At that time there were some countries
which had rebelled from the king of Iran, namely, Amagh, Rhoyean,Jrechann
and Taparastan. [Smbat] defeated them in battle, striking with
the sword, and putting them in the service of the Iranian king.
He built up the entire country of his marzpanate, for it
was in ruins. In that land were a people who had been captured
from the country of Armenia and settled at the edge of the great
desert which is in the [g59] area of Turk'astan and Delhastan.
They had forgotten their own language, learning had weakened and
the order of the priesthood had become reduced. There were also
Kodreats' people there, who had been captured along with our own
men. And there were not a few there from [lands subject to] Byzantine
authority and from the Syrian area.
The Kodreats' people were not believers
but a great light dawned on the Christians. They became confirmed
in the faith, studied learning and language, and established [65]
in the order of priesthood of that land a certain elder from among
them [erets' omn i nots'ane]
named Abel.
Vstam comes to Asorestan to kill Xosrov
and take the kingdom. His death from the treachery of Pariovk,
king of the Kushans. The small battle in the land of Hyrcania.
In that period Vstam subjected to himself
two kings of the Kushans, Shawg and Pariovk. He gathered all the
troops in the East and went to Asorestan with a large and very
powerful army, to kill Xosrov and take his kingdom for himself.
[Vstam's] troops were at a distance from him, on the right and
left, while the Kushan king Pariovk was [to provide] assistance
from behind him. But then the deceitful king of the Kushans got
the idea of going before [Vstam] with a few men, where he dismounted
the horse and bowed to the ground seven times. Motioning him foreword,
Vstam ordered him to mount again. [But Pariovk] had emplaced an
ambush for him on the road. Pariovk said: "Order the multitude
to leave you, for I would have secret words with the king".
[However], not sensing [Pariovk's] treachery, [66][Vstam] ordered
the people to depart. As [the two of them] were going along the
way, talking, suddenly the ambushers sprung out of their place
of concealment, and attacked and killed Vstam. Pariovk had stipulated
the time with his troops, and he now quickly notified them. [The
troops] came up and captured Vstam's wife, all his bags and baggage,
and then turned quickly and departed.
After some days had passed, all of the
troops were informed, and they split away from each other, being
as it were, abandoned, each one going to his own place. The troops
of Gegham which were with [Vstam], similarly, departed and quickly
reached the strongholds of their own land. And those Armenian
men who had rebelled from Smbat and gone over to Vstam, were among
them. They went to the country called Komsh which is on the other
side of the mountain which separates it from Hyrcania, and reached
the village named Xekewand.
Shahr Vahrich and Smbat Gurkan marzpan
went against them with many troops. The Geghumk' troops were not
more than 2,000 men. There was a battle in that country. They
struck at the Iranian troops, put them to flight, killed many,
arrested many, then turned back, encamping [67] near the battlefield.
Those men from Armenia were with them. Many of the [Iranian] troops
and the Armenians who were with marzpan Smbat died. [g61]
Discovery of a fragment of the Cross.
Three months prior to this battle, a
vision appeared to a certain man named Yovsep'. He said: "A
man with a wondrous appearance came and said to me, 'A battle
will occurr in three months in which many people will die. Go
to the site of the battle, and let this be a sign for you. For
you will see a man lying on the ground whose body glitters among
all the corpses. Take whatever you find on him, and take care
not to forget, for he/it is a miraculous thing'". [Yovsep']
arose and departed. When he reached the place, he found things
as they had been related to him in the vision for [the man] and
all the corpses had been stripped, and [the man] had a chestnut-colored
fur [shagoyr mashkeghen] around his shoulders; his
body was among the corpses. [Yovsep'] took the fur and discovered
that it contained a silver box with a cross in it fashioned from
a large fragment of the Lord's Cross. He made the sign of the
Cross [68]over himself with this, took it and went after his comrades.
All the troops left that place and went
to the strongholds of their land. Then the king requested that
Vahrich go home, and he sent great thanks to Smbat for he fought
sincerely and was beaten and did not leave the place. He fled
only after everyone else had fled. [g62]
Smbat fights with the enemy and triumphs.
He is more honored with estimable gifts and honors than all the
other marzpans. Smbat's son, named Varaztirots', is appointed
to the office of the king's cupbearer. Construction of the church
of saint Gregory. Enthronement of the kat'oghikos.
The next year, all the brigades of the
enemy assembled and went to the district of Taparastan. Smbat
too massed all of his troops and went against them in war. And
the lord God betrayed the troops of the enemies into Smbat's hands
and killed them all with the sword. Those who survived went as
fugitives to their own place. Now those who were with them requested
an oath and conditions and came before Smbat. That Yovsep' was
among them, and related the vision and the many signs which [God]
had worked among the barbarians. Yovsep' had his find with him.
Then Smbat arose and kneeled [69] before him, took [the fragment
of the Cross], made the sign of the Cross, and then gave it to
a certain prominent man named Mihru from the Dimak'sean House
whom [Smbat] had put in charge of his House as a loyal man and
executor [of his orders]. He gave it to the church which priests
kept at his court.
Then the king sent a hrovartak
expressing great satisfaction [with Smbat], and exalting him with
honor, above all of the other marzpans in his lordship.
He sent him cups of gold, royal clothing, golden veils, set with
precious stones and pearls. [Smbat's] son, whose name was Varaztirots',
had been raised [by Xosrov] as though he were one of his own sons,
elevated over all at court, and appointed to the office of cup-bearer,
presenting wine to the king.
Smbat held the marzpanate of
that land for eight years. Then a command came to summon him with
great exaltation to [g63] the royal court, and [the king] ordered
him to go and see his own country in the 18th year of [Xosrov's]
reign.
Now [Smbat] requested a command from
the king [permitting him] to build the church of saint Gregory,
which was in the city of Dwin. Because the blessed kat'oghikos
Movses had died, [70] and no vardapet was there, [Smbat]
hurried even more to request the king's order. When the order
reached his country, [Smbat] concerned himself with the great
[kat'oghikosal] Throne so that they set up an overseer,
a caretaker of the church, and a director of its salvation. They
seated Abraham, bishop of the Rshtunik' on the patriarchal throne.
Then they commenced laying the foundation of the church. [Smbat]
assembled architects [skilled in working] stone [zhoghoveats'
chartarapets k'ari], appointed trustworthy
officials above them, and ordered that the work be brought to
a speedy conclusion. The overseer of the fortress and [Armenia's]
marzpan wrote a complaint to the king, saying: "[The
church] is too close to the fortress and [will be] damaged by
enemies".
The king's reply arrived, saying: "Pull
down the fortress and build the church in that same spot".
Amen.
Smbat is summoned to the Iranian court
and receives the honor of tanuterut'iwn [being]
called Xosrov Shum. He persecutes the Kushans. The killing of
Datoyean. Once more Smbat and the Armenian naxarars go
against the Kushans and Hepthalites. A certain wrestling match.
Smbat triumphs and goes to the court with great glory.
[71] When winter had passed and spring
arrived, messengers came [to Smbat] with hrovartaks summoning
him to the royal court with great pomp. [Smbat] went before the
king at the dastakert called "the great dastakert".
Leaving the hall, he resided [nsti] in Bob and in Bahghak.
[g64]
Then the king gave him the tanuterut'iwn
known as Xosrov Shum. He adorned him with gorgeous clothing, in
a hat and muslin robes embellished with gold; he exalted [him]
with unbelievable honors, a bejewelled camp, troops [metsats'uts'ane
ahagin patuawk' i chambar akanakap
ew i gumartak], and silver thrones, and gave
him a small charge, the diwan of the land [ardzaku
i na zvacharh p'ok'r zdiwan
ashxarhin]. He gave him four-toned trumpets and guards
for his court selected from the soldiers at court. He assembled
under [Smbat] an enormous force in the eastern country of the
Kushans [gumare nma zawr metsaw aheghut'eamb
yarewels yerkirn K'ushanats']; and
he ordered [Smbat] to make whomever he wanted the marzpan.
Now [Smbat] departed and reached the
nearby country of his first rule, Komsh. He summoned the troops
of his own [72] countrymen from Hyrcania, and then went directly
to the East.
Here are [the names of] the princes
of the Armenian naxarars who were with [Smbat], each with
brigade and banner:
Varazshapuh Artsruni
Sargis Tayets'i
Artawazd, Vstam, and Hmayeak Apahuni
Manuel, lord of the Apahunik'
Vrham, lord of Goght'n [Vrham Goght'neats' ter]
Sargis Dimak'sean
Sargis Trpatuni
and other naxarars. And he had
some 2,000 cavalrymen from the land [of Armenia(?)]. [Smbat] saw
that the Kushans' forces had spread across the entire country,
raiding. But as soon as they heard about his reputation, they
assembled and departed. [Smbat] went after them and quickly caught
up. Now as soon as they observed that he was upon them, they turned
and fought, clashing with each other in battle. The forces of
the Kushans took to flight and were routed by the forces of Xosrov
Shum. Many of them died, while many fled. Then [Smbat] again camped
at Apr Shahr and in the district of Tos. He himself with 300 men
stayed in the town called Xrhoxt. [g65]
[73] Then the kings of the Kushans requested
aid from the great Xak'an, king of the northern parts. A mob of
30,000 came to their aid. [This force] crossed the Vehrhot river
which arises from the Ewighat country, T'urk'astan [crossing]
Dionos ep'esteays [Abgaryan, p. 102, has emended this to yerkre
Ewighatay, zGimnosp'esteays...] Shamn and
Bramn and flows to India. [The force] settled on the banks of
the river, and spread out, raiding, to the west. Unexpectedly,
they reached and beseiged the town, for the village had a bulwark
of fortification around it.
Smbat gave an order to the 300 men to
fall upon the fortress which was in the town. He himself mounted,
taking along the following three men: Sargis Dimak'sean, Sargis
Trpatuni, and a certain arms-bearing mounted peasant named Smbatik
[omn mi i zinakrats'n geghju
hetseal anun Smbatik]. Suddenly coming upon
its entrance, they crushed the might of the mob and departed.
The 300 men who were about the fortress in the town went against
[his] troops. And the commander of his troops was a certain Iranian
prince named Datoyean, by the king's order.
Now despite the fact that Smbat (who
is Xosrov Shumn) sent to him, telling him to evade them, [Datoyean]
did not want to listen; rather, he went against them in battle.
They struck at the Iranian troops putting Datoyean to flight and
then [74] spread out, raiding as far as the borders of Rey and
the district of Aspahan. After devastating the entire country,
they turned back to their army; and a command came from the great
Xak'an to Chembux [i metsen Xak'anay
arh Chembux . On this Xak'an see also Movses Daskhurants'i's
History of the Caucasian Aghbanians,
book II, ch. 11,12,14] to recross the river and to return home.
Now a certain principal naxarar named Shahrapan Bandakan
arrived from the court to investigate Smbat and Datoyean. All
the surviving troops vindicated Smbat; but Datoyean was taken
in shackles to the court and was killed by the king. Then Smbat
assembled troops and again armed [them] and called up many other
troops [g66] to aid him, after which he went against the Kushan
people and the king of the Hepthalites. [The latter] with great
preparation arose and went against him. They reached the place
of battle and massed against each other. The king of the Kushans
sent a message to Smbat, saying: "What good is it going into
battle with such a tumultuous mob, exhausting our forces. How
shall our bravery be fathomed? But come, let you and I fight alone
and compete, and today my bravery will be revealed to you".
And he thumped himself with his hand and said: ·Behold I
am ready to die". With great speed the two prepared to attack,
and approached each other. In the midst of the two armies [75]
they battled each other. But they were unable to defeat each other
quickly, for both were failing in strength, and heavily armed.
But then aid came from On High. Smbat's spear pierced the vertewamut
bahlik and the security of the Kushan king's armor, and
because [Smbat] struck him forcefully, he fell to the ground,
dead. As soon as [the Kushan king's] forces saw [what had happened
to] their king, they were horrified and turned to flight. [ Smbat's
troops] pursued them, raiding as far as Bahl shahastan
of the Kushans, looting the entire country: Harew, Vaghages, all
Toxorostayn and Taghakan. They also took numerous fortresses which
they pulled down, and then returned in great triumph, with much
booty. They went and encamped in Marg and in the district of Margrhot.
Messengers bearing the glad tidings
quickly reached king Xosrov relating in full the bravery [displayed
by Smbat]. King Xosrov rejoiced with exceeding delight. He ordered
that a huge elephant be adorned and brought to the chamber. He
commanded that [Smbat's son] Varaztirots' (who was called Javitean
Xosrov by the king), [g67] be seated atop [the elephant]. And
he ordered treasures scattered on the crowd. He wrote [to Smbat]
a hrovartak [expressing] great satisfaction and summoned
him to court with great honor and pomp.[76]
Smbat dies peacefully. The Armenian
naxarars rebel from the Iranians and go to serve the king
of the north, the Xak'an.
When [Smbat] was about one day's journey
from the royal court, the king commanded all the naxarars
and his forces to go before him. He ordered his aides to take
before [Smbat] a steed from the court stable decked out in royal
trappings. [Smbat] went into the king's presence with great splendor
and glory.
Now when [the king] saw him, he received
him with joy, extending his hand which [Smbat] kissed, prostrating
himself. Then the king said to him: "You served loyally,
and we are even more satisfied with you. From now on, do not tire
yourself by going to battle. Rather, stay close by. Take, eat,
and drink, and partake of our joy". [Smbat] was the second
naxarar in the palace, in king Xosrov's reign [i
tachari t'agaworut'eann Xosrovay
ark'ayi]. But after a short while [Smbat] died in
the 28th year of [Xosrov's] reign [ =617-18]. His corpse was taken
to the country of Armenia, to his native place of rest, and they
placed it in a tomb in the village of Dariwnk' which is in the
district of Gogovit.
[77] Then [the naxarars] rebelled
and went into the service of the king of the northern regions,
the great Xak'an, by means of Chepetx of the House of Chen [The
text may be defective here, and the translation of this sentence
is tentative. The sentence lacks a subject.]. Then they went from
east to west via the northern regions to join with the forces
of that Chepetx, by order of their king the Xak'an. Going through
the Choray gate with a multitude of troops they went to give aid
to the Byzantine emperor.
The rebellion of the great patrician
Atat Xotxorhuni, and his death. The Iranian and Byzantine borderlords.
Now what shall I say about another rebellion,
that of Atat Xorhxorhuni? He was a great patrician, as a result
of which the emperor ordered him summoned to the palace. He went
to him accompanied by 17 men. [The emperor] exalted and glorified
him and those with him by a fitting and attractive reception,
and gave him gold and silver vessels and an extremely large amount
of treasure.
[The emperor] ordered him to go to his
forces in Thrace. Taking leave of the emperor [Atat]departed.
While traveling [78] along the road he had the idea of rebelling
and going over to the Iranian king. Departing from the road he
went to the seashore where he encountered a boat. He said to the
boatsmen: "Take me across to the other side, for I have been
sent on important work by the emperor". After cajoling the
boatsmen, they took him across. In a great hurry he quickly reached
the country of Armenia. No one knew of his route until he was
quite a distance from the shore. But then somehow they learned
of his departure. Troops from city to city went against him but
were unable to resist. Enroute [Atat] battled eighteen times and
was the victor in every instance. Nonetheless, his forces were
depleted. He went in haste and reached Naxchawan. The Iranians
received him and he secured himself into the [g69] fortress.
King Xosrov was informed about what
had happened and sent against [the Byzantines] Parsayenpet with
troops. As soon as the force approached, [the Byzantines] left
the city and departed. [Atat] quickly went to the Iranian king
who received him affectionately, exalting him with honors, giving
him treasures, and commanding that he be given a stipend from
the court treasury [rhochik yark'unust].
[79] One year later Maurice died and
Phocas ruled. [Atat] planned to rebell and go to the Byzantine
emperor. He began to prepare horses and to ready armaments and
attract rascals to himself. News of this reached the king's ears.
He ordered [Atat] to be bound hand and foot and beaten to death
with clubs.
These are [the names of] the borderlords
in the country of Armenia and the city of Dwin [in that sector
of the country under] the lordship of Iran in the years of that
peace:
Vndatakan
Nixawrakan. The Iranian troops killed him at Dwin and themselves went as rebels to Geghum. Merkut
Yazden
Butmah
Yeman
Now in the Byzantine sector [the borderlords
were]:
Yovhan the Patrician,
Heraclius
general Suren
until thirteen years of peace had elapsed.
Then the emperor issued an order [which
said]: "It is detrimental to me to have 30,000 cavalrymen
in the land of [80] Armenia. Let 30,000 families be assembled
for me there and settled in the land of Thrace". He dispatched
Priskos to Armenia to see to this matter. But when he arrived,
news of a great disturbance reached him, and Priskos arose and
departed with incredible haste. [g70]
The killing of emperor Maurice and the
reign of Phocas. The rebellion of general Erakghes (Heraclius)
of Alexandria and general Nerses of Syrian Mesopotamia. Urha (Edessa)
is besieged by the Byzantines and the city of Dara [is besieged]
by Xosrov. Troops are mustered from [the Iranian sector of] Armenia
and prince Juan Veh is made their commander. He comes to Edessa
and takes T'eodos. The destruction of Dara. The Byzantines take
Edessa; general Nerses is killed.
In the 14th year of king Xosrov and
in the 20th year of Maurice's reign, the Byzantine army which
was in Thrace rebelled from the emperor and enthroned as their
king a certain man named Phocas. Going together to Constantinople,
they killed the emperor Maurice and his son and seated Phocas
on the throne of the kingdom. Then they themselves went to the
Thracian area to oppose the enemy. Now the empeor Maurice had
a son named T'eodos, and a rumor spread throughout the entire
country that T'eodos had escaped and gone to the Iranian king.
Thus there was no small agitation in the lordship [81] of the
Romans, in the capital city, in the city of Alexandria in Egypt,
in Jerusalem and Antioch and in all parts of the country, [people]
took up the sword and killed one another.
Emperor Phocas ordered all the rebels
who wavered [in their loyalty] to his rule to be killed. Many
were slain there in the capital. He dispatched a certain prince
Bonos with troops against Antioch, Jerusalem, and all parts of
the land. He went and struck Antioch and Jerusalem and indeed
the entire multitude of cities in that country were consumed by
the sword. [g71]
Then the general Heraclius who was in
the Alexandria area rebelled from Phocas along with his own troops.
He forcibly detached the country of Egypt [from Byzantine control].
In Syrian Mesopotamia general Nerses also rebelled. Together with
his troops he entered and took the city of Edessa. [But a Byzantine]
force came against him and besieged the city and [Nerses'] troops.
When king Xosrov heard about this, he
assembled the entire multitude of his troops, went to the West,
reached the city of Dara which he invested and besieged and started
battling with. In the regions of Armenia, troops were assembled,
a certain [82] great prince, Juvan Veh, being their commander.
Then king Xosrov divided [his forces] into two parts: one part
he left around the city; with the other he himself went against
those forces which were besieging Edessa. He came upon them at
dawn, unexpectedly. Some were slain by the sword; some took to
flight; some (who had gone into the Euphrates river for security)
died there; some were pursued. King Xosrov approached the city
gate, so that they would open it and so that he might enter. Now
Nerses dressed a youth in royal garb, placed a crown [psak]
on his head and sent him [to Xosrov], saying: "This is T'eodos,
emperor Maurice's son. Have mercy upon him, just as his father
had mercy on you".
King Xosrov received him with great
delight, departed, and went to the city of Dara. He kept [T'eodos]
with him in royal honor. [Xosrov] besieged Dara for one and a
half years. He dug beneath the city walls, demolished the wall,
and took the city, putting everyone to the sword. He looted the
city, [g72] then went to Ctesiphon, since his troops were worn
and wasted from battle. But another force from Byzantium came
upon Edessa, fought with and took the city. They seized and killed
Nerses, and shed blood there. [83]
The Iranians and Byzantines battle in
the plain of Shirak, and the Byzantines are defeated. Another
battle takes place in Tsaghkotn. The Byzantines are defeated,
T'eodos Xorxorhuni surrenders, giving the fortress to the Iranians.
[T'eodos Xorxorhuni's] death.
Now Juan Veh, who had been dispatched
to the Armenian area with his troops, reached the city of Dwin
in Ayrarat district in wintertime. He stopped there, resting his
forces until spring came.
Meanwhile the Byzantine troops were
assembled in the town of Eghevard. The Iranian troops came against
them and a battle took place in the plain of Eghevard in which
[the Byzantines] struck at the Iranians and severely defeated
them. The general [Juan Veh] was slain in the fight while the
survivors fled, pursued. [The Byzantines] looted the Iranian army
and then returned to their camp on the riverbank called Horhomots'
[Romans'] meadow.
The next year, while king Xosrov battled
with the city of Dara, another Iranian force was assembled in
Armenia under the command of Datoyean. The Byzantine army assembled
in the plain of Shirak, in the village named Shirakawan. They
located there and stayed some days embroiled in internecine [84]
strife, terrified of an attack by the foreign enemy. The Iranian
troops came upon them, roaring like lions. Now [the Byzantines]
abandoned their campsite and crossed the river to the plain called
Akanits', pursued by the Iranian troops which caught up with them.
The battle took place in the village named Getik. As the two sides
were approaching each other to fight, the inhabitants of the district
had gathered in Ergina fortress. A multitude of youths streamed
out of there armed with scythes and swords [gerandawk'
ew srianawk'], fell on the army's rear causing great
slaughter, leaving wounded men, and taking loot and booty, returned
to their fortress.
When the two armies met in battle, [the
Iranians] put the Byzantine forces to flight before them. Pursuing
them, they killed many men, filling the plains and roads with
corpses. Very few survivors managed to flee. [The Iranians] took
the loot and returned to their army. When they observed the evil
that had been wrought, they attacked the fortress in a mob and
took it. Many they killed with the sword, many out of fright hurled
themselves from the precipice; some fled through the gate which
faced the river, while all the rest were taken into slavery. On
that day 33 villages around the fortress [85] were similarly enslaved.
[When the Iranians] had gathered up all the loot of the district,
the troops turned and went to Atrpatakan.
Then Senitam Xosrov arrived. The Byzantine
army was settled in Tsaghkotn close to the village called Angegh
which the Aratsani river flows through, and on the other side
they had pulled apart the village and drawn its fortification
around themselves. Their commander was T'eodos Xorhxorhuni. The
Iranian troops came and encamped near them, to their rear. At
first, terrified, [the Byzantines] spoke of peace with them recommending
that they not fight and instead they would leave them the fortress
and depart peacefully. But as they were united, the matter went
no further. Rather, confident of their fortification, they thought
they might accomplish something. The next morning the Iranian
troops went against them. None [of the Byzantines] had armed himself
or saddled his horse. If anyone did so, the children of the princes
[mankunk' ishxanats'n] ran over [g74] and
disarmed the men, tormenting them severely and slashing the horses'
saddles with their swords.
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