The multitude of the troops of the legions,
that is of the [221] Byzantine sheild-bearers, as well as the
Armenian shield-bearerers were protecting the side of the Armenian
troops. They themselves were surrounded with shields, resembling
a secure city. When the Iranian troops were able to disperse the
Byzantine troops or the brigade of Armenian spearmen somewhat,
[the dispersed soldiers] would enter the legion of shield-bearing
Byzantines or the shield-bearing Armenians as though entering
a fortress, and rest there [The text differentiates between asparakir
(or sparakir) and vahanawor both of which we Iranslate
identicallly]. As soon as they had rested a little, they would
emerge thence and attack, felling and beheading countless Iranians
before them, and always making the same encouraging remarks as
they killed; regarding their king Arshak. Again, when the Iranian
troops appeared to be getting the upper hand, [the Armenians and
Byzantine troops] would go to the legions of shield-bearing troops,
as to a secure fortress, the shields would part, let them in,
and then close again. On that day, the Iranian troops were defeated
by the Byzantine troops and Terent their stratelate, and
by the Armenian brigades and their sparapet Mushegh. King
Shapuh of Iran fled from that battle, with a few [retainers].
[The Armenians] set up border-guards, then they themselves returned
to their king Pap, with great renown, good booty and glorious
pomp.
When king Shapuh had returned to his
land, he was amazed at the [222] bravery of the fighting brigade
which he had encountered, and he said: "I am astonished at
what I saw. From my childhood onward, [g206] I have always been
fighting. In the many years since I became king I have not spent
a single year without fighting. But this [recent] war was a fiery
one. For when the Armenian spearmen were out in front, they attacked
like a tall mountain, or like a thick, mighty and immovable tower.
As soon as we routed them a bit, they took refuge in the Byzantine
legion, which opened its shield-barrier as though receiving them
into the walls of a secure city. There [the Armenians] would rest
a little, and once again emerge to fight, until they had wiped
out the Aryan troops. Furthermore I am amazed at the [enduring]
intimate love for their lord, shown by the Hayastan brigade. For,
despite the many years which have passcd since their lord Arshak
was taken from them and ruined, when [the Armenians] are fighting
, they gave [each other] encouragcment in his [name]. Throwing
champions to the ground, they would say: 'Take him, Arshak'; despite
the fact that [Arshak] was not even with them. Out of love for
their lord, for their natural lord, they would dedicate all the
champions whom they killed to him. [I was also astounded] by that
frenzied brigade, the Mushegheans, for it seemed to me that flame
and fire issued from that brigade, and the emblems were such in
the brigade that it sesmed as though fire was devouring the reeds.
So much time has passed since they lost their lord Arshak (for
he is in the Xuzhastan country at Andmesh fortress), but in their
love they rcgard him as their [223] king, with them in the brigade,
at the head of the battle, and they were serving him. How fortunate
is the lord of the Armenian brigade, of such united, loyal troops
which love their lord" [g207]
Now Terent, general of the Byzantine
troops, and Mushegh, general of the Armenian troops, left Dghak
the mardpet (who because of his work was called '"father"
of the king) as border-guard at Ganjak, which is the border between
the Iranians and the Armenians. With him were 30,000 very choice,
well-armed fully-armored spearmen. Terent and Mushegh with all
the troops with them went back to king Pap. Now the mardpet
Dghak sent messengers to king Shapuh of Iran, and promised to
betray into his hands Pap, the king of Armenia, Terent the general
of the Byzantines, and Mushegh, the general of the Armenians.
And he received [from Shapuh] an extremely large amount of treasures
as gifts [ew arhnoyr i nmane ganjs pargewac' sastik yoyzh].
However other grandee naxarars who were there with him,
[such as] Gnel, lord of the Anjewac'ik' district and others, secretly
informed king Pap about this.
So king Pap sent emissariss to Dghak
the mardpet saying: "Assemble the troops entrusted
to you and give them to Gnel Anjewac'ik'. And [224] come here
at once. I must send you to king Shapuh of Iran, so that I can
enter his service". When Dghak the mardpet heard this,
he was extremely pleased inside, reasoning: "Now it will
be simple for me to carry out my plan, as I promised king Shapuh
of Iran. Now I have found a way to put Pap at rest with words,
so that he will be unconcerned and at ease. Meanvrhile, suddenly
and unexpectedly I will put the Iranian king over his head".
Thus, delightedly, he became the liason between the two kings.
He quickly sent an emissary by horse to the district of Ayrayrat,
to the,king of Armenia, [g208] Pap, to the great village on royal
holdings, called Ardeank' [i mec i gewghn enjin ark'uni, orum
Ardeansn koch'en]. [He himself] came into the king's presence
and was greatly exalted by him. At dinnertime, king Pap ordered
that Dghak be taken and dressed in a robe [of honor]. So they
dressed him in shirt and breeches [ew aguc'in nma drats ew
vartis]. But the clothing was absurdly big that fold over
fold it stretched down, to the point that he was unable to dress
himself, for he was enveloped in enormous clothing. Then they
put on a huge robe, and a belt around his waist from which a knife
hanged down. A sword was also placed on him, but the garments
folded down such that the knife and the sword were both covered.
When the breeches and boots were on, they attachsd the cutlass
to his thigh, but folds from the breeches descended down over
the cutlass, to his legs [Isk zvartisn zgec'eal, ew moyks aguc'eal,
ew znrann yazder kapeal, ew i veray nranin xorshn i varteac'n
ijeal ankeal i veray nranin cackeal minch'ew i srunsn]. But
[225] Dghak in no way realized that the bigness of the clothing
was related to his own wickedness. At the ninth hour of the day,
they summoned Dghak and said: "They are calling you to go
to dinner inside the court". Then they led him along the
route of tuns to where the king was. That street was long
having many sky-lights. They led him through it, where there were
shield-bearing men with axes; and all the openings for light were
covered over [Isk yorzham mucin i p'ogh tanc'n yorum ark'ayn
er, ew er p'oghn end erkar, bazum erds loysich's er t'ogheal,
ew tanein zna end ayn, kayr shurj sparakirn p'akeal sakraworkn,
ew zerds amenayn lusoyn cackein]. When he entered [that area]
the shield-bearers pushed him around. [Dghak] reached for his
weapons, but was unable to lay hands on them because the folds
of his garments had buried them.
Dghak was a large, personable man with
big bones. Despite this, the shield-bearers surrounded him and
picked him up, taking him to the door of the court tachar.
But when the king saw that they were bringing him there, he called
out: "Not here, not here, take him to the tun of robes
[ayl mucek' zda i tun patmuchanakac'an]". So the shield-bearing
troops took him, with his hands bound, into the tun of robes,
that is, where the court crown was put [on the head of the king]
[K'anzi i p'oghin zork' sparakrac'n mucein zna i nerk's i tunn
patmuchakac'n. kapeal jerhs yets, ays ink'n ur t'ag ark'uni dnein].
It was there that Dghak started to speak, saying: "Tell the
king, say to him, that I am [226] worthy of death, but it befits
him to slay me in the concourse, not in the tun t'agac',
which would pollute your crown with blood". He [g209] was
able to say only this much. Immediatel.y they killed him in the
chamber of the robes, beheaded him [ew andren i vansn patmuchakac'n
p'oghotec'in zna], put the head on a spear, and erected it
in the court concourse.
In that period, king Arshak of Armenia
was still somewhat alive in the country under the authority of
the kingdom of Iran, in the Xuzhastan areas, at Andmeshn fortress,
which was called the Fortress of Oblivion, Anyushn berd.
In this time, the Iranians stopped warring with the Armenians,
since the Arsacid king of the K'ushans, who resided in the city
of Baghx was warring against the Sasanian king Shapuh af Iran.
King Shapuh assembled all of the Iranian troops, and took them
to fight against him, and took, at the same time, all the captive
cavalry from the country of Armenia. They even took with them
the eunuch of king Arshak of Armenia, to fight.
And there was a eunuch of Arshak, king
of Armenia, who was a loyal ostikan, a eunuch beloved and
[possessing] a great principality and great honor, who was named
Drastamat. Now when the war commenced [227], the Iranian troops
were wickedly scattered by the K'ushan troops. Many of [the Iraniansj
were arrested, while the rest fled, chased out. It happened that
the eunuch Drastamat [was involved in the war]. He had, during
the years of Tiran, king of Armenia, and Arshak, his son, been
prince of the tun of the district and loyal to the treasures
of Angegh fortress, and all the royal fortresses in those parts
[g210]: similarly the treasures at Bnabegh fortress in the Cop'k'
country were under him. His barj was higher than [those
of] all the [other] naxarars [leaal er ishxan tan gawarhin
ew hawatarim ganjuc' Angegh berdin, ew amenayn berdac'n ark'uni
or i koghmans yayns. soynpes ew yerkrin Cop'ac' i Bnabegh berdin
ganjk'n leal ein end novaw, ew barj nora i ver k'an zamenayn naxararac'n].
Since this office and the mardpetut'iwn [whose occupant]
was called hayr (father) had been [entrusted] to eunuchs
from the beginning period of the Arsacid kingdom [Ew k'anzi
ays gorcakalut'iwn ew mardpetut'iwn, orum hayrn koch'ein nerk'ineac',
gorc leal er i bne zhamanakac' i t'agaworut'eann arshakunoy],
this eunuch, Drastamat, the prince of Angegh tun had been
taken captive to the country of Iran at the time that king Arshak
of Armenia had been seized.
Drastamat happened to be in the battle
in which the K'ushans defeated king Shapuh of Iran. Drastamat
displayed incredible bravery and even saved king Shapuh from death.
He killed many of the K'ushans and brought the heads of many champions
before [the king]. He saved king Shapuh of Iran when [the latter]
was surrounded by enemies during the fighting. Now when king Shapuh
of Iran returned to the [228] Asorestan country, he greatly thanked
the eunuch Drastamat for his labors, and king Shapuh of Iran said
to him: "Ask for whatever you want, and I will grant it,
without delay". Drastamat said to the king: "I want
nothing from you but that you order that I go to see my natural
lord, king Arshak of Armenia. For the one day that I am with him,
order that he be released from his bonds, and I shall wash his
head, annoint, and dress him in a robe. I shall place him on a
couch and put delicacies before him, give him wine, and make him
happy with musicians. Just for one day [ew urax arhnel zna
aruestakanok'n mi or chishd]". King Shapuh replied: "What
you ask for is difficult. For from the time that the Iranian kingdom
was established, and that fortress was named Anyush, no one has
dared to remind the kings about people whom they have put there.
[g211] No one has recalled a prisoner there, to say nothing of
[this prisoner] who is a king, my comrade, but now my bound adversary.
You have taken your life into your hands by mentioning Anyush.
Such a thing has not happened from the beginning of the Aryan
kingdom. However, because the labors you performed for me were
great, what you have requested will be given to you. Go, but you
should have asked for something to benefit yourself, [such as]
lands, districts, or treasures. What you requested is outside
the laws of the Aryan kingdom. But go, what you requested will
be given to you in exchange for your [help]".
[229] So [Shapuh] gave him a reliable
p'ustipan, and a hrovartak with the court seal to
allow him to go the Andmesh fortress and do as he requested for
the bound Arshak who had formerly been the king of Armenia. Drastamat
went with the p'ustipan and the court hrovartak
to Anush fortress and saw his native lord. He released Arshak
from the iron shackles on his hands and feet and the chains of
his neck collar. He washed his head and body, dressed him in a
noble robe, sat him on a couch and made him recline. Before him
he placed food befitting kings, and wine, after the custom of
kings. He revived and consoled him and made him happy with gusans
(minstrels).
At dessert time he put before him fruit,
apples, cucumbers and dainties to eat, and he gave him his knife
to peel and eat what he wanted. Drastamat greatly enlivened him.
He stood up and consoled him. But when [Arshak] had drunk the
wine and become intoxicated , he grew arrogant and said: "Vay,
woe is me, Arshak. Look what I have fallen to, and what has happened
to me". Saying this, he took the knife which he was holding
in his hand to cut the fruit or delicacy, and plunged it into
his own heart. He died then and there, [g212] on the couch. Now
when Drastamat saw this, he seized the same knife and thrust it
into his side. And he died too, at the very same hour.
After the warfare ceased in the Iranian
areas, and [the people] were secured from battle on that side,
the sparapet of Armenia, Mushegh, began to strike at those
who had rebelled from the Arsacid kingdom. First he struck at
the tun of the king of Armenia which was in Atrpayakan.
He laid waste all the districts of the Atrpatchan country, taking
many people into captivity, placing the remainder in taxation,
and taking many hostages from them.
Musgegh struck at the rebellious Noshirakan
land, which had rebelled from the king of Armenia. He destroyed
and took captives, and took hostages from the survivors. He placed
the inhabitants of the country in taxation. [g213]
Sparapet
Mushegh struck at the districts of Kordus, Kordis and Tmoris,
which had rebelled from the king of Armenia. He took captives
and ruined [the land], put the remainder under taxation, and took
hostages.
He greatly struck at the Marac' areas,
since they had rebelled from the king of Armenia. He took many
of them captive, placed the remainder under taxation, and took
hostages.
He struck the Arjax country with great
warfare. He took many of them captive, took the remainder hostage,
and placed the others under taxation.
He made war against the Aghbanian country,
striking them with unbelievable blows. He took many districts
from them, which they had taken from [the Armenians]: Uti, Shakashen,
Gardmanajor, Koght', [g214] and the districts surrounding them.
And he established the Kura river as the boundary between the
country of Aghbania and themselves, as it had been previously.
He killed many of the principal [people], placing the remainder
under taxation, and taking hostages from them.
Then sparapet Mushegh sought
great vengeance from the country of Iran and the city of P'aytakaran,
since they had revolted and betrayed [232] the king of Armenia
[ew nok'a nshkahec'in stec'in ark'ayin Hayoc']. After arriving
there, the sparapet general Mushegh beheaded many of them
as punishment, took many captive, put the rest under taxation,
took hostages from them, and left overseeing ostikans [ew
and ostikans verakac'us t'oghoyr].
Then sparapet Mushegh went against
the king of Iberia [Georgia] greatly harassing him. He struck
the country and defeated the entire land of Iberia. He put to
the sword all the azats and naxarar azgs he could
find. Sparapet Mushegh ordered that the P'arawazeans be
crucified in the land of Iberia. He seized and beheaded the bdeashx
of Gugark' who previously had served the king of Armenia but had
rebelled. He destroyed the males of [that] azg [ew zazgn
orjakotor arhner] and took the women and daughters into captivity.
Similarly he beheaded all the naxarars in those parts who
had rebelled from the king of Armenia. He took all the district,
taking hostages and putting the remainder [g215] under taxation.
He conquered as far as the old boundary which existed between
the country of Armenia and the country of Iberia, namely the great Kura river, and then
he turned back.
Then general Mushegh turned to the Aghjnik'
country, striking the country with great blows, for they too had
rebelled from the king of Armania. He arrested the bdeashx
of Aghjnik', destroyed his women in his presence [], took their
sons into captivity, put the survivors under taxation, left overseers
and ostikans, and than departed the country of Aghjnik'.
After that they invaded Greater Cop'k',
since they had rebelled. Mushegh subjected the district of Greater
Cop'k' to pillage. He put its azgs to the sword, took hostages
and put the people under taxation.
He also struck many people in Angegh
tun and put them to the sword. However, since that land
was court ostan from very early times, the inhabitants
of the district themselves [already] were in [234] tax service
[Bayc' ashxarhn, zi ostan ark'uni leal er vagh vagh, bnakich'k'
gawarhin ew ink'eank' kayin i harki carhayut'ean]. [g216]
Then Mushegh invaded the district of
Anjit, striking the areas of districts surrounding it. For they
too had rebelled from the Arsacid kingdom. He put the lords of
the district to the sword, took hostages and subdued them. He
put all of them into tax service to Pap, king of Armenia.
But the brave general sparapet
of Armenia was full of vengeance, and all the days of his life
he was very zealous and loyally and with just labor tried always
to work for the kingdom of the land of Armenia [li er k'iniw
mecaw...ardar vastakov janayr hanapaz ew vastaker i veray t'agaworut'eann
Hayoc' ashxarhin]. He worked day and night. He strived and
labored in warfare, and did not permit even a grain to be taken
from the borders of the country of Armenia. He lived for the land,
and would die for the reputation of bravery, and for the native
lords, the inhabitants of the land, the Christian faith, the baptized
people who believe in God and Christ, for the churches, for the
donated ornaments [i veray nuireal spasuc'], for the martyria
of Christ, for the covenant of God, for the sisters and brothers,
for the relatives of [his] tohm , and close friends [i
veray merjaworac' tohmin, i veray barekac' barekir barekamac'].
General Mushegh was always in heroic war, and [was willing to]
give his life for the land. He did not spare his life, but all
the days of his life he labored for his native lords, the Arsacids.
[g217]
The archbishop of Armenia, Nerses, was
[re]building all the ruined places in the country of Armenia.
He took the initiative, [236] consoled, provisioned and was a
supervisor of all the poor, and gave repose to the lepers and
the poor [yanjn arhner ew mxit'arer, darmaner ew tesuch' liner
amenayn aghk'atac' ew zorkuns ew zaghk'ats hanguc'aner]. He
built churches everywhere, and he restored all the destroyed ones.
All of the overturned orders, he corrected and renewed. He confirmed,
advised, reproached, and he wrought many signs of very great powers,
and much healing, miraculously. He greatly strengthened the laws,
whomever he blessed was blsesed; whomever he cursed, and cursed
[Ew yorensn saster mecapes. One ms. has yanorensn].
He increased the orders of clerics in all places in the boundaries
of the sway of Armenia. He set up supervisory bishops in all the
districts [ew yamenayn gawarhs kac'oyc' tesuch's episkoposs].
As long as he lived he constantly paid attention to his superintendency
and authority.
Now when king Pap was still a boy, a
newborn baby, his impious mother P'arhanjem dedicated him to the
dews. Consequently, he was full of dews from his
boyhood [yanzham joneac' zna diwac' anoren mayr P'arhanjem,
ew vasn aynorik li er diwok' i tghayut'ene iwrme]. For he
was always doing what the dews [237] wanted, and did not
even want to be healed. He behaved in accordance with the dews
and through sorcery the dews appeared upon him. Everyone
could see the dews with their own eyes. [g218] Every day
when people went to bid him good morning, they saw the forms of
snakes arising from king Pap's breasts, snakes which curled around
his shoulders. Everyone saw them and were afraid to come close.
But he would respond to the people, saying: "Don't be afraid,
they are mine". And everyone constantly saw these forms about
him.
Many dews had put their nest
in him, and they always appeared to the people who came to see
the king. However, when the patriarch Nerses or the blessed bishop
Xad came into his presence, the dews disappeared. King
Pap was also sunk in abomination. Sometimes he himself [took
the role] of the woman and gave himself over to profanation; other
times, he got other men to be the woman, and commited abomination
with them. Sometimes he copulated with animals. And thus, all
the days of his life he was operated by dews, which dwelled
inside of him.
But the blessed archbishop of Armenia,
Nerses, was constantly reproaching, reprimanding and chiding king
Pap greatly, and because [238] of his wickedness, [Nerses] did
not permit him to cross the threshold of the church, or to go
inside. He was always reprimanding, reproaching and advising that
[the king] find himself [and save himself] from the ruination
of his deeds. He always spoke with him to make him think of atonement.
He put before him testimonies from Scripture, terrifying him about
the punishment of eternal judgements, so that he come to his senses,
beoome good, and pursue the orders of justice and pure deeds.
[g219]
Now king Pap in no way heeded what [Nerses]
said, but rather, he resisted him with great emnity and awaited
his death. Indeed, he wanted to kill him openly, but because of
the Byzantine emperor, he did not dare even to dishonor him openly,
or to speak severely, to say nothing about killing him. Furthermore
the people of his own land and all the troops were totally against
doing anything of this sort to a man whom all the people of the
land of Armenia were indebted for his just deeds, clean behavior
and peaceful leadership. And because of [Nerses'] obvious miraculous
deeds, everyone looked upon him as a heavenly angel. But the king
was resentful of him and wanted to kill him, but did not even
dare to speak of this lest his own troops kill him. For everyone
so loved him and took refuge in his prayers, the grandees and
the lowly, the venerable and the dishonored, the azats
and the shinakans.
King Pap was always at odds with the
great chief priest because this man of God, Nerses, was constantly
reprimanding him on account of the wicked sins he was committing.
[Pap] did not want to come to his senses or correct himself, but
was also unable to bear the perpetual insulting reproaches. He
planned to kill the great chief priest of God, Nerses. But since
he was unable to do this openly, he falsely pretended that he
had come to the correct way and beseeched the chief priest of
God to administer pennance to him. He called him to his mansion
at Xax awan in [g220] the Ekegheac' district. He made a
dinner for him and beseeched the man of God to sit on the royal
couch, as though by this he would be cleansed from his wickedness
and thereafter would enter into atonement.
Now when [Pap] had seated [Nerses] [in the] foremost [place] [Isk ibrew zarhajinn bazmec'oyc'], the king himself stood bare-headed, moved to the middle of the floor, and offered Nerses, the man of God, some pure wine for that meal. But he had mixed poison into the drinking-vessel which he offered him [ew degh mahu end kotindn xarhneal matuc'aner nma]. When [Nerses] drank from that cup, he immediately sensed what had [240] happened, and began to say: "Blessed is our Lord God Who made me worthy of drinking this cup and achieving the death which I had wanted from my childhood, for the Lord. I accept this cup of salvation and will call out the name of the Lord so that I too will be able to attain a part of the legacy of the saints, in light. But as for you, oh king, it befits you as a king to openly order me killed. Who is stopping you, who stays your hand from doing what you want to do? But Lord, forgive them this deed which they have done to me; accept the soul of Your servant, You Who give rest to the weary and Who fulfills all goodness".
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