Going on a short way he reached yet
another prince and asked him: "Will you fall willingly or
unwillingly"? The Iranian turned about and severed Varaz's
horse's head and he fell. But [Varaz] ran [63] underneath the
Iranian's horse and struck the horse's tendons, saying "Now
you too fall". That place was named Vayrankanis [Fall Down].
Now those [troops] who had remained at Pughk' took the two princelings
and the head of the prince who had been frightened and brought
them to Varaz. That place was named Pughk' [2 mss.: Poghk,
another, Poghak]. Then Varaz returned to his son Smbat and they
descended to Vahan. [Vahan] had cut down many men and was extremely
fatigued. Fugitives were fleeing across the fleld, whence the
place-name P'andik [3 mss.: P'oyadik].
Now the clerics once again came from
Kaghamaxeac' hill to a [g55] hill opposite the Matravank' plain.
A brigade of Iranian fugitives came upon them and beseeched the
clerics to save their lives. Now when the other brigades of the
prince of Hashteank' arrived, they asked: "Where are the
Iranians who came after the fugitives"? But the clerics would
not hand the Iranians over to them. Then the prince of Hashteank'
came up and asked: "What became of the Iranians"? [The
clerics] replied: "Behold, they are among you Armenians [Awasik
en end Hayeroyd]". And that place was
thenceforth called Haykert. Then the battle ceased. They turned
the fugitives toward Meghti, finding [64] 480 of them. They gave
them treasures and horses and released them to [go to] the Iranians
as news-bearers [to relate] the wonders they had encountered
from [the Armenians'] clerics.
Five virtuous princes conducted the
war of Taron:
Mushegh',
Vahan,
Smbat,
Vahan Kamsarakan, and
Tiran.
Blessed be their memory.
During the kingship of Heraclius [610-41],
the Iranian king Xosrov grew strong. He went as far as Jerusalem,
ruined the city, set fire to the gospels, captured the holy Cross,
took it to the Iranians and put it and [the city's religious]
vessels in reserve, until the 17th year of his reign. And [when]
Heraclius grew strong in his kingdom, he went to the Iranians,
slew Xosrov, and retrieved the holy Cross along with the captives.
Then he passed over many [65] lodging-places, [arrived in
Armenia], and gave many relics to the land of Armenia and to the
grandee princes. When he went to Ereznawan, an attendant stole
a large relic during the night, and wanted to flee. Now someone
who found out informed the king who took back the relic from him
and cut off [the thief's] head. [Heraclius] then went with his
troops to Caesarea where he gave the relic to the patriarch of
Caesarea named Yovhan. Then he returned to the royal city of Constantinople.
The same year Vahan Kamsarakan went to Caesarea, gave the patriarch
Yovhan 36,000 dahekans and brought the Cross to [the church
of] St. Karapet in Glak monastery where it was placed in a cupboard
[ew et i darann`] on the altar. It
remained there for 6 years.
Now the prince of the Arjk' area was
Gorg Shataxos [Gorg the Blabbermouth] who named his district Shatax
to further glorify himself [? vasn aweli anuan
iwrum]. [Gorg] came to the plain of Taron, to a man named
Cicarhnik who had built a small awan and named it Cicarhn.
The prince implored Cicarhnik: "Flnd some way to steal the
Cross since the church warden is your relative. Bring the Cross
to me and you will receive 6,000 dram". [66] But Cicarhnik
replied: "Keep your money. I shall take the Cross and come
to your country, select a secure place, build an awan and
name it after myself". The prince agreed to this and went
home. Now Cicarhnik sent his wife, sons, and azgatohm to
the prince of Arjk' while he himself went to the church-warden
and explained the matter to him. The man agreed [to cooperate],
removed [the Cross] from its repository and accompanied [Cicarhnik]
to the prince's country. He chose a site and built a church, and
they placed the holy symbol of the Lord there. The awan
was named Cicarhn.
Now at that time the kat'oghikos
of Armenia, Nerses (who was [g57] born in Tayk' and who built
[the church of] the Blessed Mother of God at Vagharshakert) came
to see the holy Cross. Now Vahan took the kat'oghikos
and came to Glak monastery, and he requested the holy Cross. The
[church] attendants sought for, but were unable to find it. The
princes, the kat'oghikos, and the bishops mourned,
and for 7 days Vahan neither ate nor drank. While he was asleep
by the door of the church on Friday, he saw himself, prince Vahan,
and a certain luminous man crossing over the threshold of the
church. The man said to him: "They stole me and they built
Arjk'. So permit it, since that country is secure, they cannot
steal it from there"[ ? ard t'oyl tur,
zi erkirn ayn amur e, ew
och' karen anti goghanal]. Then [Vahan]
awoke full of joy and hurried to give the kat'oghikos
the good [67] news that the Cross was at Arjk'. Overjoyed, the
following day they held a celebration and then went to the place
[mentioned in Vahan's vision], seized the cleric who had stolen
the Cross and gave him to the kat'oghikos who had
the man's two eyes gouged out since he had robbed St. Karapet.
Vahan seized Cicarhnik and beheaded him, while the prince of Arjk'
was placed in Oghkan [fortress] until he paid 100,000 dahekans.
Then [Vahan] built the church which stands on Mush hill named
after his younger son Step'annos (who is buried at the door of
the same [church]). Now Vahan gave the Cross to the bishop of
Arjk' and he set up over the church 7 priests so that each year
one would have it; and they arranged to give 6,000 drams
to the Armenians of Taron.
This History was written and
placed in the church of Cicarhn. This was in the year 130 A.E.
[= A.D. 680/81] and the year 427 of the Roman Era. Accurately
written, the History was placed in [the church of] St.
Karapet at Glak monastery by order of Nerses, the 29th kat'oghikos
of Armenia [in succession] from St. Gregory, and during the princehood
of Vahan Mamikonean. [Vahan] was the 32[nd] prince of the Mamikonean
clan [in succession] from Mushegh [Eresun ew erku
ishxan nsteal e i Musheghay
mamikonean c'eghin]. He was prince of Taron for
30 years, and marzpan for 10 years.
[68] After the recital of such accounts,
mourning descended upon our tranquil country, for Vahan was gathered
to his fathers. He is buried at the door of [the church of] St.
Karapet, having been prince of Taron and Apahunik' for 30 years.
But his son Tiran, prior to Heraclius' going to Iran, went to
[king] Xosrov's court at the command of the Iberian prince Vashdean
and his own father Vahan. Being thus among Xosrov's adopted sons,
he became marzpan of Armenla. He took many troops and came
against the Byzantines as if in war. But he sent [a message] to
the emperor, saying: "Do not be frightened by my coming.
Instead, give me a city where I may assemble the Armenian troops
and I shall be your auxiliary". And between them he made
an oath of friendship, [being] considered not only the marzpan
of Armenia and Iran, but also dimeslekos of all the Romans
[? Isk na uxt siroy dner i miji och' miayn marzpan Hayoc' ew
Parsic' hamareal` ayl ew dimeslekos arhnel bovandak Horhovmoc'].
When the Iberian prince Vashdean heard
about this, he sent to Xosrov, saying: "Tiran has betrayed
you and joined the Byzantines. Now send 8,000 cavalry by way of
Vanand, and I shall deliver him up to you". The king called
the Iberian princeling, Jojik, [g59] and made him marzpan,
and he had the prince of Siwnik' beaten up and removed as [a person
belonging to a] treacherous and deceitful azg. [Xosrov]
himself sent 5,000 troops to Vashdean. Now Vashdean wrote a letter
to [69] Tiran as follows: "You have aggrevated [Xosrov] with
your migration [neghec'ar pandxtut'eamb].
But come and we shall consult about the king".
As soon as [Tiran] read the letter,
another letter arrived the same day from Vashdean's sister's son
Hamam acquainting [Tiran] with the treachery before him from the
troops who had come from Iran, He immediately wrote a letter to
Vashdean reprimanding him for his plot. Vashdean grew angry and
had Hamam's feet and hands loped off. Then, taking the Iranians,
[Vashdean] crossed the Chorox river and went to Hamam's city named
Tambur which he attacked with fire and sword and enslaved. Now
the blessed bishop of the city, Manknos, severely cursed the prince.
[Vashdean] ordered the Iranians to kill the priests in the church
named Holy Zion. The bishop had silently prayed to God able to
ask only that the city be a desert [? miayn zays haneal i loys
t'e eghic'i k'aghak's xopan ew awerak] and a ruin and that
for all eternity no one reside there. He threw himself on the
altar and [the Iranlans] sacriflced him on Pentecost before mass
was offered to Christ [yarhaj k'an zKristos
patarageln]. On the next day there was a cloud burst and
[Vashdean] was consumed by fire as he sat by the city gates of
Tambur. Hamam subsequently [re]built this [city] calling it after
himself, Hamamashen. [70] And Mangnos' prayer was realized. In
one night 3,000 men died, others fled, and the city remained a
ruin.
That same year Heraclius arose and killed
Xosrov. He remembered [g60] the oath made between himself and
Tiran. He made [Tiran] marzpan of all the Armenians [marzpan
amenayn hayoc'] and he himself went to Constantinople. Eight
years later Mahmet's sister's son Abdrhahim came with much baggage
[bazum aghxiw] bringing 18,000 cavalry with him,
demanding taxes from Armenia. Now Tiran sent [a message] that
the entire army assemble for war [Isk Tiran arjakeac'`
zhoghov linel hamoren zoru i paterazm].
However Vashdean's son, Jojik, prince of Iberia, finding the time
favorable, had caused all of Hayk' to rebel so that they would
not go to [Tiran]. When Tiran saw that all was up, he spoke these
words before his army of 8,000 soldiers who had come willingly
"Oh people of Christ, it is better for me to die than for
the Church of God to before tributary to the Taciks" [harkatu
linel Tachkac'].
The next day they assembled at the foot
of Grgurh [mountain] and fought in the plain to the south, from
morning untli the third [71] hour. While they were still putting
the Tachkastank' to flight, suddenly the prince of Anjawac'ik',
[Sahurhh], rebelled, came out [of the ranks], and turned his sword
upon the Armenian troops. Now Tiran, tearing through the troops
[? patarheal zerku rhazmn], encountered Sahurh
and said: "Stop, apostate Sahurh for Christ has made you
fall into my hands". And he cut off Sahurh's head with his
sword. Yet he himself was martyred there by the sword [together]
with two princes. Then the Armenlan army was trapped and every
man lost his life. But some fled and passed across to swampy [morat'at'ax]
0j city. [Remains of] those killed by the Iranians [1 ms.:
i tackac' "by the Taciks"] are kept in
the reliquary of the martyrium renamed Holy Host. Abdrhahim passed
through Hark', to Basean, to Virk', and to Jaxvaxk' [ms.:
i Jawaxs] and to Vanand. He took taxes and returned
to Tachkastan.
The same year the church at Ashtic'
monastery [1 ms.: Ashtishat] was pulled down. That church
was founded by St. Gregory. [The churches of] Karapet at Innaknean,
Matravank' in Taron, the great cathedral at Astghaberd, and the
cathedral of patriarch Nerses at T'il in Ekeaeac' district [were
also pulled down]. [72] The marzpan is buried at the door
of the cathedral in Jiwnkert, Taron, in Porp city.
This chronology was begun by the Syrian
Zenob with [the time of] St. Gregory [and concerns] what had transpired
in that place. [Zenob] left a written [account of these events]
in the same church. It seemed agreeable to othere succeeding [Zenob]
to keep the list [in] the same [manner], and thus, each abbot
wrote of the events of his own time--what prince of this house
displayed what brave exploits and left them. [These compilations]
grew and were called the History of the Syrians.
For those abbots who are recorded until T'odik were all Syrians,
and that place [tun] conducted its writing and worship
in Syrian until T'odik. The latter changed the system and drove
all the Syrian clans out of the monastery [ew zAsoroc'
c'eghsn bnaw halacakan arar i vanac'n].
However, I did not find [information]
written down concerning the [events] transpiring from Trdat until
Xosrov king of Iran in the [73] house of the Mamikoneans. Then
I learned from some people that in the Edessa area there was a
certain cleric named Marmarha who had that material] written.
I went and saw the writings he had which had been composed in
that very monastery of Innaknean. He had got hold of it from some
Iranian soldier or others who had sullied the country, and the
book I believe thence fell into his hands. [I] translated from
it 28 patchens and [there were] 10 [patchens] that
I had in my possession. I put them together, making 38 patchens,
collected them into one book, and left them to the clergy. [g62]
In the time of the reign of Heraclius
when Xosrov was dead, by order of Nerses, kat'oghikos of
Armenia [this was written], in the principality of Vahan Mamikonean
who was called Kamsarakan on his mother's side, the 32nd [prince
in succession] from Mushegh called K'ajakorov--written
and bound in the monastery of Glak at the door of the blessed
[church of] St. Karapet, in which are [found] the relics of Karapet
[? bewerovn yaytni gol]. I have left an unforgettable
memorial of myself and of my own [family]. [I am] bishop Yovhan
Mamikonean, 35th [bishop in succession] from Zenob, first bishop
of the Mamikoneans, in the 4th year of the patriarchate of Samuel.
Now as for those others who sat as monastics
after these, and [74] what was wrought in their times in this
house is seen in [this] same book. For thus we have modelled ourselves
on our predecessors [zi ayspes gtak' orinagreal
yarhajnoc'n].
Again I, lord Yovannes, bishop of the Mamikoneans, beseech the clergy of the Church of God that when you make a copy of this composition let nothing appear ridiculous to anyone. Instead, rewrite my patchen fully and without deletions, so that you will be blessed by St. Karapet and in our humble shepherd's prayers, and completely by Christ. May God reward you scribes and you, the readers. [g63]
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