, and there was another bishop, Xosrov by
name, who stated: "It is not right to call the Lord's day
kiwrake but [it should be] kiwrhiake, for it is
Greek". He likewise said to let children's hair grow, not
to cut it until it became long and formed a wall (pat),
because they are so styled youths (patani). Then he ordered
[that the hair] should be cut (ktrel) since [young men]
are called braves (ktrich). And he said: "It is not
necessary for a bishop to give gifts to the head bishop, that
is, to the kat'oghikos, for the latter has no more holiness
than the former, only a different title". Thus he filled
the country with such foolish words; and, because of the new ways,
agitation was stirred up everywhere. [g85]
Lord Anania wrote him advisory letters,
urging him to stand clear of ill-advised and vain things. But
he, instead of regretting what he had done, became yet more brazen,
thinking himself a learned man and the others ignorant. It was
necessary to write to him two and three times. Other wise vardapets
[78] wrote to him reminding him of the details of the ritual according
to Scripture. But he continued in the same sacreligious ways,
denouncing everyone. Then he, Yakob, rebelled from the kat'oghikos,
and holed up in the fortress of Siwnik'. The kat'oghikos
excommunicated him and wrote to the lady (tikin) of Siwnik'
to hand him over, that he advise him so that he might come to
repentance. But they did not hand him over and he excommunicated
them. [Yakob] held the same beliefs until his death. Then lord
Anania went to Siwnik' to quell the rebellion. When the princes
of Siwnik' heard of the patriarch's coming, they went before him
confessing their sins. They gave him a written oath that they
would no longer rebell against the throne of saint Gregory, from
generation to generation. Then [Anania) ordained a certain archbishop
from their line, who previously [g86] occupied the bishop's throne
in Siwnik'. He did this in honor of the princes of Siwnik', ordering
that a cross be borne before the archbishop of Siwnik'wherever
he went.
After the death of lord Anania, his
throne was occupied for one year by Vahan from Baghk'. He negotiated
unity of faith with the Georgians. For this action, many bishops
and devout monks who recognized and confirmed the heretical bent
of his beliefs, gathered in the fortress of Ani in the kingdom
of Ashot, son of Abas. He wanted to bring back the images, to
restore the Chalcedonian heresy. Confirming him [79] a heretic,
they persecuted him. United, they seated on the throne of saint
Gregory the Illuminator Step'anos, a blood relation of that holy
man of God, Mashtots', from the island of Sewan. He followed [Mashtots'
] conduct, and held the patriarchate for two years. But since
Vahanik was still alive in Vaspurakan, some simple-minded creatures
were convinced that it was wrong to consider him schismatic. Therefore
anathemas arose in the midst of Armenia. But at the command of
God, both of them died in the same year; and for one year the
throne of the patriarchate was left unoccupied. Then, at the command
of king Ashot (called "the Merciful") select men and
holy bishops assembled and seated on the patriarchal throne the
venerable man of God lord Xach'ik, a relative of the great patriarch
lord Anania. A lover of the saints and of Christ, he bridled the
tongues of schismatics with the words of doctrine. He occupied
the throne for nine years and ten months. He was followed by lord
Sargis who ruled for twenty-four years. [g87]
After Ashot, his son Smbat (called Shahnshah)
ruled. During his reign the walls of Ani were topped with lofty
towers and with wide places, from the Axurean river to the place
known as Tsaghkots'adzor. He laid the foundation for a glorious
cathedral in the same city, though he was unable to complete it,
since death overtook him. He ruled for thirteen years.
[80] In these days the Christ-loving
prince Vahram began construction of the renowned monastery called
Marmashen.
After [Smbat] his brother Gagik ruled
for twenty-nine years. He built the beautiful church of saint
Gregory above Tsaghkats'or, taking as a model the charming church
of saint Gregory which patriarch Nerses built. It was completed
in the 1000th year of the corporealization [g88] of our Lord
Jesus Christ, and in the year 447 of the Armenian Era [=998].
His wife Katramite the queen finished the holy cathedral which
king Smbat was unable to complete, Smbat Magistros built the desirable
monastery called Bagnayr.
After emperor Kirhzhan, Basil [II, Bulgaroctonus,
976-1025] wore the crown for fifty years, He was a kind man, especially
toward the Armenian people; for he abandoned the Chalcedonian
heresy and followed our true path. He came to Cilicia and was
baptised by Armenians in a monastery called Paghakdziak. He gave
the monastery villages, fields, and many other things.
After lord Sargis, lord Petros occupied
the Armenian kat'oghikosate for thirty-nine years, After
Gagik Shahnshah, his son Yovhannes ruled for twenty years.
[81] In his day the very distinguished
Vest Sargis, after building many fortresses and churches, built
the glorious monastery of Xts'konk' and a church in the name of
saint Sargis; and making Tsarak'ar monastery a fortress, he built
stronger walls and glorious churches in it.
But king Yovhannes, filled with resentment
for patriarch Petros, put him in jail. Then [g89] he brought and
ordained as kat'oghikos in place of Petros a certain Deoskoros,
head of the monastery called Sanahin.
Then the kat'oghikos of Aghbania,
Yovsep', arrived, reconciled the king and the patriarch, and removed
the kat'oghikos from prison.
As soon as the common people of the
city of Ani saw that the kat'oghikos had been released
from prison, they boldly pounced upon Deoskoros and tore the veil
from his face on the day of the Revelation of the Lord, while
he was blessing the waters; for the kat'oghikoi in those
times wore veils. The people expelled him from the city with insults
and placed Petros on his patriarchal throne. Sadly, Deoskoros
went to his home at Sanahin. His life ended there and he was buried
close to the church.
[82] In the days of the princeship of
Zak'aria and of the leadership of Sanahin by the venerable vardapet
Grigor Tuteordi, the inhabitants of the city of Ani sent to a
stone-cutter in the same city Sanahin [requesting] that he take
a part of the relics of Deoskoros and send them to Ani, openly
or secretly, "For it was because of him that this [g90] ruin
befell us from foreigners. Perhaps he will forgive the city for
the brazen behavior our fathers displayed toward him".
The stone-cutter went in the night and
tried to open the grave and take some relics from it, but he was
seized with great trepidation and was unable to do it. So he went
to vardapet Grigor and told him what had happened, saying:
"I do not dare do this deed until an assembly of the multitude
of Ani's residents come here and together we seek permission from
his relics". But this proposal was delayed, for no one concerned
himself with the matter.
After Yovhannes, Gagik, son of Ashot
ruled the kingdom for two years. Now after the death of Yovhannes
also called Smbat, the princes, army and more so the patriarch
Petros met at the court of the glorious kat'oghikosate
in Ani and placed as king over themselves Gagik, Yovhannes' brother's
[83] son, sealing oaths vowing to serve him with unanimity. But
Gagik had no interest in military affairs, with which the world
is conducted, even though at that time it was necessary to be
bold, since the rule of the Ishmaelites was in confusion because
the Scythians [the Saljuqs] had attacked them, as we showed earlier.
Similarly the Byzantines were in agitation. [g91] But as [Gagik]
was trained from childhood in literature, he diverted himself
with that. When the Byzantines learned about this, they called
him to them with tricks [at the urging of] the princes who had
betrayed the oath they had made [to Gagik] to keep his sovereignty
over themselves and not to break the oath. And the deed that was
done brought ruin to people and to the land, for the Greeks put
the journeyor into exile on an island and appointed overseers
to occupy his place, for one year.
Now the inhabitants of our land rose
up against one another with unseemly insolence and in deception,
lying and thinking up plots with which to betray each other to
the emperor, accusing each other of giving aid to the Hagarenes,
accusing the princes, the patriarch, and vice versa, and
forcibly removing each other from their abodes. Those remaining
were as if lordless. The Byzantines ruled for twenty-one years.
[84] After this a stormy wind moved
from the south and brought a man-devouring beast which annihilated
our country with fire, and especially the city of Ani for it was
besieged for twenty-seven days; then finally when they took it
they destroyed the inhabitants of the city of Ani, The bloody
beast called Alp Arslan (Alpaslan) did not spare a single one.
[g92]
But then the royal wand fell from our
hands. For though there was a lordship in some areas such as that
of Kiwrike of the Bagratids in the city of Lorhe and the area
around it, or that of the other Gagik king of Vanand and Kars
who went to the Byzantines, nonetheless, the chief [kingdom] ended
in the days of Gagik; others surrendered themselves to the dragon,
while others fled to the emperor of the Byzantines. And they ruined
the entire country. To those who emmigrated the Byzantines gave
lands and cities in the areas of Caesarea and Sebastia, which
was given to the two king Gagiks.
Now the emperor honored kat'oghikos
Petros greatly and seated him on a throne of gold. As soon as
[Petros] arose from the chair and wanted to go out, a bishop named
Eghishe started to take the gold chair which the kat'oghikos
had been sitting on. However, the court servitors did not [85]
let him proceed. And the emperor asked the bishop: "Why did
you do that"? [Eghishe] replied: "It is our law that
only the [g93] kat'oghikos may sit on his chair. No one
else has the right to do so". The emperor was surprised at
the honor which the bishop displayed toward the kat'oghikos
and he ordered the servitors to allow him to take it. And he said
[to Eghishe]: "That chair is worth 7000 dahekans.
Take it and keep it to honor your kat'oghikos".
On the day of the Revelation of the
Lord, all the Christians and many other people assembled in the
city of Trabizond for the Blessing of the Water, as is Christian
custom. Because of the great envy which the Greeks had toward
the Armenians they positioned patriarch Petros and his people
upstream, and themselves down the river. They did this with the
thought that since the blessing of the Armenians was considered
defective by them and since they were downstream, [the Greeks]
would bless again that which had been blessed by the Armenians.
They had trained a white dove to come, dip into the water and
then rise from it; thus did they trick those unaccustomed to such
things [into thinking] that the Holy Spirit had descended in the
likeness of a dove.
When patriarch Petros prayed, the water
began to run upstream, and an intense light arose, which dimmed
the rays [86] of the sun. Then when their dove came to dip into
the water as was the custom, suddenly an eagle swooped down, [g94]
snatched the dove, and flew off. All the Greeks were greatly ashamed
and praised the faith of the Armenians, despite themselves.
The emperor ordered the kat'oghikos
to place his throne in Sebastia and to direct his flock from there.
The patriarch remained there until his
death. They buried him there in Sebastia, after a rule as kat'oghikos
of thirty-nine years. After him lord Xach'ik ruled briefly.
Then gathering together in one place,
the Armenians placed lord Vahram whom they called Grigoris, on
the patriarchal throne. He was from the city of Bjni, son of Grigor
Magistros, grandson of Vasak the martyr, and was a learned and
virtuous man.
He beseeched his father to expound grammar,
since he was a scholar, and [Grigor Magistros] did this eloquently.
This wonderful patriarch translated from Greek and Syrian many
homilies about the martyrs of God and homilies of praise.
After some time he decided to travel
to the city of Rome to revere the holy relics of the Apostles
Peter and Paul; [87] sharing in this plan was a certain vardapet
Georg. Calling his flock together, bishops and elders and princes,
[Grigoris] told them about his plan. [The audience] burst into
[g95] bitter tears and pleaded with him not to leave them orphans
without a pastor. But he said to them: "I have made a vow,
and it is impossible for me to break it. Find yourselves someone
and I will ordain him to serve in my stead" That vardapet
Georg, about whom we spoke above, was the messenger. When he saw
that the people did not accept this decision, and kept persisting
in their supplications and found no one to replace Grigoris, Georg
said to the people: "Why do you beseech him so? He has taken
an oath to leave and I am familiar with his plan, which cannot
be changed now. Here, let him ordain me as his replacement".
As soon as the kat'oghikos heard
this he was astonished and filled with wrath, for Georg had sworn
to accompany him. But against his will he ordained him and set
off on his way. And Georg occupied his throne.
When the holy patriarch went to Rome,
the Frank people honored him greatly. Upon fulfilling his vow,
Grigoris took a boat to Constantinople, for translation-related
work. But a windstorm arose at sea and it took the boat by a different
[88] route, landing them in Egypt. Those servants he had with
him were fearful, because it was a custom of the country's inhabitants
to plunder storm-tossed boats and to kill survivors. [g96]
The blessed patriarch Grigoris prayed
and hard rains fell in Egypt, something which had never happened
before. As soon as the inhabitants of the land saw this they were
terrified, but the Hagarene who ruled over them was a wise man.
He called his troops and said to them: "You yourselves know
that in Egypt, from the beginning until now, [such] rain has not
fallen; there was hail only in the time of Moses and rain, once,
when Jesus came. Therefore, this is the portent of the arrival
of a wonder-worker. Go, see, ask him who he is".
Searching throughout the country the
troops found Grigoris with his servants, praying by the shore
of the sea. They took them to the sultan. The sultan asked: "Was
it on your account that these rains came"? And they replied:
"Yes". And the sultan said: "What was it that you
were praying for"? And they answered: "We fear the custom
of the country to kill those who are tossed onto the shore, shipwrecked
from the sea". And they told everything correctly. At this
the sultan was amazed, lauded their faith and said to the patriarch:
"Go sit on the patriarchal throne of Markos in Alexandria,
and [89] let all Christians under my sway obey you". And
he gave [g97] him many presents and entertained him like his father.
And from that time on, the See of Alexandria obeyed the See of
saint Gregory [the Illuminator]. [Grigoris] lived and died there
with praise, blessed in the glory of God.
King Kiwrike of the Bagratids was the
son of Dawit' , son of Derenik who built the famous monasteries
of Haghbat and Sanahin. When Kiwrike saw that lord Grigoris had
left his throne and gone to Rome, he called to him lord Yovsep',
kat'oghikos of Aghbania, and had him ordain lord Barsegh
kat'oghikos of Armenia. They ordained as bishop of Haghbat
a certain of Kiwrike's court priests, named Sargis. And thenceforth,
[Haghbat] became the throne of a bishop. After Sargis, the bishop
was Georg, and after him Barsegh. Barsegh was a handsome man.
When queen T'amar of Georgia saw him, she greatly honored him
because of his good looks and because his brothers were officials
in the royal house.
After Barsegh [the bishop of Haghbat]
was the blessed Grigoris, a relative of princes Zak'are and Iwane.
He lived in our time.
After him [the bishop] was Yovhannes,
a modest and virtuous man, related to the princes of Xach'en.
He tore [90] down the small portico at the door of the cathedral
of Haghbat reconstructing it large and beautiful, bewildering
the viewer with delight.
[g98] After him another Yovhannes, the
sister's son of princes Zak'are and Iwane, and the previous Yovhannes'
brother's son [was bishop of Haghbat]. This Yovhannes built a
fortress with sturdy walls between Haghbat and Sanahin. On account
of this fortress, discord arose between the two great monasteries,
to the effect that it was on land belonging to Sanahin. Prince
Shahnshah, Zak'are's son avenged Sanahin, since his father was
buried there and he considered it their property (sep'hakan),
for Haghbat was under the Georgian kings' control at that time.
As soon as bishop Yovhannes died, they pulled down the walls of
the fortress on orders from the T'at'ars.
After the death of bishop Yovhannes,
Yovhannes (son of Aghsart'an from Matsnaberd) from the Bagratid
family occupied his position for two years. He was not ordained
bishop due to the confusion reigning at the time; but later he
was ordained by the kat'oghikos Nerses of Aghbania, for
the Matsnaberd area.
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