P'awstos Buzandac'i's
History of the Armenians



Third Book


Beginning


1.


Others have written about all of the following: [events transpiring] from the time of the sermonizing of the Apostle Thaddeus, from the time of his martyrdom to the conclusion of the doctrine of [St.] Gregory and the latter's death, and [events transpiring] from the period of king Sanatruk the Apostle-killer until the unwilling submission of king Trdat to the [Christian] faith and the latter's death. [Other writers] have already described past events regarding the lives of good people of the past, as well as the actions of those adversaries who resisted them. In our present [work], to preserve the proper ordering of events, we too have briefly recorded [some of the same events, chosing] not to ignore them. For there [2] is a part of our history which is the beginning, and a part which is the ending. As for the middle part, that was written by others [? Vasn zi e inch' mer patmut'iwn or arhajin e, ew inch' or verjun e. isk or mijin inch' eghew, ayn i jern ayloc' grel grec'aw.] But so that no hiatus would be noticed in the middle of our history, to complete the contents (like a brick placed in the wall of a building) we recorded [what others had written]. As a result, [sections] are arranged in successive order [? Ays inch' or inch' yet aysorik kargi, ast patmi asten arh smin]. [g17]

2.


Now during the reign of Trdat, son of Xosrov, [the land of Armenia] was illuminated with agreeable affection and pious faith by Gregory the great priest, son of Anak. [Gregory's] younger son Aristakes was a co-bishop with his father during the entire course of [Gregory's] docrinal [teachings], every day of his life, until the day that Christ called him to his rest. Dwelling places and worthy tombs were prepared for them--for the great Gregory in the village called T'ordan in Daranaghik' district; and the blessed Aristakes his son, after the acknowledgement of his death, was taken from Cop'k' district and buried in the T'il awan in the district of Ekegheac' [3] on the property of his father Gregory.

3.


After this Xosrov Kotak ruled [A.D. 330-339], grandson of Xosrov, and son of the brave and virtuous king Trdat [III, the Great, 303-330]. In [Xosrov's] day Gregory's senior son Vrt'anes came and became the chief priest [sitting] on the throne of his father, in place of his father and brother. During the years of their [tenure in the land of Armenia] there grew and multiplied peace and cultivation, population, health, [g18] fertility, abundance of goods, profitability, great divine worship and good, God-pleasing behavior. The blessed Vrt'anes illuminated and led [the Armenians] as had his father and his brother. Law and justice flourished in that age.

In that period Vrt'anes the archbishop went to the Taron country where the great, first, and mother church of Armenia was located. [It was here that] long ago, during the days of the great chief-priest Gregory's miracles, the altars/idols of the temples [ur nshanok'n eghelok' korcanec'an bagink' mehenic'n] had been destroyed. Having gone [to Taron, Vrt'anes] performed there, in accordance with his constant custom, a mass of thanksgiving for the salvation provided by the [4] Lord's crucifixion, and communion in memory of the torments of our lord Jesus Christ, the son of God, Whose body and blood brought life and freedom. For it was the custom of the archbishops of Armenia [translating episkoposapet' as "archbishop", and k'ahanayapet as "chief priest"] , together with the kings, grandees, naxarars and lay multitude, to revere the same places which previously had been the sites of the images of idols [or yarhaj ein teghik' patkerac' krhoc'n] but subsequently had been sanctified in the name of divinity, becoming houses of prayer and places of pilgrimage for all. They were especially accustomed to assemble in the principal church of the place and celebrate the memory of the saints who had been there, on the seventh of the month of Sahmi [Translator's note: The text reads ami ami ewt'n angam. We translate according to the emendation of Norayr (also followed by Malxasyanc') which substitutes Sahmi (the 3rd month of the Armenian calendar=March) for ami.] The same custom was adhered to even more in the great chapel of the prophet John; in the chapels of the Lord's Apostolic students and in the martyriums of heros [where] each year [people] gathered to joyously commemorate their days [designated for observing] their habits, and the brave deeds of their lives. Now on this occasion an event took place when the great chief-priest Vrt'anes was going about with a few [attendants] to perform the mass of blessing. Those people who had retained the old pagan worship of idols in secret until that time, had assembled together some 2,000 of [5] them, and planned amongst themselves to kill God's chief priest Vrt'anes. The king's wife had encouraged them somewhat in this [g19] since the blessed [Vrt'anes] had reprimanded her for prostitute's behavior, for secret adultery. They came and surrounded the great wall of the church of Ashtishat, and while [Vrt'anes] was inside performing the service, a large number of troops on the outside wanted to shut him in and besiege him. But the arms of every man in the brigade were drawn back upon their shoulders and miraculously bound there without any [material] binding. Thus tied, bound and defeated all of them (belonging to the world-devouring, world-destroying evil-doing tohms and azgs of [pagan] priests) fell to the ground speechless and unable to move from the spot. As the mob was thus bound and massed on the church portico, Vrt'anes himself emerged and inquired: "Who are you, whence do you come, where are you going, and what do you want"? Then they began to speak the truth and confessed: "We came to destroy this place and to kill you, daring to do this by order of the great queen of Armenia. But the Lord God revealed His strength and showed us that He alone is God. And now we acknowledge and believe that He alone is God. Thus we are now bound and unable even to move from the place". The venerable Vrt'anes then spoke words of doctrine and confirmed them in the faith of the one Lord Jesus Christ, saying a great deal to them. Then he offered prayes and asked God to heal and [6] release them from the invisible bonds and the incredible confinement of torments. As soon as they were freed from this they all fell before him and asked for the medicine of repentance. [Vrt'anes] stipulated a time of atonement for them. Having taught them the faith of the united holy Trinity, he then baptized some 2,000 [men], to say nothing of their women and children. Thus did he join them to the faith and released them cleansed and believers. [g20]

4.


In that period a great agitation arose in the land of Armenia. For two great naxarars and princes, holders of districts and lords of lands [gawarhakalk' ashxarhateark'] became each other's enemies and, with great rancour stirred up a fight, warring with one another without justice. The prince of the Manawazean tohm and the nahapet of the Orduni tohm thus disturbed the great land of Armenia. They engaged each other in great warfare and many people were killed. King Xosrov and the great archbishop Vrt'anes sent the great and honorable bishop Aghbianos into their midst to speak of reconciliation and peace. The venerable Aghbianos went amongst them to correct and subdue them and make them achieve reconciliation with each other. But they dishonored him [7] and did not heed his intercession. They ridiculed the man who had been sent to them, dispatched the bishop with great insults, and took and ruined the royal tun. Severely enraged they promptly commenced warring with each other. With great anger and wrath the king sent against them Vach'e, son of Artawazd, nahapet of the Mamikonean tohm, from the azg of the sparapetut'iwn of Armenia, a great general with his troops, to kill and destroy those two azgs. The general Vach'e went and struck at those two azgs and did not leave a single male child alive [ew och' t'oghoyr zerkoc'unc' tohmac'n zorj koriwn ew och' mi]. Then he returned to king Xosrov, the monarch of Armenia [arh ark'ayn Xosrov t'agaworn Hayoc'], and to the archbishop Vrt'anes. And [the king] gave to the bishop Aghbianos for the Church the awan and the bun residential village of the nahapet of the Manawazean [Ew et zawann ew zbun gahoyic' gewghn...], [namely] Manawazakert with all of its borders and [g21] the small district lying about them (which was in the area of the Euphrates river). They also gave the bun village of the Ordunis (which was named Ordoru whence came the bishop of Basen) with all of its borders. He himself was from the Basen country [Translator's note: The text is corrupt: Ew etun zbun gewghn Ordunwoc', oroy anun er Ordoru. usti episkopos Basanu amenayn sahmanok' handerj, or ink'n isk e yerkrin Basanu. Malxasyanc believes that the Orduni land was given to the bishop of Basen.]


8


5.


Vrt'anes and Aristakes were sons of the great chief priest Gregory. Aristakes, who had been a pure celebate from childhood, was first [after Gregory] to sit on the patrimonial throne of the episcopate, despite the fact that he was the younger son. Vrt'anes had been married, but was childless. For a long time he beseeched God not to deprive him of the blessing of a son a fruit of his own which he would place in the Lord's service. In [Vrt'anes'] old age the Lord heard his prayers, his wife became pregnant and bore twin sons. [Vrt'anes] named one of them after his father Gregory, and the other, Yusik. They were raised in the presence of the king of Armenia and they took care to give them an education [ew usman groc' p'oyt' i veray usuc'anel znosa]. Subsequently, the senior son, Grigoris, who was an attractive virtuous individual, full of spiritual accomplishments and knowledge of God, attained the episcopate of the areas of Aghbania and Iberia [Georgia]. He did not marry, but already at the age of fifteen became bishop of the land of Iberia and Aghbania, that is to say, of the borders of the Mazk'ut'k'. Going there, he rennovated the churches with luminous orders, resembling his [grand]father Gregory in his actions.

[9] Tiran [339-350], son of king Xosrov, raised Yusik. The king's son Tiran gave his daughter in marriage to Yusik, son of Vrt'anes. His wife became pregnant after Yusik (then still a lad) entered her on the first night. In a vision [Yusik] saw as though it were reality that [his wife would bear] two lads not suitable for the Lord God's service [g22] and he regretted his marriage. He wept and beseeched God and did penance with great tribulation. It was the king who had forced him as a lad to marry. But this was also accomplished by God's will, since in the future he had to provide principal shepherds who must serve the Apostolic commands for the benefit of the land and the profit of serving the churches [i shah mshakut'ean ekeghec'eac']. But after that one evening, he did not couple with his wife again. [Later] his wife bore twins as he had forseen in the vision; they named the first Pap and the second At'anagines.

With his boyish virtue, after coupling with his wife that one night, he did not approach her again. It was not that he regarded marriage as an evil thing, but rather, he had doubts because of the vision he had seen, [wondering] why such despicable children should issue from him. For he had not wanted [ordinary] earthly children, but such who would stand in service to the lord God. In general [Yusik] scorned every mundane thing [10] regarding as good, not the transitory, but the sublime. He wanted to look upon divine life. He regarded serving Christ as the only good and glorious thing, and ignored such things as the king's affection or honor and exaltation from him, or the relationship of being the king's son-in-law. He turned his back and rejected all of that, considering it foreign, loathesome and illusory. Following that first incident he was no longer tricked as a lad might be, but having received his patrimonial intellect and the wisdom of an old man, he wisely tended toward the immortal. He regarded insults [borne] for Christ preferable to the greatness of kings. He chose for himself an ascetic life and from the age of twelve he was virtuous. He resembled his fathers and followed the example of his brother [g23] Gregory. To the end of his life he bore the Christian yoke without any obstruction.

However the tun of the king was angered at him. While his father-in-law was dishonoring hin for [ignoring his wife], his wife died, and Yusik was freed from his father-in-law [ew minch' derh vasn aynorik zzuein zna anerk' nora, merhaw kin nora. Azateal liner Yusik i yaneroyn]. When [Yusik] was worrying about the children, the issue of his marriage, and was praying to the Lord, the Lord's angel appeared to him in a vision and said: "Yusik, [grand]son of Gregory, fear not. [11] For the Lord has heard your prayers. Behold, other children will be born from your children, and they will be illuminators of the land of Armenia [hayastan ashxarhis] and fountains of spiritual wisdom. The graces of God's commandments will flow from them and the Lord will grant through them much peace, and the construction and establishment of many churches, with great triumph and power. And many misguided [folk] will be turned onto the path of Truth. Through them Christ will be glorified in many languages [orov K'ristos bazum lezuok' p'arhaworesc'i nok'ok']. They will be pillars of the churches, dispensers of the word of Life, foundations of the faith, servants of Christ, and satellites of the holy Spirit. For where the foundation of a structure is, there the pinnacle will be found. By their cultivating hands many fruit-bearing, profitable and useful plants will be planted in the spiritual garden and be blessed by God. Those who do not want to be planted by them and be watered by the spiritual dew of knowledge, will be cursed and rejected, and their end will be in the burning fires [of Hell]. For the sake of the Lord they will frequently be subjected to the spite and envy of unworthy people. But they will remain unmoved in the faith, as a rock, and will conquer [the unworthy] with much patience. After them will reign falseness, unbridled, self-indulgent, lovers of silver [12] cheaters, untrustworthy despicable liars and slanderers, such that very few people will remain who will be able to hold firmly the covenant of the faith". When the lad Yusik heard all of [g24] this from the angel, with great consolation he thanked the Lord God Who made him worthy of such a revealed answer. And every day of his life he ceaselessly gave thanks.

6.


As regards bishop Grigoris (Vrt'anes' son and Yusik's brother), he became the kat'olikos of the Iberian and Aghbanian areas, occupying this office while he too was still a lad. He built and rennovated all the churches of those parts, extending into the districts of the Atrpatakan area. He preached the truth of faith in Christ and appeared miraculous and amazing before everyone with his severe, unbearable ascetical conduct, keeping fasts, with his clean life, sleepless vigils and ceaseless fervent prayers to the Lord God, for all people. With the grace of God he perfectly conducted the Apostolic course and superindencency of the blessed Church, taking care, encouraging and exhorting everyone to goodness, with day and evening fasts and prayers, inspiring everyone near and far with spiritual zeal, supplications and perfect faith. Like a heroic warrior he trained and kept himself ready for all sorts of trials and sorrows, so [13] that he be able to emerge from every battle boldly [triumphant] for the true faith of Christ.

When [Grigorisj had reformed and rennovated all the churches in those parts, he reached the camp [ehas na mich'ew i chambar banakin] of the Arsacid king of the the Mazk'ut'k' named Sanesan. The Armenian kings and [the Mazk'ut'k'] kings were relatives, of the same tohm [K'anzi ew noc'a ew Hayoc't'agaworac'n mi azgaworut'iwn er tohmin bnut'ean], [Grigoris] went and [g25] presented himself to the king of the Mazk'ut'k', the prince of a multitude of Honk' troops. In their presence he began preaching Christ's Gospel to them, saying: "Recognize God". At first they listened and accepted this. But subsequently they began to examine the faith of Christ and learned from [Grigoris] that God despised looting, ravaging, killing, greed, depriving others, eating others [zayloc' kerut'iwn] and coveting other people's goods. When they learned these facts they grew angry at his words and said: "If we do not ravage, do not loot, do not take the belongings of others, how will such a huge multitude of troops as we live" ? Although [Grigoris] wanted to win their hearts with a myriad of goodly words, they in no way wanted to listen, but rather said to each other: "He has come with such words to deprive us of [14] the bravery of the hunt and to destroy our lives. If we should listen to him and convert to the Christian faith, how will we live, for we will be unable to mount a horse according to the natural laws of our customs. This is the plan of the king of Armenia who has sent him to us in order to stop our pillaging expeditions from going to his land, by means of this teaching. Come, let us eliminate him [ekayk' zsa pakasec'usc'uk' i mijoy], go invade Armenia, and fill up our land with booty".

The king listened to the words of his troops and changed his mind. Taking a wild horse, they bound the lad Grigoris, tied him to the horse's tail and let the horse run free, across the plain which borders the great northern sea outside their camp, in the Vatneay plain. Thus did they kill the virtuous preacher of Christ, the lad Grigoris. Those who had accompanied [Grigoris] from the district of Haband, took his body and brought it to their district, Haband, on the border of Armenia, in the Aghbanian area, to the village called Amaraz, They placed him by the church which had been built by Grigoris' grandfather, the first Gregory, the great chief priest of the country of Armenia [ashxarhin Hayastan erkrin]. Every year the people of the districts of those lands assembled there and commemorated with joy the feast in honor of his bravery.[g26]


15


7.


In that period Sanesan, king of the Mazk'ut'k', grew unbelievably rancorously angry at his relative, Xosrov, king of Armenia. He assembled all the troops of Honk' and P'oxs, T'awaspars, Hechmataks, Izhmaxs, Gat's and Gghuars, Gugars, Shch'bs and Chghbs and Baghaschs and Egersuans [The editors recommend emending this to Egerac'woc' (Suaneanc') p. 27 n.1], with a multitude of other rabble, a countless army of nomadic troops many of which he himself ruled. He crossed his border, the great Kur river, and came and filled up the country of the land of the Armenians. There was no counting the multitude of [his] cavalry brigades or the infantry troops armed with spears [shertawor hetewak zorun], and indeed, they themselves were unable to count their own men. But when they came to some notable spot and held a review by brigade, banner, and battalion [gndi gndi, droshu droshu, vashtuc' vashtuc'], they ordered that each man carry a stone, bring it and place it [to make] a mound. However many stones there were would represent the number of the multitude and this would remain for the future and awesome symbol of bygone days. On intersecting points along the road they left such symbols. They came and covered the entire country of Armenia. [16] They demolished, enslaved and generally destroyed, spreading through the borders as far as the small city of Satagh [i p'ok'r k'aghak'ikn Sataghu], and as far as Ganjak in the borders of Atrpatakan. They went to one designated place in the Ayraratean district, where they assembled as one large army.

Xosrov, king of Armenia, eluded his brothers, as well as [g27] Sanesan, king of the Mazk'ut'k' [Ew xoys et t'agaworn Hayoc' Xosrov yiwrme eghbarc'n, noyn i Sanesanay yark'ayen Mazk't'ac']. Taking the aged archbishop of Armenia Vrt'anes with him, they went to the secure Darewnic' fortress in the Kovg country. There they began to fast and to beseech God to save them from such a bitter executioner. This they asked of the Lord God. But [Sanesan] held and tyrranized over the entire country for about a year. Then Vach'e (son of Artawazd) of the Mamikonean tohm arrived, the general of all of Greater Armenia. In that period he had gone on a long journey to the Byzantine areas. He assembled all the bravest of the naxarars, organized a very large brigade, and fell upon the [enemy] army at the time of the morning worship. [Sanesan's men] were encamped on the mountain called C'lu glux [Bull's Head]. [Vach'e] put them all to the sword, not leaving anyone alive, and returned with a multitude of captives. Then he collected the loot and descended into the plain of the Ayraratean district. He went [17] and located Sanesan, king of the Mazk'ut'k' with his main brigade [bun gndawn], an inestimable, countless number of troops, in the city of Vagharsapat. Vach'e took [his] brigade and suddently attacked the city, and the Lord betrayed it into his hands.

When [the enemy] saw that [Vach'e] had attacked them, they fled from the city on the rough road leading to Oshakan fortress thinking that the desert and rocky places would serve them as a refuge. There was an extremely severe battle. The comrades--in-arms of the general of Armenia were:

Bagrat Bagratuni,
Mehundak and Garegin Erheshtunik'
Vahan, nahapet of the Amatunik' tohm,
and Varaz Kaminakan.

They struck and killed the troops of Alans, Mazk'ut'k', Honk' and other peoples, filling the rocky plain with the corpses of the dead. An incredible amount of blood coursed like a river, and there was no counting the dead troops. They chased the few survivors before them as far as the land of the Baghaschs, and they brought the head of the great king Sanesan to the king of Armenia. [g28] [18] but when [Xosrov] saw this, he began to weep, saying: "He was my brother, of the Arshakuni azg". Then the king and the great archbishop of Armenia came to the site of the battle where they viewed the corpses of those who had been slain. The country stank with the stench of the dead bodies. They ordered that irregular troops be called up from the landl and that the slain be covered with rocks so that the country not be polluted from the smell of the corpse's bones [zi mi i sharawoy hotoyn merheloti oskerac'n erkirn pghcesc'i]. Then the country relaxed in peace for a full year. Thus was vengeance exacted for saint Grigoris from king Sanesan and from his army. None of them survived. Not a single one.

8.


When the country of Armenia had been calmed for awhile, Xosrov, king of Armenia ordered that gifts be given to the brave men who had labored for him and [had been willing to exchange their lives for the land of Greater Armenia in all battles of the war. To general Vach'e he gave the sources of [the] Janjanak [zakans Janjanakin], and Jrabashxik' and C'lu glux [mountain] with all of its small [19] districts. Similarly he gave very great gifts to the other naxarars, He ordered his general to dig up many young trees, to bring wild hazel-nut trees of the forests [hanel xashar yashxarhen bazum. [Xashar appears only in P'awstos.] ew berel zvayreni kaghin mayreac'] and plant them in the district of Ayrarat, beginning from the secure royal fortress called Garhni and extending to the plain of Mecamor to the hill called Duin which is on the north side of the great city of Artashat. Thus they planted hazel-nut trees south of the river as far as the Tiknuni palace [zgetn xonarh minch'ew yaparansn Tiknuni]. He called this the Tachar [Temple] forest. South of this in a reedy area [? Ew miws i mayreac'n yeghegnaberanin i nmane i harawakoys lc'in zdashtn kaghnatun tnkov...] they [g29] filled up the plain with another hazel-nut forest, which they named Xosrovakert. There they built royal palaces, walling and shutting in both sites, nor were the two [areas] joined by a road, The forest[s] grew tall. Then the king ordered that all kinds of game and wild beasts [zamenayn eres ew zgazans] be gathered and placed behind the walls so that [the forests] be places for diversionary hunting and pleasure in his kingdom. General Vach'e immediately implemented what the king said.

[20] While [Xosrov] was involved with planting the forests, unexpectedly bad news reached him from Her and Zarawand district [yankarcaki guzhkan hasaner arh Xosrov i Her ew i Zarawand gawarh. Malxasyanc' believes the text is corrupt and believes the last word should be "gawarhe".] saying that the Iranian troops are preparing to come to make war on him. Then king Xosrov commanded Databe, nahapet of the Bznunik', to call up a larger than usual number of irregular troops from the land and with the muster of troops of the Matenik brigade [Hraman et...gugaz nahel yashxarhe aweli k'an zch'ap'n. ew zhamar zorsn matenik gndawn end arhaj noc'a xaghal... The expression gugaz hanel appears on p. 29 also and apparently in no other source], to go in advance of them and to strike at and block the enemy. Databe went before the Iranian troops with the multitude of Armenian troops. But when Databe arrived, he made a plan of unity with the princes of the Iranian troops and wanted to betray his lord, the king of Armenia, into their hands. He ordered the enemy to ambush his own troops, to have his own men put to the sword. Suddenly, in an unexpected fashion 40,000 Armenian troops were destroyed, while the other [surviving] troops fled. The criminal Databe took the Iranian troops and wanted to fall on the king of Armenia. Dut the fleeing troops quickly reached the army of the king of Armenia bearing the bad news of the unbelievable destruction which had occurred, and the crime of betrayal of the impious Databe.



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