Let us recall the fact that the Armenians,
Georgians, Aghbanians, Movkans, Herans, Leks, Kovkases and Egers
had one father named T'orgom, son of T'iras, son of Gamer, son
of Japheth (Yabet'), son of Noah [g7]. He was a brave, gigantic
man. At the time of the destruction of the Tower [of Babel] and
the division of tongues and the dispersion of mankind throughout
the world, [T'orgom] came and settled between the Masis and Aragats
mountains. He had many women; sons and daughters of his sons and
daughters were born: and he lived for six hundred years. But the
country did not suffice for the multitude of his folk (axi).
Therefore, they spread out and enlarged their boundaries: from
the Pontic sea to the sea of Heret' and Kasp and by the mountains
of the Caucasus.
They selected eight of the bravest and
most renowned of his sons. First was Hayk, second K'art'los, third
Bardos, fourth Movkan, fifth Lekan, sixth Heros, seventh Kovkas,
and eighth Egres. But Hayk was the strongest and bravest there
was no one like him on earth, not before the deluge nor after
it, to the present. T'orgom divided his land among them: half
[2] [g8] he gave to Hayk and half to the sevens sons, according
to their merit. To K'art'los he gave the Tsmak land of the north,
[with borders] in the east by the Berdahoj river, in the west
the Pontic sea and from the Tsmak area by the Caucasus mountains,
by Klarj and Tayk' as far as Lexk' (Lixk'). To Bartos he gave
[territory] from the same Berdahoj river to the region of the
Kur river to the sea where the conjoined Erasx and Kur rivers
enter it. First [Bartos] built the city Partaw in his own name.
[T'orgom] gave to Movkan [territory] from the Kur river northward
to the head of the Alazani [river] as far as the great sea. And
[Movkan] built Movkanet' city. He gave to Heros [land] from the
head of the Alazani as far as Lake Mayroy which presently is called
Gaghgagha. He built a city at the confluence of the two rivers
calling it after his own name, Heret'. The place today is called
Xorant'a. [T'orgom] gave to Egros [territory extending] from the
shore of the sea by Lixk' as far as the western sea, by the Xazaret'
river to where the sea unites with the Caucasus. In his name he
built the city Egris, presently called Bedia. Now [lands extending]
from mount Caucasus to the great Ghumek river which were uninhabited,
he gave to his two sons Kovkas and Lekan, by whose names [these
lands] have been called to the present. [3]
Hayk inherited half of the patrimony,
with the stated borders. He was prince of the seven brothers and
stood in service to the giant Nimrod (Nebrovt') who first ruled
the entire world as king. Now after a few years had passed, [g9]
Hayk assembled his brothers and said to them: "Hear me, my
brothers. Behold, God has given us might and many people. Now,
for the mercy upon us, let us not serve a foreigner but rather
the true God". All consented. Rebelling, they did not give
the tax and brought over to their side the surrounding peoples.
When Nimrod heard about this he was angered, assembled a multitude
of many giants and rabble, set out against them and came to the
Atrpatakan land. Hayk was with his people by the foot of [mount]
Masis. Nimrod dispatched sixty giants with a great multitude.
[The two sides] clashed with each other with a fearsome intense
crash like the sound of thunder clouds. There were countless,
inestimable numbers slain on both sides. Hayk stood at the rear
of his people encouraging steadfastness. Like lightning he himself
raided around and felled the last of those sixty giants and their
troops. He and the seven brothers remained safe by the grace of
God, and they glorified their omnipotent savior. When Nimrod learned
about what had happened, he became extremely agitated and he himself
went against Hayk. But Hayk, not having as many soldiers as [Nimrod],
fortified himself into the rough places of the Masis valleys.
Nimrod was heavily armored with iron, from head to foot. He ascended
the crest of a hill and summoned Hayk to [return to] his former
[4] obedience. But Hayk did not respond to him rather, he said
to his brothers: "Cover me from the rear and I shall descend
to Nimrod". He approached him and shot an arrow at [Nimrod's]
breast-plates, which went straight through to the other side.
Turning about he expired forthwith and his entire army fell: and
the House of T'orgom reposed without a care. Then Hayk ruled his
brothers and alI neighboring peoples as king. [g10] Now K'art'los
went to the mountain called Amraz and built there his home and
fortress;and his entire land from Xunan to the sea of Sper was
called K'art'li after him. He constructed Orbet', now called Shamshoylte
and the brick-built fortress Ghunan. After living many years,
he died leaving five brave sons: Mts'xet'os, Gardbos, Kaxos, Koghk'is
and Gajis. Mts'xet'os was their senior. He buried his father at
the head of K'art'l(i), the mountain Armaz. The wife of K'art'los
built Mayraberd [Mother-Fortress, Dedats'ixe] and the city called
Risha which is Partizak'aghak' [Garden City, Postan-kalalki: Rust'aw]
and divided the entire land among her five sons. Gajeos built
Gajen city, Kaxos built Ch'elt' and Kaxet', and Mts'xet'os built
the city Mts'xet'a and ruled [his] four brothers. [Mts'xet'os]
had three[5] renowned sons: Op'los, Odzrxos and Jawaxos to whom
he gave the country of his inheritance. Odzrxos built two fortress--cities,
Odzrxe and T'uxrsi. Jawaxos built two towns with fortresses, Tsanda
and Artahan, which was formerly known as K'ajats' k'aghak'
(City of Braves). Up'los built Up'lists'ixe, Urbnis and Kasb.
As far as the gate of Tayk' this lot (vichak) was called
Lower K'art'li. The T'orgomeans built fortresses out of fear of
the Nimrodians who harassed them to exact blood vengeance for
their ancestor Nimrod. But until Mts'xet'os' death they were unable
to conquer them because of their unity.
However, when Mts'xet'os died, all the Houses (tuns) of K'art'li came into discord with each other, [g11] for they did not want Up'los (whom his father K'art'los had set up over the entire land) to rule them. And the battle continued for a long time. For as soon as wise men made some little peace among them, once again agitation would break out. During this period the city of Mts'xet'a expanded and was styled the capital of K'art'li. The prince who resided there was called the tanuter [Georg. mamasaxlisi] of the entire country. They placed upon him neither [the title of] king nor naxarar (lord) nor any other title of honor. After this they forgot God their creator, worshipped the sun, moon and the seven other stars, and they swore by the grave of their father K'art'los.[6] [g12]
At this time the Khazar people, having
grown powerful, fought with the Lek and Kovkas people. In their
affliction, [the attacked] requested of the six peoples comprising
the House of T'orgom (who were then dwelling in joy and peace)
that they come and aid them. This they did willingly and in a
state of preparedness. They crossed mount Caucasus and captured
the country of the Khazars, thanks to Dutsuk, son of Tirit'is,
who had called upon them for assistance. Subsequently the Khazars
assembled again, chose a king, formed into a large army and came
through the Darband Gate against the T'orgomeans. [They came]
as far as the plain of Ararat and Masis, and killed and enslaved,
for they were countless. Remaining were solely the Tsmak fortress-cities,
Moxraberd, Xunan, Shamshoylte, Dabi and Egris. [g13] The Khazars
also discovered yet another gate called the Darial. They commenced
coming to raid the T'orgomeans and placed them under taxation.
The Khazar king gave the first Armenian and Georgian captives
to his son Uovbos, together with part of the Caucasus, from the
Ghamek river to the end of the mountain by the west. With his
people Uovbos built up his country called Oset'. Now a certain
Derdzuk, a prominent man among Kovkas' sons, went and fortified
himself into the mountain's defiles and paid taxes to the Khazar
king. And he named [7] the place Durdzket'. Now the same Khazar
king gave to his cousin (father's brother's son) a part of Lekan,
from the Darband sea in the east as far as the river west of Ek,
also giving him captives from Aghbania and Movkan. And there he
built his dwelling place. A son of Lekan, a certain Xuzun, went
to the mountain caves and built the city Xuzunis after his own
name. After the passage of much time, all the peoples of the north
became tributary to the Khazars.
After this the people of Nimrod grew
in the East and a man named Abriton appeared among them. They
say about him that by using sorcery he bound in irons the prince
of the snakes, called Biwraspi, on the uninhabited mountain Rayis,
as is written in the book of the Iranians. He made many peoples
tributary, [g14] ruled Iran, and dispatched his military commander--a
descendent of Nimrod--to the country of Iberia. He came, destroyed
cities and fortresses, killed those Khazars he found and ruled
the country. He built Daruband by the seashore. It means "Closed
Gate". This Adarmos built Mts'xet'a with stones mortared
with lime, and started [constructing] the wall [extending] from
Amraz mountain to the Kur river. And prior to this, Iberia, which
is K'art'li, did not know the art of lime and stone. Now when
Abriton was dividing among his three sons [8] [the peoples] he
had subjugated, he gave the Iranians and the Iberians to one son
named Iarederax. Adarmos lived as prince of Iberia for many years.
After him his place was occupied by four chiefs. After this discord
appeared among the sons of Abriton, and two brothers, allied,
slew Ariadarex. Finding the time opportune, the Iberians, aided
by the Ossetians, killed the chief of the Iranians while he was
diverting himself in the country. They also killed others from
his army, and remained unconcerned about the Iranians. However
the country of Aghbania and Heret' remained with Iran. After this
the king of Iran, named K'ekapos, once more grew powerful. He
came to Movkan and Heret' and planned to enter Leket'. But the
chief of the Lek was a relation of Xuzanix and a sorcerer. By
enchantment he blinded K'ekapos and his soldiers. They turned
back and thereupon their eyes were opened. Placing Iberia under
taxation, they departed. [g15]
At this time wondrous stories spread
about concerning Moses, the friend of God, that he had crossed
through the Red Sea with the twelve tribes, 60,000 strong, and
was living in the wilderness of Sinai where they ate bread which
fell from Heaven -mana. When all the pagans heard this they praised
and blessed the God of Israel.[9]
In this period all of the T'orgomean
peoples, united with the Armenians, stood off from Iran, fortifying
cities and keeps (tgheaks). The embittered K'ekapos sent
his commander P'araborot aqainst the T'orgomeans with many troops.
The Armenians and Iberians went before them in Atrpatakan, and
striking forth~killed many of them. P'araborot fled with a few
men. Angered, K'ekapos dispatched his grandson named K'ue Xosrov,
son of Biuab the Fair (who was killed by the Turks). The Armenians
and Iberians were unable to resist him and generally were trampled
beneath his feet. [K'ue Xosrov] designated his officials and built
in Atrpatakan a house of prayer, after their faith, then returned
to his own country. He commenced fighting the Turks, who had slain
his father. Some men of the Turks--twenty-eight houses (tuns)
fled from him and came to the tanuter of Mts'xet'a requesting
[g16] of him a cave on the eastern slde of the city. They walled
this dwelling place of theirs and named it Sarakine, which means
Iron Mine. Since K'ue Xosrov was too preoccupied to concern himself
with the Armenians and Iberians, [the latter] gathered strength
and killed the Iranian prince and built fortresses.
In the same period there came to the
country of Iberia some fugitives from the Greeks, Syrians, and
Khazars who were harassed by their enemies. [The Iberians] accepted
them to [10] aid themselves against the Iranians. Also at that
time came Jews who had escaped from Nebuchadnezzar (Nabugodonosor),
who had captured Jerusalem. And they requested a place for worship
(?teghi harkelov) from the tanuter of Mts'xet'a
and he gave them a stream on the Arag river called Zanaw, now
called Xerk. Up to this point the language of Iberia was Armenian.
But then [the Iberians] started to be changed by the peoples dwelling
among them, and there occurred a mixing up of everything, leading
to that which is presently called Georgian. Subsequently they
elected a religion and a conduct more immodest and indecent than
all people's. For in marriage they made no differentiation among
[the same and related] lines, they ate every creeping reptile,
insect, and carrion, and had no graves.
Now after this, once more still another
Iranian king named Spandiar, son of Vashdapish, came against Armenia
and Iberia. But when he reached Atrpatakan, he heard the bad tidings
that the nation of the Turks had killed his father's brother.
He departed thence to T'urk'astan, while Armenia and Iberia relaxed.
Following this, Spandiar's son Vahram (also called Artashesh)
[g17] ruled Iran as king. He was stronger than all the [previous]
kings of Iran. He took Babylon and placed under taxation Asorestan,
Greece and Iberia.
[11] At that time six languages were spoken in Iberia: Armenian, Khazar, Syriac, Hebrew, Greek, and the result of their commingling, Georgian. [g18]
Then there arose in the land of Macedonia
Alexander the Great, son of Nek'taneb the Egyptian, who conquered
the three corners of the world. Coming from the northwest, he
passed through the east, entering the Tsmak country, crossing
mount Caucasus into the land of Iberia. He was shocked by their
indecent life style. [g19] He saw numerous fortresses, and worked
his troops for six months in taking them: Tsunda, Xerdis, Undzerxe
(built of Ladas rock), T'ughars on the Sper river, called the
Chorox, Urbnis, Kasb, Up'lists'ixe (called Lord's fortress), Mts'xet'a,
T'aghk'n (called Sarakina), Ts'ixedid (that is, Great fortress),
the Jewish section (t'agh) of Zawan, Rhisha, Mayraberd,
Shamshulte and Xunan, a fortress on the Kur river. He encountered
powerful fighters. [Alexander] divided his army among all of them
and himself settled at the spot called Astagi. However, he did
not battle with the fortresses of T'ughars and Xunan, for they
were impregnable. He besieged the Sarakinites for twelve months,
since they had insulted Alexander. Nor did he conclude peace with
them,[12]until it happened that [the besieged] dug a soft cave
through to the other side and all fled in the night to the Caucasus.
However [Alexander] killed many there, capturing women and innocent
children down to the age of twelve. Then he set up over the country
a patrician, that is, a senior (awag), a Macedonian man
named Azon. He gave him 100,000 troops who were front-liners (p'rotitosik),
experienced men and wrestlers who had severely harassed the Greeks
in their own land. For this reason he had taken them far from
there, entrusting them to Azon. From their number Azon set up
rulers throughout the entire country of Iberia. Alexander commanded
Azon to honor the sun, moon and five stars, and to serve one unseen
God, creator of heaven and earth, and he legislated the same for
the whole country. For at that time there was no preaching of
truth.
Now Azon pulled down all fortresses
in the land of Iberia, leaving four fortresses [standing] at the
gates of Iberia, and filling them with soldiers. He made tributary
[g20] the Leks, Ossetians, and Khazars and ruled all of Iberia
from the Heret' region and Berdahoj as far as the sea of Sper.
King Alexander subdued the world in twelve years. In the twelveth
year he liberated those hostages who had been with him in service.
He divided his principality among his four [13] relatives: to
Antiochus who built Antioch he gave Asorestan; to Hromos, who
built a city in his own name, he gave the western Greeks to Biwzandos,
who built Biwzand, he gave Thrace, Biwt'ania, and Iberia. He wrote
to Azon that he was to serve Biwzandos. He sent Ptolemy (Pghaton)
to Egypt, giving Alexandria to him. And then [Alexander] himself
died. Now after this Azon forgot the faith given by Alexander
and fashioned two idols out of silver, naming them Gats'im and
Gayim; and he worshipped them. He was a tyrannical, bloodthirsty
man, and served Biwzandos. Azon legislated for his own [people]
that should any Iberian be found possessing property (ench'egh),
maturity and success, he should be slain and his property taken.
He turned away from the Greeks, killing many of them. At that
time they selected a man named P'arnawaz belonging to the sons
of Mts'xit', the son of an Iranian mother from Isfahan (Spahan).
He was the son of the sister of Samaros who had been tanuter
of Mts'xet'a upon Alexander's arrival and who had been killed.
P'arnawaz was intelligent and a skilled hunter. He became known
to Azon. P'arnawaz' mother told him: "Don't reveal yourself
to Azon, rather take me to Isfahan to my brothers, and you shall
live with me". [14] However, P'arnawaz did not relish leaving
his patrimony (hayrenik'). He had a dream in which he saw
himself in a very narrow house, unsuccessfully thinking about
getting out. Suddenly a ray of sunlight came through the window,
encircled his waist and pulled him to the door. Upon emerging,
he saw the sun near him. He wiped off his sweat and annointed
his face. Waking up, he was astonished. Then he thought:"I
shall go to Isfahan and it will be good for me"; he planned
to leave. That same day he went hunting, alone. He spied a deer
in the ravine of Tiflis and shot it with an arrow,and the deer
fell into a hollow of the rock. [P'arnawaz]went after it. The
sun set and he remained there that night. Rain fell, mixed with
snow, and P'arnawaz sought shelter.He discovered an entrance anciently
stopped up with rocks, which had become dislodged. Opening [the
entrance] he saw a large cave filled with gold and silver treasures.
In joy he recalled the dream. He went and called his mother and
two sisters. For fifteen days they unearthed treasure and kept
it in their possession in secret places here and there. P'arnawaz
sent to K'ujis, saying: "I have troops. If you wish I shall
come to you and we shall make a pledge in opposition to Azon and
in expectation of our victory". When K'ajis heard this, he
was delighted and said: "Come to me and from your assemblage
[15] we shall have troops [to fight] against Azon, and make Iberia
joyful. Furthermore the Greeks will aid us, since Azon rebelled
from them". [g22] P'arnawaz went to K'ajis with his family.
[K'ajis] received him joyfully and said to them: "You are
from [the line of] the former tanuters of Iberia and you
are suited for [wielding] the authority. Now you are lord and
I, your servant". At the same time they informed the Leks
and Ossetes, and they were extremely happy as [people] wearied
of paying taxes to Azon. Assembling together they came to them
with a great multitude of cavalry. Similarly they came from Egeria.
When Azon heard about this, he too assembled his troops. But 1000
men of his army, Greeks, separated and went over to P'arnawaz.
Azon, feeling unsure of the remaining troops, fled to the fortresses
of Klarchet'. Now P'arnawaz went to Mts'xet'a, took it and the
four fortresses nearby, [and] all Iberia in one year's time. He
dispatched ambassadors with many gifts to Antiochus, and sought
aid against the Greeks, and promised to serve him. Antiochus accepted
this proposal with joy, called him his son, sent him a crown,
and ordered the princes of Armenia to help P'arnawaz [Pharnabazus/P'arnavaz
I, king 299-234 B.C.]. Now when the next year came, Azon united
with the Greeks and assembled a multitude of cavalry to go against
P'arnawaz. [16] The latter also assembled his own men, and an
army fromAntiochus came to him. He anticipated Azon at the city
and country of Artahan, then called the City of Braves, K'ajats'-K'aghak'.
They joined battle, and Azon was defeated, dying on the spot.
The Greek troops joined them. Then P'arnawaz went to the area
of the Greeks, captured Andzi, Andzura and Elekats'is, returned
to Klarchet', took it, and came to Mts'xet'a in great joy. He
captured all of Azon's treasure and became extremely great. He
gave one of his sisters in marriage to the king of the Ossetians,
and the other [sister] to K'ujis. And he gave him [lands] stretching
from Gerojur to Ewrian, from midsea (mijatsoven) to the
great mountain below which are the Egerats'ik' and Sonk'. And
[P'arnawaz] was untroubled by enemies. And K'ujis built K'uji
fortress. [g23]
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