The king, during the days he remained
at Salk'oray, sent emissaries to [Georgi] and wrote to him using
pleasant words, for he was demanding from him 3 fortresses with
their estates (dastakertok'n) [22] which Georgi had unjustly
expropriated from the Curopalate's portion. [Basil] wrote:
"Abandon that which is not your patrimonial inheritance,
and dwell in peace in your sector, and do not be an impediment
on my road toward Persia". [Georgi], however, did not agree
to this. But then [Basil] sent Zak'aria the bishop of Vagharshakert,
whom we recalled a little earlier, who went and deceived Georgi
with convincing words. [Georgi] then consented and wrote to the
king giving him what he requested. [Bishop Zak'aria] took the
document and joyfully turned back.
But scarcely had [Zak'aria] gone a day's
journey when messengers came in haste to the lodging-place where
he was spending the night, to demand the letter; for the foolish
[Georgi] had regretted his action. They took it and left. Now
[Zak'aria] went on to the king and related to him what had occurred.
The king inquired about the troops, about their organization and
preparedness for war. Zak'aria responded: "[Georgi] has more
troops than anyone. He is militarily strong, and ready for battle".
When the king heard this, moved to anger he said: "You have
come from the rebels to terrify me". And he ordered that
[Zak'aria] be strangled in Constantinople, saying: "Go and
remain [23] there until I come to you as a fugitive". But
he commanded those taking him to cut out his tongue. [Zak'aria]
went and never again returned to his place. No, he remained [in
Constantinople] until the day of his death. [g36]
After these [events] the king left his camp at Salk'oray and went with his troops to the forward position called Shghp'ay. When the Abxaz [Georgi] learned about this, since they had not yet encamped or secured themselves with a rampart, he attempted the following wily scheme: he sent one of his bishops as an emissary, then he with the troops proceded after the emissary so that coming upon [the Byzantines] unexpectedly, he could put them to flight in terror. Those who arrived riding spirited horses did not proceed in war formation, but rather as if they were out for looting. It was [then] just as it had been in antiquity, in the days of Yovram when the Moabites
having come against Israel were themselves
subjected to the sword of bitterness. So now [the Abxazes] encountered
the same [fate]. Although they arrived boldly on their horses,
they were exhausted from the weight of their iron weapons, and
from the rapid and lengthy journey. Immediately and without trouble,
[24] the Byzantine troops surrounded them and killed a countless
multitude. The survivors, together with their king, fled to the
stronghold of Abxazia. The [Byzantine] troops which pursued them
[continued] killing until sunset. Then the king ordered that the
heads of the slain be gathered together at one spot, and that
everyone who brought a head would be given one dahekan.
Searching everywhere ("throughout all the borders")
they collected the heads of the fallen in one place, before the
king. He commanded that [the heads] be made into piles and placed
along the road, to shock and terrify the beholders.
After this, when Georgi saw himself
stripped of all hope, he beseeched the king to come to terms.
Hearing this, [Basil] pitied him, and wrote [to Georgi] an edict
having the following import: "Do not think that having vanquished
you, I shall demand more from you than previously. Rather, give
me the patrimony ("my patrimony") which the Curopalate
had given me, [g37] and give me your son as a hostage, and there
shall be peace between us". [Georgi] consented to this. [Basil]
the king set up princes over the district who divided [it up]
tun by tun, village by village, and field by field,
just as it had been before. [25] King Basil took the hostages,
promising to return them after 3 years. Then he and his troops
circulated around Armenia (zHayovk'), camping in the extensive
plain of Her. He commanded the troops to cut down the city's orchards.
He who was prince of that city beseeched the king that [he permit
him ] to be tributary ard subject to him.
While [Basil] was occupied with this
proposal--since the entire land of Persia was in terror and quaking
and [the people] were seeking some means of salvation-suddenly
the sky became thick with clouds,and torrents of rain poured down
to earth. Then the bitter north wind blew, turning the rain to
hail, snow, and ice, falling heavily and covering the face of
the country. This was the time for [such a downfall], since winter
had arrived. With the prolongation of the snowstorm and [the continued]
severity of the icy cold, herds of horses and mules became numbed
and were unable to move. As for the army's infantrymen, the cold
caused their fingers and toes to fall off, as if scorched by fire.
Furthermore the cords and stakes for the tents could not be moved,
since they had become stuck to the ground from the severity of
the bitter storm. It seems to me that this was recompense for
the merciless [26] sword which they had let loose on the Christians.
For although [the Abxazes] were subjected to this [treatment]
because of their sins, nonetheless, they should have been pitied,
as God had said to the [g38] Babylonians "I gave My people
into your hand; you showed them no mercy"[Isaiah 47.6]. Consequently,
they were tormented with the bitter cold, not on lofty mountains
but on deep and very temperate plains, in full view of their enemies.
[Her] was just as Egypt had been in Moses' day--afflicted with
hail and drizzling rain--quite out of keeping with the nature
of the area. Thus did the barbarians clearly realize that it was
the hand of the All-Mighty which was warring with them. Now when
this had so transpired, those who had any power and strength left,
mounted their horses, together with the king, and crossed over
to the Arcrunik' district, forgetting about their belongings,
and driven by the cold as if pursued by enemies. When [the inhabitants]
of the city [of Her] saw [the Byzantine departure], they suddenly
rushed forth and joyfully pounced upon [what had been left], filling
up with booty of horses, mules, tents and other stuff which [the
Byzantines] had been unable to concern themselves with, being
dazed by the cold. Now the king, ridiculed by the looters, [27]
clearly realized that the Hand of the Lord had given the Georgians
into his hand, as is written in the book of Kings "The mighty
does not wax strong by his own might; rather the lord weakens
his adversary"[I Kings 2.9]. Then the king and his troops moved on, passing
numerous lodging-places, and reached his city of Constantinople.
After three years he released the son of the Abxaz [king] with
many gifts. He himself grew ill with the pain of death.
However, since [Basil's] brother and
co-king Constantine (Kostandin) was in the district of the Nicaeans,
the king ordered that messengers be sent so that [Constantine]
would come to him speedily. Now those who were commanders (hramanatark'n),
although they verbally consented [to the command ], nonetheless
concealed the king's order amongst themselves, because [g39] they
did not want Constantine to be king. After issuing many commands,
the autocrat perceived their guile and he ordered his attendants:"Bring
me a horse"! Getting out of bed, [Basil] mounted the horse,
and rode outside the palace in view of the city. When many [people]
saw this, in dread they went and submerged themselves in dark
[underground] chambers. [28] Then the messengers, having picked
up Constantine, quickly brought him [to Constantinople]. When
the king saw this, he placed the crown of the kingdom on [Constantine's]
head and confirmed him as king. He instructed him, as David [had
advised] Solomon not to leave alive those who were stirring up
the realm and those who had not wanted him to rule over them.
But not as David, [rather] he should seek other causes [for putting
them to death]. Then [Basil] took himself to bed, and grew weak,
and after two days, died. He had reigned for 50 years. While he
was dying a certain marvellous sign appeared in the heavens. In
the evening, as he was breathing his last, a lightning-bolt of
fire split the upper Ether and suddenly fell down. Everyone saw
it and said that it presaged the king's death.
After Basil, for 4 years his brother
Constantine ruled.Because he was a peace-loving and generous [man],
he was quiet for the first year of his reign, and the country
rested from that great crisis. He [29] confirmed [in office] those
princes who were in charge of districts (gawarhakalk')
who had been designated by the great Basil. Now there was a certain
brave and war-loving [man] named Komianos whom [Constantine's]
brother had set up as lord of the district of Vaspurakan. He had
displayed extremely great feats of bravery at the Persian [g40]
court (? i durhn Parsic', or, "by the Persian
border"), and was renowned throughout the entire East. Now
on the king's death, [Komianos] devised a bad plan, to become
an ally of Georgi and to rule in the East. When the Cappadocian
army heard about this, unitedly, unexpectedly, they came against
him, cutting the cords of [his] tent and causing it to collapse
[on him]. They seized him and his advisors, and placed them in
prison in a fortress, and then informed the king. This transpired
during the first year of Constantine's reign, which was, according
to our calendar, the year 475 (=1026).
Now when the king heard about this,
he did not do anything immediately to punish [Komianos], rather,
he bided his time for an entire year until other things had occurred
(minch'ew k'aj i veray ehas irac'n). [30] Then, at the
commencement of the second year, he sent an executioner who came
and blinded [Komianos] and the some 8 men who were with him. It
is very regrettable ('worthy of repentance") that such an
honorable man and one worthy of good remembrances should have
fallen into such wicked deeds. For it was [Komianos] who had placed
until Byzantine control [the city of] Archesh with its estates.
Now when the second year had come, the
king sent to the East a certain eunuch named Nikit, who was to
be overseer of the land. He arrived and crossed through the district
of Georgia. Through deception he expelled numerous azats
of the land from their patrimonies, and sent them to the king's
court. Seeing this, in joy, [the king] honored them with very
great gifts and princely station (ishxanakan gahu),
bestcwing upon each in accordance with his worth villages and
awans by signed and sealed documents, as perpetual inheritance.
Now at the start of the third year, the eunuch Simovn, who had
sway over half the kingdom and was styled in Greek para-koimonemos
(parhekimanos), came to the East with numerous troops.
Having come, [g41] he crossed the land of Georgia. But he was
unable to do anything, since the bad news of the king's death
[31] followed. As soon as [Simovn] heard about this, taking the
troops he immediately returned to Constantinople.
Basil, [the man] mighty among kings
and always victorious in battle, who had trampled underfoot many
lands, had not, in his manly feats of bravery, taken a wife and
raised a son to be heir to the realm, as is meet for all kings.
Following [Basil], his brother, the afore-mentioned Constantine,
succeeded him. Like [Basil], he too did not have a son, rather,
he had two daughters. He gave Zoe, the senior [daughter] in marriage
to Romanus (Romanos), who was one of the officers of the Byzantine
army, and [Constantine] enthroned him in his stead. Then dying,
he followed [in the way of] all earthly beings.
[Romanus], in the first year of his
reign, assembled troops and set out for the area of the Antiochans,
wanting to go against the city called Aleppo (Halp), to take and
destroy it. He came upon the mountain called Seaw (Black) where
he saw a multitude of monks and [32] cenobites who, although possessed
of physical bodies were more like incorporeal [beings]. [With
respect to dress], they were satisfied with a wrapping or jacket
of goat hair, similar to John [the Baptist], but [with this difference,
namely] that he had eaten locusts and wild honey, while they,
with iron hoes in hand, fatiguingly labored to ready their daily
meal from barley seeds. They left to those [g42] who love this
world (ashxarhasirac'n) the diverse delicacies,
delicious foods and the joy-producing wine supplied by
the vine. Having climbed to the mountain's summit, they became
conversants with the first prophet (=Moses), and were ever speaking
with God.
When the king saw them, he asked of
his worthies: "What is this multitude of heretics"?
They replied: "They are flocks who pray, always asking for
peace for the world, and for your health". The king returned:
"I do not need their prayers. Record all the monks as bowmen
for service in my realm". For [Romanus] greatly approved
of the declaration of Chalcedon, and hated all orthodox believers.
He took the Syrian bishop to Conntantirlople, subjecting him to
ridicule and ignominy. He ordered that his beard [33] be shorn
off, and that he be led around the squares and streets seated
on an ass, to be spat upon. Later he ordered [the bishop] taken
into exile, where he died. The king was just such a fool. he did
not think about how previous kings had displayed concern toward
those peoples under their sway. Instead, with a capricious order
he wanted to introduce changes into God's churches, not remembering
the Lord's unerring command: "And he who falls on this stone
will be broken to pieces; but when it falls on any one, it will
crush him"[Matthew 21.44]. Consequently, the righteous verdicts cf God
quickly came upon him. For on the [g43] very road [which Romanus]
was travelling, an army of Taciks arose. [This army, comprising]
not more than 800 or 1000 men, pounced upon the numberless (biwrawor)
[Byzantine] hosts. They killed an inestimable number [of men],
took as booty the treasures of the king and his soldiers, and
returned to their city.
Now with great indignities the king
took to flight, racing to his capital city. Then, humiliated by
his grievous impiety, he managed to recall the words of the Song
of David: "It is better to take refuge in the lord and the
saints' prayers than to put confidence in princes and plentiful
treasures"[Psalms 117.9]. For in no way can they be of help on the day
of wrath. [34] From that [defeat] onward until the day of his
death, [Romanus] never again ventured forth from the royal city.
[The man] who had been prince of the
city [of Edessa], whom [the inhabitants] called emir (amiray)
and who had inherited that place from his forebears, died without
leaving an heir. Now his wife passionately loved one of her servants
named Salamay, and set him up as lord of the city in place of
her husband.
[Salamay], afraid that the chief [men]
of the city would not obey him, sent one of his loyal servants
to Maneak who at that time held sway over the borders of the Byzantine
district and resided in the city called Samusat (which they say
was built by Sampson). [Salamay] had done this so that [Maneak]
would inform the king to give [Salamay] princedom and eternal
inheritance in the Byantines' land [confirmed] by writ and the
royal seal. "And", [Salamay] said, "I shall give
him the city, without warfare". [g44] [35] When king Romanus
heard this, he wrote [to Salamay] a document of consent, making
him an ant'ipatos patrician, and subsequently exalting
him with great and prominent honor.
Now the citizens [of Edessa], as soon
as they heard the sound of clamor and the blare of trumpets, dismayed
and full of trepidation came forth, terrified and agitated, crowded
one on the other as waves of the sea. When they were unable to
discern any way out, those who were Muslims(mahmetakan orinok'n
sovorealk'), departed during the night and hurried to a nearby
city where they informed [the people] about the unexpected emergency
which had developed. As soon as they (=the Byzantines) heard what
had happened, an order was given and a multitude of troops assembled
at one spot. They came against the city, breached its wall and
entered, causing great destruction. Thus many citizens went and
secured themselves in the cathedral, others [took refuge] in secure
places or towers. Now the beseigers destroyed many places with
the flame and even set fire to the blessed cathedral itself. They
opened the treasuries of that house of holiness, which former
kings of Armenia had provided with vessels suitable for a temple
of the Lord, [36] and removing everything in great haste, they
returned to their places. From that day forth (ew yaynm ore
ew aysr) the city [of Edessa] fell into the hands of
the Byzantines.
Now as for the king, in no wise is he
worthy of good remembrances. On holy Thursday he left the palace
to give an address to his troops, and [spent] until noontime giving
royal gifts (zark'unatur pargewsn) in accordance
with [his] authority. When he had completed this matter, he commanded
that a golden [g45] pool be filled with water for him to bathe
in. As soon as he entered that golden basin filled with warm water,
attendants seized him by the hair of his head and submerged him
under water until he gave up the ghost. The queen had supported
this. [Romanus] reigned for seven years.
In his prophecy, Daniel saw an apparition
whose [37] head was of gold, whose shoulders and arms were silver,
and whose back and sides were copper. That was in the past. Now
[the apparition] possessing legs and feet of iron mixed with crockery
is the Byzantine kingdom. For they did not [follow the ways] of
other peoples whereby the king's son succeeds his father. He who
holds sway [having inherited it] from his fathers and grand-fathers
is iron; but he who comes from the outside, not belonging to the
royal clan, such a one is crockery. This(=non patrilineal inheritance)
is quite frequent among [the Byzantines], as indeed we shall see
[in the case] of the present monarch. [Michael] was neither from
the royal clan, nor the son of a king, nor did he have the authority
of a prominent officer [of the army]; rather he was an insignificant
palace functionary (annshan i palatin pashtoneic').
Now the queen lusted after him with a prostitute's diseased passion,
and had had her own husband drowned on [Michael's] account. They
say that he was one of the murderers. After completing this satanic
deed, the queen ordered that the chiefs of the city be summoned
to her. She showed [them] the deceased king['s body] and claimed
that he had died accidentally. Shortly thereafter, she brought
forth this Michael (Mixail), enthroned and married him--at which
the matter became [38] clear to all. Since [Michael] had numerous
relatives [g46] and brothers, he placed the supreme authority
in their hands. One of his brothers he made a magister giving
him Thessalonica (T'esaghonikn), and entrusting
him wlth the concerns of the Bulgars and the western parts; one
[brother] he styled demeslikos (? domesticos) and
sent him to the great Antioch, entrusting him with the concerns
of Tachkastan and the southern region; while the third brother
who was a eunuch and a monk named Orht'anorhos, [Michael] set
up in the royal city of Constantinople, making him a sugkletikos
(sinklitos), and entrusting him with all the concerns and
rights of the palace.
[Michael] himself was wickedly afflicted
by a dew, even while he went to the churches and the resting-places
of the saints. However, I do not know whether this [affliction]
was vengeance for the death of Romanus, who died unjustly, or
whether [Michael] was naturally possessed. They say that there
were other causes, that because the kingdom was not properly his,
he would go to the city of the Thessalonicans to a certain woman
witch (kaxard) giving himself in service to the father
of all evil, just as in ancient times, in the time of Basil (Barsegh)
they say, a youth [39] had done [similar] things by means of a
witch. [And they say] that though a demon of prostitution he had
inflamed the queen with love for himself, and that she had set
him up as king of the lands. Now after this deed had been done,
[Michael] in accordance with royal custom was obliged to go to
church on the Lord's feast-days. But the wicked dew was
unable to abide this, thinking that [Michael] was rebelling from
him. People who say this confirm it [by the fact that] the king
was in Thessalonica frequently, probably with the witch. In any
case, until his death, [the demon] which tormented [Michael] did
not leave him. [g47]
During [Michael's] reign, a great destruction
of the Byzantine troops occured in the fortified city (berdak'aghak'n)
named Berkri. [This city] which is on the territory of the Arcrunik'
land (i vicaki Arcruneac' ashxarhin)
had, together with its estates, long since been ravished by the
Persians, who controlled it. The district chief (gawarhapetn)
of Vaspurakan, a certain Kawasilas, came [against the city] with
numerous troops, took it, and established there cavalry brigades
(gunds) to guard the city. Then a certain other individual
replaced [Kawasilas], took the troops and went to a very distant
place called Arcak, on account [40] of the abundance of victuals
and other things needed by the cavalry [to be found there]. Now
the lord of the city who was named Xtrik, being shut up in the
fortress, informed the chiefs of the land of Persia, and they,
quickly spreading the word around, assembled in one place, came
against the city, investing it with a rampart. The Byzantine troops,
benumbed by wine and by their licentious activities, were unable
to take care of themselves. Furthermore the protector of Israel
deprived them of His aid. [The Persians] killed with the sword
some 24,000 men. This [disaster] oocurred not because of the righteousness
of the Persians, but because of the impiety of our [Christian]
troops which caused the sword of bitterness to be lifted up [for
it is] just as the Lord said: "The wicked shall be destroyed
wickedly"[Matthew 21.41]. Ncw those troops which were at Arcak did not
arrive to help them [in Berkri]. Then the Persian troops, taking
the loot and booty of the slain, went off to their own land. En
route, at a lodging-place, since [the Persians] had many captives
with them, Xtrik ordered that the ground be dug down to a depth
of the human body (est anjin p'orel zerkir), and that the
captives be slaughtered over that ditch until it was full. Then
[Xtrik] got in [41] and bathed in the blood of the slain, to calm
his wrathful heart. [g48].
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